The Hypermobility Survival Guide

What is the Hypermobility Survival Guide (H.S.G.)?

The H.S.G. is a beginner's guide that addresses the issues connective tissue problems can cause, focusing on joint issues. It aims to help those with chronic joint pain recognise that it might stem from Joint Hypermobility Syndrome (J.H.S.) and offers practical solutions for managing the condition.

In my 15 years as the founder and core instructor of Leith Pilates, I have had the privilege of working with many hypermobile individuals. I often find myself horrified at how little the medical community and movement teachers know about hypermobility and how to properly help their hypermobile clients/patients. 

Several years ago, one of my clients asked me to send them some information about hypermobility and possible comorbidities. This client wanted to show their partner and G.P. (who they felt were not taking their pain seriously) this information to validate their experience and need for help. I recognised that knowledge and support are desperately needed within the hypermobility community. From that information exchange, things snowballed into creating the Hypermobility Survival Guide. 

I plan to help bridge this knowledge gap by distributing the guide for free as widely as possible!

Format of the Guide

The guide is an 80-page A6 colour publication, also available to view free online. 

Written in plain English with engaging illustrations, it makes complex medical information accessible.

Benefits of the Guide

The guide aims to give people the language to talk to medical and movement professionals. 

It's an accessible source for those seeking methods to reduce and manage their joint pain and also includes a Q.R. code that provides further free and pay-per-view content, exercise programs, and workshops based on Andy's movement method, which focuses on A.B.S.: Alignment, Balance, and Strength.

If you are hypermobile

By reading this guide, you will gain a clear understanding of a substantially under-researched area of wellness. This understanding will equip you with the knowledge to manage your condition and empower you to take control of your health.

Costs of Project Development

To us, at first glance, raising £20k via a Crowdfunder feels like a lot of money! However, getting the Hypermobility Survival Guide to this stage has taken loads of hard work and generosity from my local community and I've never paid myself for any of my own work on this project. We've commissioned a small team of creatives in our network, and we have many friends and colleagues supporting this project with proofreading and feedback. As such, there have been many, many edits!

 We're now comfortable to share this project as widely as we can. This is how we plan to allocate the funds we raise:

•  Illustration fees - Approx £7k to date 
• Video production - £3k 
• Administration & Marketing Costs - £3k to date and ongoing 
• Printing costs - £1,000 can produce 500 good quality A6 FSC Certified paper guides. We can reduce these costs the more we raise.
• Sustainable Distribution Costs - Approx £1- £1.50 per copy.  We are using Royal Mail for all our deliveries. Everything is printed, packed and shipped in the UK. We also plan to pay for distribution of free guides to GP surgeries and other partners. 

As we expect the costs of raising awareness of the H.S.G. project to be ongoing, we are also asking for support from those who may be able to make regular donations. 

Risks and challenges to the project

As the artwork has already been designed and we have printed a test batch, there are minimal risks to this project.  If the Crowdfunder is not fully funded, then we will reduce the maximum number of guides we can distribute for free.

And finally...

I am so pleased with the Hypermobility Survival Guide, both as a print publication and a powerful multimedia resource that can reshape both bodies and minds. Myself and the team here at Leith Pilates are filled with optimism and hope for this project's potential. We hope you can join us in realising these goals.

Yours,

Andy P and the Leith Pilates Team