News Update: The Village Well welcomes Professor Karol Sikora as a Patron
The Village Well is delighted to welcome Professor Karol Sikora as a Patron for the project. Karol Sikora is Medical Director of CancerPartnersUK which is creating the largest UK cancer network as a series of joint ventures with NHS Trusts. He is Professor of Cancer Medicine and honorary Consultant Oncologist at Imperial College School of Medicine, Hammersmith Hospital, London. He is Scientific Director of Medical Solutions PLC, Britain's leading cancer diagnostic company. He has recently been appointed Dean of Britain's first independent Medical School at the University of Buckingham. He is a Senior Adviser to the WHO Cancer Programme and the International Atomic Energy Agency.
| Professor Sikora said: "I am delighted to be a Patron for The Village Well, as I believe it is an excellent project and will act as a focus for complementary health and help many people to access complementary medicine, regardless of their background. I know from my own experience of setting up a holistic clinic within Hammersmith Hospital for cancer patients, the value of complementary therapies in supporting patients with very serious illnesses as well as of course those with lesser ailments. Unlike orthodox medicine, complementary medicine is very individual and allows the patient to take responsibility for their own healing and is also very cheap compared to many orthodox medicines being used today. More research needs to be done into complementary therapies and The Village Well will be a place where research can be both instigated and disseminated to a wide audience, helping to share knowledge about this important area of modern healthcare. I would urge others interested in this project to find a way in which they can help to make The Village Well a reality." |  | |
 | More support for The Village Well The recent Mintel report on Complementary Medicines highlighted both the strong growth in the use of natural medicines and the importance of educating people about them. The information and practical help that will be offered at The Village Well will play a vital role in this education and the further growth of complementary health in London. Nelsons strongly advocates the need for more clear and concise public information about complementary medicines to provide consumers with a choice about their healthcare. Indeed, we have been embarking on our own programme of homeopathy education and are pleased to be able to support The Village Well in its aims. Robert Wilson, Chairman, Nelsons | |
 | I am very supportive of the initiative to set up an institute in central London that focuses on Complementary Health. Having had clinics in London myself for over 30 years, I feel that The Village Well can become an integrative part of the healthcare system offering a wide range of opportunities to health providers and consumers. Jan de Vries, Naturopath and Author |  |
| At Get Well UK we have witnessed the benefits of making complementary therapies available to people on low-incomes, with health improvements, less hospital referrals, reductions in medication and improved quality of life. These services are developing all over the UK and the opportunity to have a central London accessible health centre, combining treatment and health education, is too good to miss. Boo Armstrong, Get Well UK. Winner: 2005 Integrated Health Futures Award | ||
| I fully support The Village Well. Having a personal interest
in nutrition and in helping people to enjoy good quality, healthy food,
I am delighted that people of all ages and from all different
backgrounds will be able to improve their health through diet, therapy
sessions and developing their knowledge of what is right for their own
mind, body and spirit as individuals. |  | |
Complementary medicines and therapies were part of my beloved daughter Caron's life and gave her a lot of strength and hope for her future as she fought her seven year battle with breast cancer. I feel sure that The Village Well will help a huge number of people in the London area when it is launched.
Gloria Hunniford, Presenter and Founder of the Caron Keating Foundation
I am delighted to support The Village Well. It offers a wonderful opportunity to further develop research into complementary medicine, through collating research worldwide, supporting new research and making all research results accessible to both practitioners and to the public. Complementary medicine can only benefit from further research and a better understanding of what works for our patients' health.
Aaron Kenneth Ward-Atherton, Lord of Witley & Hurcott, FSBioMed, MBRCP, MARH, EAV cert, Vega cert (Germany), LFHom (RN), Patron of Christie Hospital NHS Trust, Complementary Therapies Unit
Since the NHS has promoted Care in the Community, mental health needs have been challenged. I see The Village Well as a resource that not only attends to the difficulties that can arise from the stress that contemporary life provides, but also to reach out when services are insufficient to hold individuals who meet crisis and the prospect of breaking down.
Dr Tessa Adams, FRCA
I fully support The Village Well's aims to educate and inform the public about all aspects of complementary health so that people can make informed choices about their own health.
Lynne Franks, Author and Founder of The SEED Women's Empowerment Network
Email: kate.tenbeth@i-c-m.org.uk
Tel: 0207 231 5855
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Centre, Rope Street, London SE16 7TX