Help Bring Specialist Lymphoedema Care to Shepton

Aim

Help me train in advanced lymphoedema care, bringing specialist support closer to home for people in and around Shepton Mallet.

Please help me bring more specialist lymphoedema care closer to home for people in and around Shepton Mallet.

Hello, I'm Violet, founder of Total Gut Health & Wellness Centre in Shepton Mallet, Somerset.

For over 15 years I've dedicated my career to caring for others. I began my healthcare career working in cardiac and oncology care before qualifying as an NHS midwife.

In January 2025, I took a leap of faith and opened Total Gut Health & Wellness Centre, building it alongside my NHS role. Then, in January 2026, I made one of the biggest decisions of my life and left the security of the NHS to dedicate myself fully to growing my clinic and providing specialist care to my local community.

My dream has never simply been to own a business. It has always been to create a welcoming place where people feel listened to, supported and treated as individuals through compassionate, evidence-informed care.

I'm incredibly proud that my clinic has grown almost entirely through word of mouth, recommendations and the trust my clients have placed in me. Their kindness and belief in what I do have allowed me to continue developing the services I can offer.

Since qualifying as a midwife, I have personally invested many thousands of pounds into further education and specialist training. Every qualification beyond my NHS-funded midwifery degree has been self-funded. This includes:

• ARCH-approved Colonic Hydrotherapy

• Nutritional training

• Manual Lymphatic Drainage Massage Diploma (MLD)

• Restore Oncology Scar Therapy

• Restore Caesarean Scar Therapy

• Wellness vitamin injection training

Every course has been chosen with one goal in mind: to provide safe, holistic, evidence-informed care that supports the whole person, not just their symptoms.

Why I'm asking for help

I now have the opportunity to complete an advanced recognised qualification in Manual Lymphatic Drainage and Complete Decongestive Therapy (CDT), including compression bandaging.

This is the next step in developing specialist skills to support people living with lymphoedema and lipedema.

As a single mum raising two wonderful children while building a new business from the ground up, my savings have gone into establishing my clinic, purchasing equipment and continually investing in professional education. Although I have always funded my own training, this qualification has come at a point where I simply can't afford it alone.

Asking for help doesn't come naturally to me, but I hope that by investing in my education, you'll also be investing in better care for our local community.

Why this training matters

Every week I meet people living with lymphoedema, many of whom developed it months or even years after completing cancer treatment. Although their cancer journey may be over, they are often left living with the long-term effects of surgery or radiotherapy and can face lengthy waits for specialist NHS lymphoedema services or ongoing support.

I am already qualified in Manual Lymphatic Drainage Massage and have recently completed specialist oncology scar therapy training, allowing me to support people with scar recovery and milder lymphatic concerns.

This advanced qualification will enable me to develop specialist skills in Complete Decongestive Therapy, including compression bandaging, allowing me to support people with more complex lymphoedema.

My goal is not to replace NHS services, but to complement them by providing evidence-informed treatment locally, helping people access support sooner where appropriate and reducing the need for some people to travel further afield for specialist care.

Cancer treatment doesn't always end when chemotherapy, surgery or radiotherapy finishes. For many people, lymphoedema is a lifelong condition that deserves timely, compassionate and specialist support.

My vision is to continue developing Total Gut Health & Wellness Centre into a place where people recovering from cancer and those living with lymphoedema can access high-quality care closer to home.

How your support will help

I've chosen to be completely transparent about the costs.

The advanced specialist MLD training programme costs:

•  Course fee: £2,365

I'm hoping to raise as much as possible towards the £2,500, which will contribute towards the course fee and associated travel and accommodation costs.

Every pound raised will go directly towards completing this recognised advanced qualification.

How I hope to give back

If I'm fortunate enough to complete this training, I want the benefits to extend far beyond my own professional development.

My hope is to:

• Offer a number of reduced-cost, means-tested appointments for people who would otherwise struggle to access private lymphoedema care.

• Continue building relationships with local cancer support organisations.

• Explore opportunities to volunteer my specialist skills with organisations such as Penny Brohn UK, supporting people affected by cancer through Manual Lymphatic Drainage, Complete Decongestive Therapy and specialist scar therapy.

• Share my knowledge through community education and awareness events, helping more people recognise lymphoedema and understand where to seek help.

This qualification isn't simply an investment in me—it's an investment in every person I'll have the privilege of caring for in the years ahead.

If you've ever trusted me with your care, recommended my clinic, encouraged my journey or simply believe in what I'm trying to build, thank you.

Whether you can donate £5 or £500, every contribution will help me take this next step.

If donating isn't possible, sharing this page with your friends, family and local community groups would mean just as much.

Thank you for taking the time to read my story and for believing in my vision. I promise that, if I'm fortunate enough to complete this training, I'll use the knowledge and skills I gain to continue giving back to the community that has supported me from the very beginning.

With heartfelt gratitude,

Violet
Founder, Total Gut Health & Wellness Centre

Funding method

Keep what you raise – this project will receive all pledges made by 9th December 2026 at 10:31am