Join in National Spa Week by visiting www.spaweek.co.uk
31st October to 4th November 2016
‘Spa for everybody and mind’ is the motivation behind National Spa Week, and hundreds of spas and salons will be working together with one singular, bold rally call in mind; challenging more of the UK public to discover the real health benefits of spa treatments and recognise them as a necessary and regular personal investment.
During National Spa Week, spas and salons nationwide will be making exclusive offers and running special activities. This includes signature spa day packages and quick fix treatments such as mini manicures, pedicures and express massages at introductory prices. There will also be competitions and raffles to win spa days and spa product gifts plus a whole host of fundraising events. The official charity partner for National Spa Week 2016 is Macmillan Cancer Support.
Over 100 spas will be participating in this year’s National Spa Week from Scotland through the Midlands, London and across to the West Country. This includes spa groups such as Macdonald Hotels, Virgin Active and QHotels; independent spas and salons ranging from Titanic Spa in Huddersfield, Serenity Spa at Seaham Hall in Co Durham and Armathwaite Hall Hotel Spa in the Lake District to Grace Belgravia and Margaret Dabbs in London and Ockenden Manor and Bailiffscourt Hotel & Spa in the South.
Charlie Thompson, Chairman of the UK Spa Association said “Some of the earliest descriptions of spa practices such as bathing and massage for health, relaxation and social benefits came from ancient Rome. Most Roman cities had at least one Thermae, the forerunner to a modern day spa, which played an important role in everyday culture. Spa attendance was one of the most common daily activities, and was practiced across the majority of society.
“In modern times Spas seem to have developed a somewhat bewildering, even elitist reputation. While we have come a long way in attracting a wider range of people to spa and treatments, there is still the perception in the UK that they are just a treat; a gift one might buy only for special occasions.
“Of course within the Spa and Salon industry we know that our treatments promote physical health and emotional wellbeing on a far more fundamental basis.
“We all do our best to keep up in the fast paced, high pressure cooker of the 21st century in which we live, but it gets harder to combat the stresses and strains of everyday life. Spas and the treatments they offer can provide another essential health service in combination with more widely recognised options such as gyms, sports clinics and even counselling”.
There is a great deal of supporting evidence that suggests this is the case.
Massage therapy for example can have local effects on muscles and soft tissues and may reduce inflammation, stimulate oxygenation of tissues, soften or stretch scar tissue, break up adhesions, reduce build-up of lactic acid in muscles, induce muscle fibre relaxation, and stimulate healing of connective tissues or damaged muscles. Massage is also found to be particularly beneficial in reducing psychological stress levels.
National Spa Week aims to break down barriers and open up the world of spa and salon treatments to anyone who needs to invest more time in their physical and emotional health.
So, during the week, Spa’s and salons will not only be offering promotions to the general public but will be donating some of the proceeds and even running special fund raising events for Macmillan Cancer Support. The money raised will contribute towards building a spa unit at the Macmillan Woodlands Centre, a dedicated chemotherapy facility at Cambridgeshire’s Hinchingbrooke Hospital.
Patients undergoing chemotherapy will be able to attend the new spa unit to enjoy a range of complimentary treatments and therapies, as part of a necessary toolkit to help manage the physical and emotional stresses that can take their toll at this time.
To find out where your nearest participating spa or salon is located and what promotions they have available visit www.spaweek.co.uk.