PRESS RELEASE - FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
18 February 2010

LOTTERY GRANT OF £205,000 TO RESEARCH HEALING

A lottery grant has been awarded to research the benefits of Healing provided by members of NFSH/The Healing Trust by the University of Birmingham over the next two years.

The grant was awarded to Freshwinds, a Birmingham medical charity, which will work in collaboration with the University. Patients of a Birmingham hospital who have been diagnosed with particular bowel problems, who are still suffering after completing their conventional treatment, will be offered a series of five healing sessions.

The grant application was supported by a hospital audit of 75 gastroenterology patients who had received one 20-minute healing session.

Sandy Edwards, the volunteer healer who produced the audit, says, “Anyone with IBS, psoriasis or eczema knows that their symptoms get worse when they are stressed or worried. This tells me that a physical chemical reaction is taking place in the body as a result of their negative emotional state. Healing deeply calms people but there is more going on than simply relaxation or placebo. For instance, research shows that healing works under laboratory conditions on human tissue in petri dishes, and also on animals and plants.”

Veronica Bowden, General Manager of The Healing Trust, says, “We are thrilled that our healing is being researched by such a prestigious university. Although we have countless testimonials that healing works, additional research will help healing to become more widely available within the NHS. We offer national, professional standards that patients should expect of practitioners working within the NHS. Our voluntary healing centres throughout the country are available to everyone and people can view a short film about it on our website, www.thehealingtrust.org.uk.”

ENDS

For further information, please contact Veronica Bowden at The Healing Trust on 01604 603247 or email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
or
Sandy Edwards (healer involved in the project) 01922 627346 or 07940 821917

The Healing Trust

Notes to Editors

• The Healing Trust has been established for over 50 years and is the largest healing organisation in the UK with over 4000 members. It is a registered charity which provides opportunities for members of the public to receive spiritual healing through its UK Referral Service, over 50 voluntary Healing Centres, at Exhibitions and through NHS support services.
• The Healing Trust members are subject to national standards of training and examination. After a two-year comprehensive programme of training, practice and development, students are eligible to be considered for Healer Membership. All of its healers are insured for the protection of the public and are bound by a strict Code of Conduct.
• Healing is not associated with a particular religion, and faith by the patient is not required. Healing can help people regardless of their religious beliefs.
• Healing energises body, mind and spirit and its effects can be felt on many levels, not just the physical.
• Although most of our members volunteer their healing work, some are employed within the NHS. The Healing Trust would like to encourage more paid employment within the NHS so that healing becomes a natural part of mainstream healthcare. To do this, we need to continue to add to the current body of evidence that demonstrates how effective healing is.
• The hospital audit referred to in the article is on our website (www.thehealingtrust.org.uk) and shows that patients were still benefiting from the experience one week later, some dramatically so. However, most patients need more than one session and we recommend at least five weekly sessions to establish without doubt that healing is making a positive difference. This research project is designed to do this and to measure the outcomes.
• The Healing Trust offers a one-day course to all people who care for others, whether they are medical professionals or caring for a member of the family. Caring for others can be draining and this course teaches how to retain the integrity of one’s own energy.
• For medical professionals who would like to become trained healers, The Healing Trust offers a comprehensive training programme that takes their existing knowledge and experience into account.
• Freshwinds is a registered charity based in Birmingham supporting adults and children living with life threatening and life limiting conditions, as well as those who are experiencing social exclusion since 1992. Amongst its many projects, is the integrated medicine project which offers complementary therapies with medical support to palliative care clients at its Selly Oak offices, as well as in the community. Freshwinds also founded the Children’s Complementary Therapy Network (CCTN) with more than 360 members worldwide. The CCTN recently launched the ‘Tell your Doctor’ poster campaign in the UK (http://cctn.freshwinds.org.uk).
• One of the patients involved in this project, Marie Withers, is available for interview.