paIN PUT in perspective

Emmy and BAFTA award-winning film director Julian Kemp, known for the film My Last Five Girlfriends, is speaking at an event to launch a unique support service called 'paIN PUT in perspective' (PPIP), for people living with chronic pain.

The event includes afternoon tea and a string quartet.

Chronic Pain is a long-term condition affecting a total of 7.8 million people in the UK (Chief Medical Officer's Annual Report, 2009). Often there is no cure and people need to adjust to living with debilitating pain for the rest of their lives.

Julian is supporting the event because of a personal connection with chronic pain in his family - both his mother and his mother-in-law suffer from chronic pain. Julian said "The work of PPIP is important because it provides ongoing support with ways to self manage pain, without relying on medication or medical intervention, in order to produce a good quality of life."

PPIP has been established by a group of ex-patients who attended a self management course for chronic pain at Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust. The aim is to provide support and information for ex-patients to help them self manage their pain and increase their quality of life.

The event is open to anybody living with chronic pain - providing the opportunity to network, share experiences with one another and find out more about how the PPIP project can help them.

Clare Grey, Psychologist working with the PPIP group, said: "I see PPIP as an extremely worthwhile and encouraging endeavour for INPUT graduates. This service is multi-dimensional, providing newsletters, a website, social gatherings and a source of information. It is invaluable in supporting INPUT graduates to continue, or in some cases return to, the pain management strategies learnt during their time at INPUT."

All proceeds will support the organisation of future events including guest speakers, and pay for the cost of a website to share guidance and information more easily with members.

Items such as books donated by Darcey Bussell will be raffled on the day.

If you would like a ticket, please email Clare Grey at [email protected] by Thursday 21 May.