Neal’s Yard Therapy Room Therapists

Stephen Jackson

Stephen is an ITEC accredited and insured massage therapist and has been practising since January 2019. He is also a member of Think Tree, an International Professional Association for complementary therapists.

Stephen offers holistic (Swedish), deep tissue, aromatherapy and sports massage tailored to your needs. He is passionate about well-being and would be delighted to help you rebalance your body.

Whether you’re a cyclist, runner, climber, yogi, regular gym-goer, been on your feet all day or feeling stressed from the daily grind, Stephen would be delighted to help you improve mobility, recover from intense activity and restore a sense of well-being

Nanette Wray

Nanette has practised as a London-based holistic massage therapist since 2002.  

She teaches ITEC Holistic Massage and ITEC Indian Head Massage with Richdales Institute at Hammersmith Hospital and runs Baby Massage courses for parents to learn how to massage their babies.

Based on the natural power of touch to soothe and comfort, massage is one of the oldest known therapies and can have profound effects on health and well-being.

Qualifications

  • ITEC dip. Anatomy, Physiology and Massage
  • ITEC dip. Aromatherapy
  • RI Indian-Head Massage
  • SEED Pregnancy, Babies and Children
  • SEED Hands-Free Massage
  • SEED Hot Stone Therapy
  • SEED Ayurvedic Facial and Marma Point Massage
  • NYR Holistic Facial
  • Full registered member of Embody, the Complementary Therapists Association
  • Affiliate member of the Institute for Learning

Hayley Naim

Hayley qualified as a therapist in 2017 when she began making life and career changes to help bring balance and harmony into her life.

Hayley’s approach is to work with you holistically: using relaxing, restorative, and remedial massage therapy techniques to support your emotional and physical wellbeing.

Hayley’s therapies can be complemented with a bespoke blend of Neal’s Yard Remedies organic essential and natural oils for an enhanced, therapeutic treatment.

Trained with the London School of Massage, the Middlesex School of Complementary Medicine and Restore Therapy, Hayley is also a registered Scar Work Practitioner and is a member of the Federation of Holistic Therapists.

Spencer Joseph

Spencer works as an integrative therapist creating a synthesis of approaches from Eastern and Western medicine.

Since 1990 Spencer has studied many different areas of health and well-being including yoga, meditation and martial arts. He holds a BA Hons degree in philosophy as well as recognised, professional therapy qualifications in the following:

  • Acupuncture (TCM)
  • Shiatsu
  • CranioSacral Therapy
  • Sports Massage
  • Integrative Counselling
  • Hypnotherapy
  • Spencer is also a member of the following organisations, all of which require professional qualifications and insurance:
  • The Chinese Medical Institute and Register
  • The Zen Shiatsu Society
  • The Complementary and Natural Healthcare Council
  • The Complementary Therapists Association
  • The UK Association of Humanistic Psychology Practitioners
  • To find out more about Spencer and his work (including testimonials) in Covent Garden and Islington please see his website bodytherapeutics.co.uk

Margot Werner

Margot has worked in our Covent Garden Therapy rooms since 2012.  She integrates techniques into her treatments to suit each individual client.  Her instinct and intuition help her to tune in to the body to bring greater balance.

Katrin Reisser

As a trained dancer Kate understands how the body moves and how different exercise and therapy techniques can improve her clients’ functional body alignment.  Her treatment sessions are tailored to an individual’s needs.

She is qualified in sports massage, is currently studying osteopathy and is always keen to develop and update her knowledge and abilities.

Plans underway for a new reimagined Strand Aldwych

Westminster City Council has begun to implement ambitious new proposals to convert busy roads into new public spaces at the Strand and across the Aldwych.

‘Skate the Strand’, a new free, temporary pop-up skate park located on the Strand outside Somerset House, marks the start of the longer-term vision for the Strand Aldwych area. This new ‘Skate the Strand’ project is part of the wider Westminster Reveals campaign and kicks off ‘September on the Strand’, inviting people to return to the city’s streets and enjoy the capital’s famed cultural scene, connecting celebrated talent and communities.

Westminster City Council has ambitious plans for Strand Aldwych, which will see this ancient route adapted to become a pedestrian-focused destination, transforming this historic gateway to the West End into a world-class and contemporary traffic-free public space.

The proposal converts busy roadways into a major new public space at the Strand, to become traffic-free in front of Somerset House and King’s College London, and an enhanced pedestrian experience across the Aldwych, including new crossings, wider footways and a new green space. 

The new Strand Aldwych project aims to bring the inside out – by combining the best of Westminster’s arts, culture, learning and business, utilising the wealth of cultural and creative organisations based in the surrounding areas to reveal the joys of Strand Aldwych as a unique place to visit. It will create a new public space for London, car-free, centred around the majestic St Mary le Strand Church, which will stand pride of place in its newly created architectural and historic setting. 

The reinvention of Strand Aldwych as a world-leading, fit for the future, urban green space is the latest step in the council’s ambitious plans for the West End and its vision for a greener, smarter city. This project is being delivered by Westminster City Council along with key partners including Northbank Business Improvement District, King’s College London, Somerset House Trust, St Mary Le Strand, The Courtauld and Society of London Theatre.

The works will deliver benefits to the area, including:

  • a world class new public space to showcase the very best that local institutions can offer
  • improved air quality, with traffic removed from one of London’s most polluted streets with more greenery and trees on both the Aldwych and Strand
  • a better experience for pedestrians and cyclists that is more centred towards people.
  • greatly improved connections to Covent Garden, the City, Holborn and the West End

Public realm improvements in the Strand Aldwych area started on 4 January 2021 and are due to be completed in late 2022. In response to COVID-19, the scheme was again reviewed, and it was agreed at Full Council that the permanent Aldwych scheme would be taken forward, alongside a “Meanwhile Strand” design to provide opportunities to test how Londoners and the local community would like to use the space. 

