Being a key part of the spa industry, we’re used to talking about wellbeing when it comes to treatments and indulgence, but every so often we’re reminded just how important good health is. When it comes to helping a good cause, we’re always keen to get involved – and this time, it’s for one of our own; a dedicated leader in the spa industry who needs our help.

A year ago, 27 year old Hannah Bradley had no idea that her life was about to alter dramatically. Things were good – she had won a number of awards for her contribution to the spa industry and had successfully started up a brand new ESPA at the Europe, Ireland. After ten years working in beauty and wellbeing, she had progressed from working in beauty salons to becoming a Spa Director and an Account Manager and Trainer. With so many achievements to her name already, Hannah’s future in the spa business looked decidedly bright.

Then everything changed. In February 2011, Hannah had a seizure which left her hospitalised and unable to remember the next two months of her life. She was diagnosed with a life-threatening brain tumour, called Anaplastic Astrocytoma, and opted for surgery to try to remove it.

Unfortunately, although surgeons and radiotherapists in the UK have done their best to help Hannah, her aggressive tumour still persists. Her only hope of fulfilling her bright future now lies with Dr Burzynski, a US-based doctor who specialises in using pioneering techniques to cure cancer patients. However, treatment in America does not come cheap – in order to receive the vital care she needs, Hannah must raise a daunting £150,000.

Happily, the money is already flooding in. Gerrard International have donated £1000, and Comfort Zone have donated £500 in products for raffle prizes at upcoming events. We think it’s great to see people coming together to help such an important cause.

Want to show your support for Hannah? We’ve been hugely touched by Hannah’s story, and hope that others in the beauty and wellbeing industry will join us in contributing to her operation fund. To donate, all you need to do is take a few seconds to visit Hannah’s website, www.teamhannah.com. Any contribution, however small, is a step towards saving Hannah’s life – so thank you, and please spread the word.

At Wahanda we love to see people rewarded for their hard work, and the Federation of Holistic Therapists (FHT) Excellence in Practice Awards do exactly that. Open to all FHT members to enter, the awards celebrate excellence in client service, leadership, innovation, research, people development and representation – all elements that help to make a perfect practitioner.

Shortlisted entries from a range of complementary, holistic beauty and sports therapists were reviewed by a panel of judges appointed by the FHT, and three winners were chosen. Jennifer Wayte, President of the FHT and one of the judges of the awards, will visit the winners at work to present them with a £500 cheque and a certificate – we bet they’ll be displaying that proudly!

Jennifer said, “As well as celebrating the considerable talent and expertise of three deserving members, we hope the new FHT awards will also serve to promote good practice and inspire other therapists.”

So who are the well-deserving winners? Get ready to roll out the red carpet…

Rachel Glanville-Davey, FFHT, Bristol – supporting patients with breast cancer

Rachel has been a practising complementary therapist for 15 years. She set up a project in conjunction with Bosom Buddies and her local hospital to provide free and discounted complementary therapy sessions to women with breast cancer in the Bristol area. Rachel later expanded her support services to include a workshop on ‘How to manage and prevent lymphoedema’, a common problem affecting patients during and after breast cancer treatment. Through dedication and hard work, her project has helped many women with the emotional and physical demands of their condition and its treatment.

Maria Mason, MFHT, Bristol – Beauty Time salon – excellence in customer service

Maria started her career as a mobile beauty therapist 20 years ago and is now the proud owner of Beauty Time salon in Cleeve, Bristol. Already a triple Professional Beauty award winner, Maria has a reputation for excellent standards, creative marketing, and customer care, and always ensures that her team of therapists are inspired, skilled and knowledgeable. Maria also regularly supports her local community through different projects at the salon, and has raised thousands of pounds for charities that are close to her heart.

