January

Welcome to our blog, we will be posting monthly to keep everyone up to date on what's been happening at the Centre as well as information about the different services and complementary therapies we offer.

The Centre began with a handful of budding volunteers who actively engaged in supporting self-help awareness. They dedicated their time to renovating the building so it could be opened to the public in the mid 1990's, since then the Centre has provided thousands of people with support. A mortgage was taken out on Hanover House in Chard street, Axminster in 1996. The Centre then became an official registered charity in 1997. It was then with the generosity of John Tweed's donation to the charity in 1998 which allowed them to buy the building out right.

The Centre has always had a strong belief in complementary therapies (historically known as alternative therapies). Our team of professional therapists now offer:

• Acupuncture 
• Counselling
• Eastern Face Massage
• Facial Revitalisation
• Healing
• Holistic Massage
• Hypnotherapy
• Indian Head massage
• Lymphatic Drainage Massage
• Myofascial Release
• Nutrition
• Precision Reflexology
• Sports Injury Massage

For more information on therapies visit our website www.axminsterwellbeing.com

All our therapy rooms are available to hire from just £5 for the upstairs rooms and £10 for the John Tweed room. The rooms are all beautifully decorated to create a calm and relaxing atmosphere and centrally located, the building has parking just 100m away.

The Centre runs one of the largest Food Banks in the area offering emergency and referral food parcels to those in need. As well as monetary donations from organisations and individuals the Food Bank relies on donations of food from local people, schools and churches. The support we receive is fantastic and we are very blessed to be part of such a generous community.

The Centre is also part of the nation wide Read Easy scheme. This adult literacy scheme provides adults who can't read or struggle to read with a free tutor and book to help them learn. It is a little known fact that 15% of the working age population in England are at or below the level of literacy expected of an 11 year old, this is a worrying figure and something the scheme hopes to change.

The Centre has recently opened a Cancer Information Cafe which is open every Thursday between 1:30-4pm. The Cafe offers those living with or affected by cancer a place to come and gather any information and support they need. All volunteers have been Macmillan trained and there is also an extensive library of books and leaflets. Free WiFi and refreshments are available.

The Centre also offers talks and workshops details of which will be posted on here in due course. For more information on up coming events or if you would be interested in holding a talk or workshop at the Centre visit our website www.axminsterwellbeing.com

The Centre also has a small library with a range of books available for rent for just 20p.

Finally a quick note to say Happy New Year. As we move into 2014 it's important that each of us take some time to think about what we need to do to take care of our own health and wellbeing. Life is a fantastic gift, but in a world that never sleeps it's never been so important to take a bit of time each day to reconnect with ourselves.

If you would like any more information about the services the Centre offers please visit our website www.axminsterwellbeing.com or phone 01297 32331 or simply pop in and have chat.