I have always wanted to help people with diseases and disorders that would respond well to massage to be able to receive it even if they cant afford it. I will be launching my Charity the Touch Foundation later this year to begin this and would appreciate some help. The initial project will be to offer members of health related charities my free e-courses to learn how to massage or to get their family and friends to learn. Do you have any links to charities such as the stroke association, scope, MIND, Relate, Alzheimers society........
Many thanks!
Hi Gill
Could you explain a little more about what you are hoping to do with your charity? From reading your post, I think you may be wanting to offer online/distance learning massage courses. There are already a few of these around. Will your courses be aimed specifically at family and friends of people with the various conditions you have mentioned? Have you contacted the organisations you've mentioned to ask what they already offer with respect to hands-on treatment for their 'members'? I have worked (as a volunteer therapist) with several charities over the years, and they generally have had a 'bank' of qualified, CRB checked, volunteer therapists on their books.
I have also been involved with a charity that pays therapists to treat palliative patients in their own homes - including their carers.
I've worked with many families over the years, who like me to massage their relative as often as I can. Many of them are very happy to get on with the every day care, cleaning and feeding of their relative, but cannot bring themselves to massage them. Sometimes, my being with their Mum/Dad/Son/Daughter/Brother/Sister for an hour or so, takes the responsibility from them, and they can go and do something they want to do - most just want to sit in another room with a cup of tea - one lady I visit likes to potter in her garden whilst I treat her husband who has dementia - if it's pouring with rain (inevitable really, since we live in Scotland!) she disappears to the greenhouse!
Have a chat with some of the charities, and ask them what they would like to see offered.
Touch Foundation
Hi Jabba and many thanks for your thoughts which are really useful. Just a bit about me, I own one of the UK's largest schools of massage and have trained over 4,000 therapists. I have also as a therapist done a lot of voluntary work including in the special care baby unit which has resulted in massage being taught by me to 100's of nurses working with premature babies.
The Touch Foundation will therefore be a link between therapists and charities and would I hope have funds to pay therapists to work with clients with specialist needs. It will also train carers and health personnel in positive touch. As an introduction to the charities we can offer our free massage e-courses to their clients. Hope that makes sense! Are there any charities you recommend I contact? thanks
I would start with a core 5, and see what feedback/uptake you get, then broaden the search. Good luck!