Chronic Pain Coaching CIC was born to serve those in the local community struggling with pain.
Julie Widdecombe BSc(Hons), PGCE, DipHe, PGCert Clin St.
Founding and Executive Director
Pain Coach
Quality Improvements Panel Member, Health Innovation SouthWest
Member of the Trauma Informed Plymouth Network
Member of the Association of Mental Health First Aiders
Julie is a former Science teacher, Operating Department Practitioner and was studying a Postgraduate Masters in Physician Associate studies when her disabling pain from a spinal cord injury stopped her career. She has been paralysed twice and in a wheelchair before multiple spinal operations which gave her back some mobility. She remains partially paralysed, in chronic pain and with fibromyalgia but after adopting pain management techniques, she has learned to dial the pain levels down. She became inspired to set up CPC after failing to find community support with her chronic pain. She currently takes no medication after previously taking many types and nowadays uses exercise (swimming and yoga) for mental and physical wellbeing.
Julie is a Mental Health First Aider and facilitates some of the Plymouth pain cafes with Sean.
Sean Jennings
Executive Director
Resident Fellow at the Institute of Social Prescribing
Personalised Care Ambassador
Quality Improvements Panel Member, Health Innovation SouthWest
Member of College of Medicine and Integrated care
Sean is a former mechanical engineer. When he was 32 he had what he thought was a routine hernia operation. Unfortunately from that day he has been experiencing chronic pain and was prescribed ever increasing numbers of opioids, gabapentin and antidepressants for the next 25 years. He has been medication free for 5 years due to mindfulness and distraction techniques along with exercise/movement to manage the pain. He has used the last 5 years to tell his story to clinicians and patients advocating #skillsnotpills. In conjunction with ImagineIf! Sean has been working within Cornwall to establish pain cafes there.
Libby Huddy
Non-Executive Director
Social Prescriber and Community Support Worker
Cornwall Pain Cafe Co-ordinator
Libby joined the team, bringing with her the experiences from the Cornwall pain cafes.
Mary-Ella Kyte
Mary-Ella initially joined the team as a yoga instructor from Kernow Yoga. Mary-Ella has chronic lower back pain and has learned to self manage medication free. It became evident to the team that she had a lot of knowledge and skills to share and she was offered the position of assistant pain coach. She now runs a blend of yoga sessions and assistant pain coach sessions for us and we are all delighted with this arrangement.
Meryn Turner
Meryn works with us as a seated Pilates instructor. Her gentle approach and breathing techniques are very much valued by participants.