Claire Owens, MFHT, Wirral – improving well-being in the learning environment

Understanding the importance of relaxation and emotional health in the learning environment, Claire has researched and successfully introduced a well-being programme into 15 schools in the Wirral. By using a combination of cutting edge technology and complementary therapy techniques, Claire teaches pupils how to manage stress and anxiety more effectively, helping to improve productivity in the classroom and reduce low self-esteem and absenteeism. She also trains school staff and sixth form students behaviour management strategies and how to use simple relaxation techniques to support vulnerable pupils.

Claire says, “I feel so proud and blessed to have worked with so many amazing people over the last year, sharing valuable skills and techniques which I know will benefit and help so many people on their journey through life. This award is such a fabulous achievement, not only for me but all the people who have shared my journey over the past few years and given me the opportunities to take this project into the mainstream. Thank you to everyone and I’m so excited with the award!”

We’re excited too, Claire – congratulations ladies!

Holidaymakers in search of sun, sea, sand and spa treatments will be glad to hear that Cyprus’ five-star Amathus Beach Hotel Paphos is set to unveil its new wellness centre this month. Time to start packing that suitcase…

With a variety of luxury facilities on offer, the new spa will combine health and wellness with all the benefits of a beachside hideaway. Clients will be able to enjoy Thai treatments in the spa’s Asian suites, indulge in some romantic relaxation in the couple’s suite or turn up the heat in the sauna and hammam. Therapists will also offer treatments using French skincare brand Carita and natural skincare specialists Pevonia Botanica – brilliant for giving your skin the holiday it needs.

The spa has been designed in keeping with the contemporary look of its sister spas in Limassol, Cyprus and Rhodes, Greece and includes features such as an aquarium and a waterfall to give a sense of total tranquillity.

Looking for a quick massage before dinner or fancy a full day of blissful pampering? The team at the Amathus Beach Hotel Paphos understand that everyone’s holiday needs are different, which is why they will be offering a personal spa experience that will fit in around clients’ other plans. Now then, where’s our passport…

So with all of this beautifying going around, we thought we’d better step up to the mark and indulge in a little makeover ourselves. Can’t go letting the side down by looking shabby, can we?

We’ve got six big changes for you:

• A brand spanking new homepage, tailored to where in the world you are
• A shiny new bestsellers page
• A beautiful new spa breaks page
• A sparkling new spa days page
• A gorgeous new hair and beauty page
• And a delightful new detox and fitness page

It’s all designed to make things much easier for customers to get what they want, where they want it, for the best possible price. Who can argue with that? And don’t worry, as a supplier, if your products are popular they’ll be instantly visible from the main pages – no more searching through the site to find the bestsellers. Clients will also find it much easier to search by location now, so you’ll get more local customers through your doors, who are more likely to keep coming back. We look good from all angles…

Phew. We’re exhausted from all of this pampering. While we bask in our new-found gorgeousness, wander around the site and take advantage of all the beauty deals we’ve got going for you as well – and don’t forget to let us know what you think of our makeover by tweeting @Wahanda. We quite like compliments, you know…

The wellness tourism sector has expanded rapidly over the last decade, with destination spas around the world experiencing a massively increased demand for wellbeing-driven getaways. New venues have been consistently springing up, hoping to capitalise on the hunger for health-boosting holidays, but at the forefront of the global growth is Healing Hotels of the World, an esteemed professional network of luxury wellness centres that spans five continents and 25 different countries.  

To gain an insight into industry developments and their sustainability, Wahanda recently spoke to Anne Biging, CEO of the Healing Hotels partnership, about her thoughts on what is driving the international boom, the changing perception of health in society and the direction her own business and personal wellness paths are about to take.

Find out what Anne had to say by reading the full interview here, and be sure to check out her wellness profile to see just what makes her tick.

Developed exclusively to improve the quality of education, information and advice to the UK’s diverse and rapidly expanding spa and wellness industry, the conference is aimed at management and supervisory professionals from every business sector involved in spa operations including; spa, hospitality, health & fitness, local authority leisure clubs and salon owners /operators.

The Conference will be opened by Martin Dalby, CEO of Center Parcs who will talk about the increasing importance of spa in the overall product mix for their villages.

