The Annual trip to the trip to the Dorchester Hotel was over-subscribed as usual. Tea was served in a magical setting with the style you would expect from such a prestigious hotel.

Stella Dawes, who led the Flower Sculpture group for four years, has moved on to pastures new.  She will be sorely missed, her cheery smile and creative ideas being factors leading to  the success of the venture, which she started and honed to the art-form it has become.

Welcome to  Rob Farrar, who will be taking over from Stella, and throwing his own talents into the pot - er- equation.  Rob's forte is Clay sculpture, including pottery and modelling, and he hopes to take the artwork into new creative fields.

Music Therapy has begun a twenty-week trial on Tuesday afternoons, between 4 and 5 p.m.  Professional therapist, Cathy Rowland, will be leading members, demonstrating the transformative use of beautiful sounds for relaxation and healing, in both receptive and creative aspects.

STARTS TUESDAY 20th January, 2009 6.30P.M. – 8.00P.M for 5 weeks

The Group is open to people who have been diagnosed with Breast Cancer. The aim of the Group is to  meet with others in a similar situation and share experiences with people who understand what you may be feeling.

Breast Care Nurse Eve Smith, Nutritionist Julie-Anne Webb,  and  Complementary Therapist Susie Phillips will also attend individual sessions to give information and support.

The sessions will be facilitated by Margaret Pavey

Please contact Centre reception if you are interested in attending.

Treatment is tailored to the individual and includes stretching, massage and pressure on appropriate meridians and acupuncture points.

Shiatsu is deeply relaxing and invigorating and enjoyable to experience.

You may sit or lie down and will remain clothed throughout the treatment which lasts from 45 minutes to 1 hour.

Contact the Centre to arrange an appointment.

 

... as Rob Farrar hosts a clay modelling class. The group starts on November 6th and will run as part of the Arts & Crafts Thursday group. "All levels and abilities are welcome just as long as they aren’t better than me!” jokes Rob.

... to complete the 250-mile ride from London to Paris – and she did it!

Manuela, a patient member at the SECHC, had been in training for the bike-ride for several months, coached by Trustee and former professional cyclist John Manley.

Determined to show how fit she had become since her treatment at the Royal Marsden, Sutton, Manuela wanted to give something back to the hospital which treats the majority of patients attending the SECHC.

And she did, raising over £1,000, and a big cheer from fellow-members of the Cancer Centre Choir!

... Arts and Crafts workshops, exhibitions and celebrations.

It started with the ‘Healing Tree of Life’ Exhibition at the Sun Lounge, Fairfield Halls, where a superb display of members’ paintings, craftwork and flower sculpture was on show, including winning photos and Highly Commended entries from the Feel-Good-Photo Competition. The weeklong exhibition show-cased the therapeutic artwork produced at the SECHC, and was seen and admired by several hundred people.

The wide-ranging workshops, including ‘Colour in Your Life’, ‘Clay Therapy’, Poetry, Creative Writing, Dance and Belly-dancing, and were led by professionals from outside the Centre, as well as our own experienced therapists. There were activities led by highly talented groups, such as the Random Acts Playback Theatre Group, and the Surrey Harmony ‘Hunkydory’ Barbershop Quartet. The hugely popular Drama Group produced another stunning performance, and the Centre Choir’s cavalcade of entertaining songs was delivered with sheer musical brilliance, precision and zest. It was an ArtsFest to savour and be proud of, so ‘Well Done’ to all the performers and participants!

Congratulations to Den Dawes who won our photographic competition. The standard of all the entries was very high but the judges felt that Den’s picture had captured that “Feel Good” factor! Den and the two other finalists, Susan MacDonald and Marina Langran received their prizes on the opening day of the Arts Exhibition at Fairfield.

 

 

the meeting room was transformed into a Middle-eastern boudoir, hosting the now-famous Belly-dancing Workshop. With fourteen gorgeous participants agog for a piece of the action, this was a seriously exotic venture. Out came the Turkish Delight, the chocolate ones vanishing in under thirty minutes, without the help of a genie!

The cosmetics table glowed with burnished reds, hot pinks, muted greens and startling azure, defining eyes in black mystery. A tinkle of laughter drifted over the lilt of an Eastern melody, through floaty chiffon scarves, as giggles erupted in front of the mirrors.

The dancing was great, as Yvonne [shades of Scheherazade!] led with swishing swirls of rhythm and movement, all grace and glitter, flashing scarlet and gold. We were beamed into the land of Sinbad and sheiks, but this was No-man’s-land – it was strictly for us chicks! Here was a chance to try out daring colours and forbidden fashions, an opportunity to perfect a sultry look, a seductive pout, or a wicked wiggle. Swathed in a warm, caring circle of like-minded women, gentle as zephyrs, it was time to throw off inhibitions, explore long-suppressed inadequacies, and reclaim our femininity. Within the safety of the group, the magic worked, and the pain was forgotten. It was enough to feel beautiful, to dress like a princess, and shine, just as brightly in faux jewellery.

Can this be called therapeutic when it is such a laugh? But then, laughter is the best...

as part of Barclays Fancy Dress Fun Run which raised over £9000 for the Centre. The runners spent the morning haring around the Whitgift Shopping Centre with a final lap of honour at Crystal Palace football ground.

Corporate Manager, Alastair Hume said "I think I can speak for the rest of the team at Barclays in Croydon in saying that we have had a really fun way of supporting the Centre."