Female founder fights the battle on body image issues with new charity

A new charity is revolutionising the support system available for people battling body image issues by providing free, confidential, relatable support via a custom designed app.

The charity, Been There, was created by female founder Tessa Peters. Having spent many years struggling with bulimia in her past, Tessa transformed her experience into an innovative and inspirational organisation to help others. And already, it’s inundated with interest.

Using a safe and secure platform, Been There connects those in need with vetted, trained Mentors (all of whom have experienced issues with negative body image). It’s a real and relatable service that works to provide perspective, personal experience and expert guidance.

Since its launch, Been There has grown at speed with an increasing demand for more Mentors and Mentoring spaces. Over the coming months, through campaigns such as its recent crowdfunding appeal #BringTheSupport, the Been There team hopes to answer this demand and expand its service from 60 Mentoring spaces to 600 per year.

Tessa Peters, CEO and Founder of Been There, said:

“According to research by the Mental Health Foundation*, 80% of people agree that their body image has a negative impact on their mental health. And yet, 64% of people that had accessed or tried to access health services relating to body image issues felt that their experience was either negative or strongly negative. With Been There, we’re hoping to change this.

I know from my own journey that when you’re experiencing body image issues it can be really difficult to find relatable help. Even when you’re surrounded by supportive friends and family, you can still feel alone and ashamed without someone who’s been there themselves to talk to.

Finding a Mentor that can speak with experience about similar issues, relate to your circumstances and understand the battle you’re facing can be a life-changing experience. I know it was for me. And that’s why I’ll continue to work to build and enrich our Been There network with as many Mentors as possible.”

To find out more about becoming a Mentor, or Been There, visit the charity’s website https://beenthereapp.com/be-a-mentor/ or apply on the Been There app which is free to download from Google Play or the App Store.

*Source: Mental Health Foundation, 2019 Body image report – Executive Summary (mentalhealth.org.uk).

About Tessa Peters:

Tessa is the founder and CEO of the charity Been There. The charity supports people with body image issues by pairing them, through an app, with a vetted and trained Mentor who has relatable experience.

The charity was set up in response to Tessa’s own battle with an eating disorder which she tackled for 11 years. During this time, she desperately searched for help from someone who had shared a similar journey and could understand her situation. After trying many different forms of professional help, Tessa eventually found her Mentor, which was life-changing for her. Being able to feel safe and speak freely without judgement, helped to stop her feeling so ashamed or alone.

Before launching Been There, Tessa had worked on Superyachts as a Sous and Crew Chef for most of her career as well managing a number of large-scale events including CarFest and Frieze Festival. With the creation of Been There, she hopes to achieve her aim of providing vital support for people struggling with their body image and the many related mental health issues that are so prevalent in today’s society.

Tessa’s mission is to encourage self-acceptance and self-worth in everyBODY. Through Been There, and its 1-to-1 mentoring service, she is developing a national network to help people get the support they need. And, driven by her belief that no-one should ever feel alone, she encourages us all to help each other more and seek out opportunities to empower others wherever we can.

Find Been There @