More Scotland wide support for Endometriosis sufferers thanks to National Lottery cash

Endometriosis can cause unrelenting pain that affects every aspect of a person’s life. In Scotland, the average waiting time between the onset of symptoms and eventual diagnosis is eight and a half years.* Now, thanks to National Lottery funding announced today (THURS 4 NOV) Endometriosis UK will be able to provide additional support and information to thousands of Scots living with the condition before and after diagnosis.

The organisation is one of 179 groups across Scotland sharing in £5,752,948 from The National Lottery Community Fund. A full list of all the projects receiving funding today (THURSDAY 4 NOVEMBER) is attached.

Twenty-eight-year-old Brittnee Leysen from Glasgow knows only too well the, physical, emotional, and psychological effects of living with endometriosis. An Endometriosis UK volunteer, she will use her lived experience to provide support and advice to new volunteers who will establish additional support groups and deliver remote services.

Brittnee Leysen said: “About a decade ago I began to get severe pain every other month, not just tied always to my cycle. There was a period of time where I was in and out of hospital every other month in severe pain and had re-occurring endometriosis cysts.

“I was finally diagnosed in June 2018 after my second surgical procedure. In August 2020 I had surgery at the Endometriosis Centre in Glasgow as there was growth around my womb, ovaries, and bladder. The good news was that they were able to detach an ovary and save it, but it made me really begin to think about my fertility, so I took the opportunity of freezing my eggs.

“I started volunteering for Endometriosis UK’s helpline earlier this year. I really like being able to listen to people and give them the tools and information, so they know where to start.

“There’s a lot to be done in the diagnosis and treatment of endometriosis but, in the meantime, people need something to help them get through life, day-to-day. The increased support that will now be available will play a huge part in helping people across Scotland to manage this chronic condition.”

Welcoming the £108,755 award, Claire Kelleher, Support Network Manager, Endometriosis UK, added:” We provide vital supportive services including a helpline, reliable information, and a community for those affected by endometriosis.

“This award from The National Lottery Community Fund will allow us to create a new role for Scotland. The Scottish Development Coordinator will increase the availability of support in Scotland for those facing isolation, loneliness, and disadvantage due to endometriosis. They will strengthen our community-based support groups, led by local volunteers with lived experience of the disease and develop new support initiatives to expand the support we offer.

“We’d like to extend our thanks to all the National Lottery players who make grants like this possible. “

Announcing the funding, The National Lottery Community Fund’s Scotland Chair, Kate Still, said: “Thanks to National Lottery players, this funding will go a long way to providing a package of support tailored to people who are facing a wide range of challenging circumstances in their lives.

“The comfort of knowing that someone, like Brittnee, who understands the journey you are on, is at the end of the phone, forms part of a group support or is available online, can not be overstated.

“This is National Lottery money reaching into communities and making a real difference where it is needed most.”

The National Lottery Community Fund distributes funding on behalf of National Lottery players who raise more than £30 million each week for good causes throughout the UK.

Thanks to National Lottery players, last year we awarded over half a billion pounds (£588.2 million) of life-changing funding to communities across the UK. Over eight in ten (83%) of our grants are for under £10,000 – going to grassroots groups and charities across the UK that are bringing to life amazing ideas that matter to their communities.

To find out more visit www.TNLCommunityFund.org.uk