Thistle, which supports those with long-term health problems, has a waiting list for the first time in a decade

A charity which supports people with crippling long-term conditions has launched an emergency fundraising appeal.

For the first time more than a decade, Edinburgh-based health and wellbeing charity Thistle has a waiting list of people in need of support after a devastating diagnosis.

This has prompted the organisation to launch a fundraising campaign to ensure it can continue to support people with conditions such as diabetes, hypertension and depression.

“For many people, this type of diagnosis can have a devastating impact and can feel like a life sentence”, said Cathrin Griffiths, Thistle’s health and wellbeing manager.

“We now have an eight-week waiting list of people desperately looking for support. After finding the courage to look for help and come to us, we don’t think people should have to wait this long to get the help they need. That’s why we’ve launched a fundraising campaign to reduce the waiting list."

The organisation is one of the only groups in Scotland that supports people whatever their health condition is, and has seen a surge in the amount of people looking for help.

“In recent years, Thistle has seen a dramatic increase in the number of people either being referred to us by their GP or who are coming along to our centre of wellbeing to find support,” Griffiths added. “We really don’t want anyone to have to wait.”

Scottish Government statistics reveal that half of the adult population have a long-term health condition, and Thistle believes that increased numbers of people who are ill, coupled with the links it has forged with healthcare professionals, have led to an increase in demand for its support.

The campaign, entitled Stop the Wait, will see supporters contacted; a door drop held; and posters, billboards and bus advertising in and around Edinburgh.

There is also a face-to-face fundraising team who will be out and about at local shopping centres over the next few months.

Charity gave me confidence to take steps on my own

When Malcolm was just 14, he had his first stroke. When he was 18, he had a second.

By the time he was 22, he felt alone, desperate and in need of urgent help. That’s when he came to Thistle. Malcolm was waiting for his life to begin again after illness and lived in fear of a further stroke.

“If you knew me when I was 14, you’d see just a normal lad. I loved my sport – playing basketball and rugby. That all changed overnight. I woke up confused and claustrophobic, confined to a hospital bed. No one could explain to me or my parents what had caused my stroke. I couldn’t speak. I couldn’t write. I couldn’t walk around, let alone get back on the rugby pitch.”

Malcolm’s second stroke came at a time when all his friends were confirming their places at university or making plans for their future. While everyone else was moving on with their lives, Malcolm felt isolated and fearful about the future. He couldn’t walk without the aid of a crutch.

“The first time I came to Thistle, I was a bit nervous, even reluctant, to ask for help. I was worried that they wouldn’t be able to help me. But as soon as I talked to a health and wellbeing practitioner, I knew I’d come to the right place.

“After my initial consultation, I went on a lifestyle management course and started to become more physically confident. Within a few weeks, I could take tentative steps on my own. By the end of the course, I had the confidence to try walking without my crutch. It was an amazing feeling to take those steps on my own.

“Thistle’s support and care gave me a new emotional confidence, too. I’ve started volunteering with them, and I’m determined to help other people who are in a similar place I once was”.

Malcolm is featuring on bus advertising and posters around Edinburgh. People can donate to support the campaign online, on the charity’s Facebook page, or by texting WAIT to 70007.