A HANWELL spa will give 10 per cent of its takings to Southall's Meadow House Hospice this week.

The theme of this year’s Aromatherapy Awareness Week is palliative care and therapist Dinesh Kotecha is promoting the benefit of clinical aromatherapy in assisting with the effects of serious illnesses.

He is based at Spa Isha Aromatherapy in Hanwell Health Centre, Church Road, where the donation will be applied to all directly booked treatments until Sunday June 12, excluding offer price treatments.

Mr Kotecha said: “The best thing about my work has to be when I can see the beneficial effect of that work on someone – nothing beats that feeling.

“If a client gets off my couch and I have positively impacted their wellbeing, then that day has not been wasted.”

Mr Kotecha has a been a registered aromatherapist with the International Federation of Aromatherapists (IFA) for 17 years.

Spa Isha will also be offering free tea, coffee and biscuits in their reception room between 10am and 11am this week, for anyone interested or involved in palliative care to meet others and learn more.

The IFA, which coordinates Aromatherapy Awareness week, said palliative care studies showed massage appeared to reduce levels of anxiety and improve physical and psychological symptoms, as well as overall quality of life.

The need for palliative care is fast-increasing as the population ages, with the number of people aged 85 or over in the UK expected to more than double by 2037, according to Mr Kotecha.

Meadow House service manager Jimmy Mir said: “We are always delighted to receive donations from local businesses and would like to thank Spa Isha Aromatherapy for their generosity. It is greatly appreciated.”

For more information visit www.spaisha.co.uk or call Spa Isha on 020 8567 7398.

Image courtesy of Gloria García via Flickr, with thanks