Positive news for Harrogate wellbeing centre as it celebrates award

Acclaimed as Harrogate’s premier yoga and pilates studio, the Yorkshire Centre for Wellbeing has now been named Wellbeing Centre of the Year award by Corporate Live Wire.

The centre's founder, Anne-Marie Burford said: "We are very grateful for the award. I would like to thank everyone who has sent us congratulations on our recent award of Wellbeing Centre of the Year award.

"While the studio is still largely closed we do believe out of these challenging times good will come as we all begin to appreciate and realise our wellbeing is key to good health, peace of mind and a happy and fulfilled life.

"When we can reopen for retreats we do get people attending not just from the UK, but other world-wide destinations so it’s good promotion for Harrogate district generally."

Located on Duchy Road, the wellbeing centre normally caters to around 200 people each week with more than 3,000 followers on Facebook.

Like many others during the pandemic, it had to close and has suffered a reduction in income but has adapted by putting out daily online and Zoom classes.

Now that lockdown is easing, the centre is starting to open up for some sessions in its gardens for up to five people social distanced.

If the weather is wet, Tai Chi can take place under the Pavilions in the Valley Gardens.

Anne-Marie Burford is a highly qualified and experienced teacher who subsequently trained as a health education tutor, working in GP practice with referred patients and later as an RSA YMCA exercise to music teacher.

She is a Professional Member of Pilates Insitute, Register of Excercise Professionals Level 3, Posture, Pilates Yoga, Ayurveda, Yoga Nidra, Remedial Exercise & Therapeutic Yoga.

Anne-Marie said it was great to see daily life returning but the centre had stayed active and positive even at the height of the lockdown.

"We have been doing live guided weekly meditations and learning and development sessions on Facebook and we have also been putting out other free meditations and classes on our YouTube channels .

"As we know most of our students personally and truly care about them, we have been following them up with emails and/or calls and even home visits to those who are particularly vulnerable or living on their own.

"We also participated in HGFest lockdown, putting out free sessions for the Bank holiday weekend raising funds for Harrogate Hospital and other local charities."

For more information, visit www.yorkshirewellbeing.co.uk

Harrogate cinema delays reopening as Hollywood keeps hold of new blockbusters

A message from the Editor

Thank you for reading this story on our website. While I have your attention, I also have an important request to make of you.

In order for us to continue to provide high quality and trusted local news on this free-to-read site, I am asking you to also please purchase a copy of our newspaper.

Our journalists are highly trained and our content is independently regulated by IPSO to some of the most rigorous standards in the world. But being your eyes and ears comes at a price. So we need your support more than ever to buy our newspapers during this crisis.

With the coronavirus lockdown having a major impact on many of our local valued advertisers - and consequently the advertising that we receive - we are more reliant than ever on you helping us to provide you with news and information by buying a copy of our newspaper.