Celebrating coproduction and lived experience leadership

Eating Disorders HIT Peer Co-Director Carolyn Trippick recently took part in a thoughtful and inspiring interview with involvees from Avon & Wiltshire Mental Health Partnership NHS Trust (AWP), timed to mark Eating Disorders Awareness Week (23 February–1 March 2026).

Featured in the Spring edition of the AWP Working Together newsletter, the piece explores her journey into the Peer Co‑Director role, the vital contribution of lived experience within EDHIT and the impact this has on shaping and improving services.

She says:

“Involvement helped me feel ‘ok about not being ok’. As my confidence grew, so did my involvement. I started with local eating disorders work and later moved into more strategic roles. It’s your story, so you can never get it ‘wrong’. When a Peer Director role came up with the Health Integration Team, I applied and here I am.”

In the article, Carolyn also speaks passionately about the importance of reaching out to local communities, and the work being done to ensure support is accessible for all.

There’s much more to discover in the full article (pp 4-5) — it’s well worth a read.