From the end of August (19 to 22 August 2021), the Strand was permanently closed to vehicular traffic between Waterloo Bridge and Surrey Street. This new pedestrian and cycle zone will be protected by static physical measures preventing vehicular access to create a car-free zone, although it will allow time-limited access for deliveries and local access. 

This will immediately create much needed space to support the local economy and improve the experience for pedestrians. Through temporary measures, the final scheme design can be tested before being made permanent. Once this ‘Meanwhile Strand’ is established, work will progress on the final stage of the project to implement the remaining public realm works along the Strand, dovetailing with plans at St Mary le Strand and King’s to take forward the permanent scheme. 

Traffic will revert to two-way on the Aldwych and the works will introduce wider footways to create a calmer welcoming environment for pedestrians while they sample cultural opportunities in the area, such as theatre, hotels, dining, shopping, relaxing and appreciating the historic cityscape.

Cllr Matthew Green, Cabinet Member for Business, Licensing and Planning at Westminster City Council said: 

Skate the Strand kicks off ‘September on the Strand’, inviting people to return to Westminster’s iconic streets and vibrant cultural scene. It’s part of our wider plans to encourage people back to the City and to transform Strand Aldwych.

We are doing all we can to build back business and economic confidence and these exciting plans for Strand Aldwych will help improve the visitor experience, kickstart the economy and create jobs and prosperity for now and the future.

COVID-19 has changed how people visit and work in London. More and more people are beginning to return to our city, so there is an urgent need to tackle issues with pedestrian congestion and safety, poor air quality and noise. Our new plans for Strand Aldwych give us an opportunity to build back better and create a new green oasis in central London for people to relax and come together to enjoy, while continuing to celebrate the strong theatre and culture offering the Strand is known for.

Cannon Ivers, Director at LDA Design and Project Lead for Strand Aldwych, said:

Reclaiming the Strand from traffic for people will create a greener piece of city, freeing up the wonderful St Mary Le Strand Church and making the street visually rich and resilient, with improved air quality. 

For the first time, visitors will be able to properly appreciate the Grade I listed architecture which frames the space and benefit from new collaborations as the public realm brings together some of London’s leading cultural and educational institutions. I see a transformed Strand Aldwych as a place where the creative process is made visible – where art is made not just displayed, where performances are rehearsed not just performed, and where knowledge is shared not stored away.

Ruth Duston OBE, OC, Chief Executive of The Northbank Business Improvement District, said: 

It’s fantastic to be welcoming visitors to this newly created ‘meanwhile’ space, which enables us to test new concepts and activities ahead of the opening of the final Strand Aldwych scheme next year. As ever, our partnership with Westminster Council and our local stakeholders continues as we create a new cultural destination for London. The BID is proud to have pioneered the early thinking for the project, which will act as a major catalyst for growth, with the area becoming a new focal point for the world class creative endeavours in the area. Businesses stand ready to welcome workers and visitors back, and this initial meanwhile use will help to encourage more visitors to the area.

These new plans respond to massive changes to how people visit and work in London, accelerated by COVID-19. These new plans reimagine how people can successfully come to the West End through the following themes; Greener, Smarter, Future and Together to create a globally competitive centre for innovative retail, commercial activities, culture and living.

This September there will be a series of free, exciting and inspiring activities as part of ‘September on the Strand’, which sees two weeks’ worth of events to celebrate the new pedestrian space, including the Vans’ skatepark, a Photo London exhibition, alfresco dining through Northbank BID, community event at St Mary Le Strand and a Visible Skin, a King’s College London exhibition.

This new programme of events forms a key part of Westminster City Council’s wider Westminster Reveals campaign to encourage visitors to return to the city’s streets and enjoy London’s famed cultural scene; connecting celebrated talent and communities. This major initiative and phenomenal series of events sees Westminster City Council bring together renowned cultural institutions and visitor attractions like never before as well as iconic hospitality locations and retail destinations such as Regent Street, Oxford Street, the Strand, Mayfair, Carnaby, Paddington, Belgravia and Little Venice.  

Additional Restrictions Grant (ARG) Scheme – Round 3

Support for businesses severely impacted by the extended lockdown period from 21 June – 19 July 2021

Following the receipt of the third tranche of funding from central government, Westminster City Council is announcing the administration of the third round of grants to businesses that were severely impacted by the four-week extension to lockdown from the period of 21 June – 19 July 2021. This is in line with the guidance issued by central government to all local authorities in England to consider and prioritise those business groups that were impacted by these restrictions most significantly.

Businesses need not contact Westminster City Council as we expect the vast majority will automatically be identified within the next two weeks through the council’s internal systems. This will mainly be done using Valuation Office Agency (VOA) business premises codes and eligible businesses will be invited to apply.

Following direction and approval from the Council’s cabinet, WCC has decided to distribute a maximum funding pot of £4m to the following eligible ratepayer business categories, as set out in the guidance issued by the central government:

  • Nightclubs (including sexual entertainment venues)
  • GLA-registered grassroots music venues (where the main business is as a music venue)
  • Travel and tourism sectors (including group travel, travel agents and tour operators, tourist attractions, but not souvenir shops)
  • Wedding industries
  • Theatres
  • English language schools
  • Breweries

For the avoidance of doubt, businesses will need to be able to demonstrate that their premises are wholly or mainly used for one of the above qualifying purposes. A business cannot simply have an ‘element’ of their business that qualifies under one of the above categories, as this would be seen as an ancillary to the business, rather than the main business use of the premises.

If you believe your business to be eligible and you don’t hear from Westminster City Council within the next two weeks, please contact the Westminster Business Unit via email at: businessunit@westminster.gov.uk.