Merseyside wellbeing and addiction treatment venture Steps Together teams up with Katie Piper Foundation to offer treatment to burns survivors. Tony McDonough reports

Wellbeing and addiction business Steps Together has formed a new partnership with the Katie Piper Foundation to treat people with burns and traumatic scarring.

Based at Rainford Hall in St Helens, Steps Together is a collection of private treatment services addressing the impact addiction and poor mental health has on individuals, their families and their employers. It was launched in 2017 by former addict Darren Rolfe.

Founded by Katie Piper, the Katie Piper Foundation is dedicated to supporting people with burns and scars. In 2008 Katie suffered severe burns following an acid attack carried out by her ex-boyfriend and an accomplice.

She told her story to a national TV audience in 2009 in the Channel 4 documentary Katie: My Beautiful Face.

At a launch event for the new partnership at Rainford Hall, the former ancestral home of the Pilkington family, Katie addressed guests including Lady Pilkington and her son, Jeremy Pilkington.

Steps Together Group provides residential and outpatient health, wellbeing and addiction service and offers. Its Rainford Hall retreat was opened in early 2022.

Deputy chief executive of Steps Together, Steve Jones, said: “Steps Together at Rainford Hall has partnered with The Katie Piper Foundation to offer improved, private, accommodation for their rehabilitation service for survivors of burns and scars. 

“We are delighted to offer our support to this fantastic charity through our partnership. The support that they give to survivors is outstanding.”

Katie added: “Our new home at Rainford Hall enables us to improve the facilities we offer to our survivors.

“The setting of Rainford Hall enhances our bespoke and holistic rehabilitation programme, in which we combine expert scar management therapy, psycho-social support and wellbeing activities.

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“This gives people who have suffered the absolute worst an opportunity to rebuild their lives after leaving the outstanding emergency and acute care of the NHS.

We have supported thousands of survivors since the charity was formed and these new facilities will enable us to do even more.”