North East spa becomes UK’s first Wellness For Cancer Centre
A new North East spa has become the first in the country to offer a special programme of treatments for cancer sufferers and survivors.
Launching last week on 1 October, The Spa at Ramside in County Durham has become part of the international Wellness for Cancer organisation, with every member of staff now trained to provide services to anyone whose life has been touched by the disease.
American-based Wellness for Cancer is the first worldwide organisation to establish accredited training for the spa industry on working with anyone affected by cancer, which covers everything from suitable treatments to how reception staff should respond.
Julie Bach, executive director of Wellness for Cancer said: “We are excited that the Spa at Ramside is committed to providing clients with services and future retreats that will help them manage medical treatments and lead healthier lifestyles.
“Medical specialists treat cancer as chronic disease,” added Bach. “They recognise the need for patients and survivors to lead healthy lifestyles due to the increased risk of additional diseases and conditions as a result of cancer treatment. Spas play a key role in helping individuals heal by evoking their own relaxation response to calm their bodies –chemically, neurologically and physically.”
Jill Russell, spa director at the Spa at Ramside commented: “Visiting a spa is such a relaxing experience, it’s the ideal environment for someone dealing with a life threatening condition, but unfortunately there has been far too many misconceptions surrounding cancer and massage within the industry with people often being turned away from spas. At the Spa at Ramside we want to change that and our philosophy will echo Wellness for Cancer, with no one going through this awful disease being turned away from a spa treatment no matter what stage their illness is at.”
The £8m Spa at Ramside opened in August and offers five pools including one of the UK’s biggest hydrotherapy pools, 14 treatment rooms, a thermal suite, a Sleep Sanctuary and a Rasul mud chamber.
A number of special packages have been put together for guests who suffer from cancer available during October and the Spa at Ramside will be donating £1 from every spa day booked to Macmillan Cancer Support.
