ABOUT THE NATIONAL LIGHT HIRE Co.

Philip with part of the NLHC range. NLHC - The beginnings - Providing tretment for winter depression / winter blues / Seasonal Affected Disorder NLHC was originally founded by husband and wife team Philip and Beverley Bunting back in 1996. Philip was a community pharmacist working in Southport and had noticed a rapid increase in the number of antidepressants prescribed during the winter months. Beverley is a qualified beauty therapist and although born in England she had gone to live in Australia when she was 12. Returning to England when she was 21 she noticed that she felt very depressed during the winter months. At times this became so debilitating that she could hardly function. It was only after reading a book entitled "Winter Blues" by Norman Rosenthal that Beverley began to explore the possibility that she was suffering from Seasonal Affective Disorder. She remembered disliking the winter months during her childhood in England and was often ill and rundown. In the book Dr Rosenthall makes many references to the winter blues or winter depression. Her father suffered in the same way with winter blues for many years and one of the key reasons for emigrating to Australia was to escape the British weather. The family thrived in the sunnier climate, but for Beverley the winter depression returned when she came back to England. Meanwhile, Philip had read an article from The National Pharmaceutical Association which detailed some information about Seasonal Affective Disorder and had a listing of companies who supplied light equipment for the treatment of the disease. It was from there that the company was born.

Beverley using a BriteBox. The 'Try Before You Buy' company. Originally called North West Light Hire, Philip and Beverley bought a few light boxes from "FSL" (now "The Sad Lightbox Company") and "Outside In Ltd" based in Cambridge. They decided that they would offer the equipment on a rental basis for Seasonal Affective Disorder sufferers who may have been unsure that light therapy would work, or were unable to purchase a light box outright. For a small rental fee, clients can try the equipment for one month at a time to see if light therapy is beneficial for their winter depression before committing to a purchase. The NLHC 'Try before you buy' service has been a huge success with their customers, with the majority actually going on to purchase their equipment. For rental customers who decide to buy their lightboxes outright, NLHC allow a 50% refund of any rentals paid to be credited against a purchase!

Lora taking care of customers. NLHC - putting customers first! Without dozens of staff and the high cost of premises, NLHC can keep costs down to a minimum and still offer service that is second to none. By keeping costs low, The National Light Hire Company can guarantee our customers the lowest prices in the country. Another big advantage of this customer-friendly company is the fact that they do not manufacture any equipment themselves and are therefore able to offer a 100% impartial advisory service, helping people to choose the best equipment to treat their winter blues matching with their lifestyles. This advice is very important as there are now a huge number of lightboxes and light-therapy units on the market to treat Seasonal Affective Disorder making it a very daunting process to choose the correct one. Working from home also allows the family team to work extended hours and so sufferers are able to get hold of a sympathetic ear at any time, including evenings and weekends, when normal businesses are closed. This seems to be a great comfort to those suffering from winter depression. Philip, Beverley and Lora thank you for visiting the NLHC site, and we hope you choose NLHC for all your light therapy advice and equipment