Ayrshire College were proud to partner with Ayrshire Hospice to deliver ‘Time for You’, a dedicated wellbeing event created especially for hospice staff and carers.
Held on Thursday 2 April, this special event provided a calm and supportive space for those who give so much to pause, rest and recharge. Through a range of soothing therapeutic treatments, it aimed to reduce stress, promote wellbeing, and recognise the invaluable work carried out every day by hospice teams.
Led by students from our Holistic Practitioner (Level 7) course, this initiative highlights the high-quality training at Ayrshire College while demonstrating the impact of strong community partnerships. With guidance from lecturer Janet Hall, students are not only developing their professional skills but also giving back in a meaningful and compassionate way.
This collaboration reflects our commitment to supporting both learning and community wellbeing.
Student and event organiser Helen Campbell said:
Starting the Holistic Practitioner (Level 7) course at Ayrshire College later in life, I’ve seen how important holistic treatments can be in helping people cope and feel supported. Being part of this event with Ayrshire Hospice is incredibly meaningful, as it allows me to give something back while gaining real experience. For me, it’s about more than learning techniques; it’s about offering calm, compassionate, human care when it matters most.
Our L7 Holistic Practitioner course qualifies our students to practice complementary and holistic therapies such as aromatherapy, massage and reflexology, all of which can help maintain health and wellbeing as well as manage the effects of certain health concerns. As part of their course our students are encouraged to promote their skills in a way that will highlight the role of an holistic therapist by promoting some of those benefits to the local communities. We are delighted to have the opportunity to showcase the wonderful work carried out by our students at the event planned in April this year. The students have worked hard to bring the ‘Time for You’ event to fruition and make this a day for giving back some of the care and attention to the staff and carers that are associated with the Ayrshire Hospice.
Heather Hardie, Ayrshire Hospice Clinical Manager, said:
It was lovely to welcome the Holistic Practitioner students to the hospice and offer a range of therapies and massages to our staff, who were more than happy to take part. It gave the opportunity to our clinical staff to experience the benefits these therapies have and, as we offer similar therapies ourselves, they will now have a better understanding and appreciation just how they can support our patients and their families in our In-Patient Unit and in the community.
The students who delivered the therapies were fantastic and great ambassadors for the college. The feedback we received from our staff said they were warm, friendly and very professional. I hope this also gave them some valuable experience spending time with our staff learning what we do and who we care and support people in Ayrshire living with a life-shortening image.