This will be followed by Key Note Addresses and a first class programme of speakers including inspirational business leaders and prominent industry figures covering 3 separate tracks of Strategic Business Development; Marketing & Sales; and Operations.

The Conference programme has been created with input from several leading operators to ensure that the content is as relevant as possible for you and your teams and the delivery of all sessions will be based on a ‘How To’ approach – i.e. learn it today – implement it tomorrow.

The venue of Center Parcs has been selected because of its central location and its excellent conference and spa facilities. The Venue is approximately 20 min from both the A1 and M1 and has lots of free parking.

In consideration of the ‘mind-body balance’ which is so important to our sector, the organisers have also provided a social programme which will provide discounted access to Aqua Sana World of Spa on the evening of the Conference – and also the evening before for any delegates travelling and staying overnight. These special sessions will include a 3 hour Twilight Spa experience plus supper and a glass of wine in the new Zilli cafe and the opportunity to relax and network with friends and colleagues, new and old.

The Conference is supported by some of the industry’s leading suppliers including international product brands PAYOT and Jessica; Lifetime Training; Alliance Leisure Limited; BC Softwear; MindBody Inc and Technogym.

Details of the programme can be found at www.spaconference.co.uk and customers can register on-line directly via this site. For more information you can write to info@spaconference.co.uk or call 08707 80 44 90.

The prize is available at the following 7 Hand Picked locations: Brandshatch Place in Kent, Wood Hall in West Yorkshire, Norton House in Edinburgh, Rookery Hall in Cheshire, New Hall in the West Midlands, L’Horizon in Jersey and Nutfield Priory in Surrey. The superb settings, in Britain’s most beautiful countryside, the elegant accommodation hung with fine paintings and furnished with exquisite antiques, and the attentive but discreet service are all designed to stimulate enjoyment not stifle it. At Hand Picked Hotels, you have their permission to be outrageously self-indulgent.

You’ll have to tune in tomorrow to see the prize revealed on the Advent Calendar, however, you’re the first to find out about an exclusive offer for all on tomorrows advent calendar as we’re giving away a further 10% off all Handpicked Spa gift vouchers on Wahanda, on top of any 2 for 1 deals you see advertised – now that’s something you don’t want to miss! All you have to do is enter the promotional code HAND09. Available for 24 hours only from midnight tonight, happy spending!

Some of the great offers from Handpicked Hotels & Spa, you can save on further include a Health Club and Spa Day pass for Two – £20, 2 for 1 Rasul Spa Day at Norton House, Edinburgh – £80, 2 for 1 Rasul Spa Package at Rookery Hall, Cheshire – £60, and 2 for 1 Spa Day at New Hall Spa, Birmingham – £85.

Click here for a Treament Menu & Offers at Handpicked Hotels & Spas

Lucky Competition Winners

The winner of our November competition was faketanjoanne, a very active member on the site who won a fabulous Spa Break For Two at Champneys worth £500! We hope she enjoys her prize and are looking forward to reading her review on the Wahanda community after.

The winner of Day 1 of the Advent Calendar was Kerry1, who won £600 worth of beauty treatments at DestinationSkin, including injectable treatments. Well done Kerry!

The spa near Guildford is tucked away in a quiet corner of Surrey just one and a half miles from the village of Grayshott and is the UK’s leading spa destination for health, beauty and leisure. Former country seat of Victorian Poet Laureate Alfred, Lord Tennyson, Grayshott Spa is set within 47 acres of attractive gardens and woods adjoining the beautiful heathland of Hindhead Common and the Devil’s Punch Bowl. It’s renowned for the quality of its natural therapies and offers a wide range of treatments and activities together with daily exercise programmes, relaxation classes, a Tennis Academy and sports breaks. They ensure their guests leave them feeling relaxed and re-energised.

You’ll have to tune in tomorrow to see the prize revealed on the Advent Calendar, but for now feast your eyes on these great deals from Grayshott…

Click here for a Treatment Menu & Offers at Grayshott Spa