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TAOL Take Off!The Art Of Life {TAOL} has

launched in Diss, made possible by the generous funding received from Macmillan, The Big C and South Norfolk Council.

Helping local cancer patients and their caregivers to heal and find meaning through creative expression, this voluntary-led group welcomed a throng of visitors when doors opened at the backspace of the Angel Cafe, Diss on 1st November 2012.

From cancer sufferers to caregivers, funders to volunteers and local dignitaries to the inquisitive, all enjoyed scrumptious hospitality whilst engaging in some taster art therapy sessions and learning more about the aims of The Art Of Life.

Macmillan’s Louise McAvoy commented on the project’s

uniqueness while guest Jackie R said; “Well done on a great launch. This service is much needed in Diss!”

The Committee wish to say a huge thank you to everyone who supported the launch and particularly for their generous, but much needed donations which totaled just short of £100! Wow!

Website Wonder To coincide with the launch, the

group were excited to announce that the live website, www.theartoflife.org.uk was receiving great interest and generating many enquiries to the delight of all!

With details of our Winter Programme show casing the home page, the site has lots of information about what’s on offer.

Do visit and let us know what you think!

Call for Committee Members!

The Art Of Life currently has four Committee members; Jay Hurley Chairperson, Keith Hurley Treasurer, Lin Smith Secretary and Maggie Mittins-Ladd Creative Director.

With 2 additional places to fill, the Committee is keen to hear from anyone who is interested in having a say in how The Art Of Life is run.

If this appeals to you and you can spare a few hours each month to meet, usually during the day, then we’d love you to get in touch!

Find it difficult to put into words how you feel about your cancer?

Discover THE ART OF LIFE and let your hands tell your story

SPRING 2013 - DITCH2SWITCH CLOTHES SWAPPING EVENTTime to shed those winter clothes. What better way to get rid of unwanted items than swapping them for something completely different? AUTUMN 2013 - PSYCHIC SUPPER Enjoy an autumn equinox evening of mysticism. Receive readings from our Spiritual Healers and Mediums whilst enjoying a gut busting supper packed full of ghouls and ghosts!2013

Fund Raising Events Visit www.theartoflife.org.uk

With grateful thanks to our funding partners

Call: Jay on 07786 833916Email: the_art_of_life@rocketmail.comWebsite: www.theartoflife.org.uk

ISSUE 1

Who we are and

what we do.

Is your body going through chemotherapy, radiation, hormone treatments, stress and anxiety or recovering from surgery?

Are you caring for someone with cancer and feel isolated?

We are a group of people just like you. We’ve all got our own stories to tell about our lives with cancer.

We’ve each been on a journey of self-discovery so we know exactly what it’s like to experience the pain, discomfort, emotional trauma and even grief that perhaps you are going through right now.

We are not Counsellors, nor do we want to be. We’re not artists, although some of us found an escape through drawing, paining and being creative.

Some of us are self-employed, others work or are retired but we all have two things in common; we live in or around Diss and are all living with or caring for a loved one with cancer.

We believe that creativity, gentle exercise and mediation helps you to heal and find meaning and that’s why we discovered THE ART OF LIFE.

Our holistic approach focuses on helping you to achieve a feeling of total wellness, spiritually, physically and mentally and regain a sense of balance.

Offering a range of voluntary support from information, advice and guidance to art therapy, Chi Kung and look good feel great sessions, we support you and your family or caregivers a healing and private sanctuary to express your inner, most deepest emotions when words fail.

Sign up for our Newsletter by email:The_art_of_life@rocketmail.com

Download a web copy here

Winter Programme There’s on offer at The Art Of

Life as can be seen from the recently published winter programme.

Meeting on the 1st Friday of every month (and more frequently where demand), the group enjoys the calm environment at the backspace of the Angel Cafe, Fair Green, Diss.

The venue is ideal for learning how to align your subtle energies and heal through Chi Kung {Qigong} before getting stuck into the art therapy session.

Bookings are already being taken for the very first Art Therapy session on Friday 7th December at 10.30 a.m. until 1.30 p.m.

There are only a few places remaining so if you are thinking of coming along, please don’t delay picking up the phone today.

Call Jay on 07786 833916

Working With OthersWe are delighted to have been

invited to take part in meetings held at The Big C, Norwich by the Breast Care Group.

The group meets quarterly and is a great opportunity for us to meet up with other local support groups whose sole aim is to help make life a little better for people with cancer.

Doing this, we are able to learn from their own experiences, share ideas and catch up on the latest research.

We attended our first meeting in September and were warmly welcomed by the Chair, Helen; Alex from The Younger Womens Breast Cancer Support Group; Ruth from the Rosemary Group and Mary from the ABC Group.

Helen extended an invitation to us to promote THE ART OF LIFE during breast cancer awareness month. This meant that we visited the Norfolk and Norwich Hospital on two occasions in October to talk to cancer patients and provide information about appropriate support available from many different local groups.

We’d like to say a huge thank you to everyone we met, from Nurses to volunteers, support group leaders and to Helen for their encouragement and inspiration

Paypal and FacebookWe are delighted to tell you that

you can now donate to us and buy raffle tickets, for example, through our website www.theartoflife.org.uk using PAYPAL.

You can also find us on Facebook here

The aim of art is not the outward appearance of things but their inward significance

- Aristotle -

- This gorgeous basket of flowers cake creating a stunning centre piece on your Christmas table;- This cake solving a Christmas present dilemma;- Wowing your wedding guests as the happy couple delicately slice the cake!- The indulgence!- What it would cost you to buy.

Now IMAGINE easing the emotional discomfort of someone living with cancer simply because the money you’re spending on raffle tickets today is going towards helping us to help them tomorrow.

WIN GRACIE’S BASKET OF FLOWERS CAKEMany thanks go to Gracie for this stunning fruit cake, laced with brandy

and cupfuls of love!Gracie has very kindly donated her hand made and hand decorated cake

for raffle to help raise money for our project.Each delicate flower, leaf and blossom is made from pastel-tinted royal

icing which nestle in the very edible hand made woven basket.Sure to create that WOW factor, this scrummy cake Gracie tells us, will

keep for months.WANT IT? Here’s how you can buy raffle tickets and help keep our project

alive:1. Visit www.theartoflife.org.uk/The_Art_Of_Life/Raffle.html and buy through PAYPAL2. To buy by phone/cheque, call Jay on 07786 8339163. To buy by email/cheque, email the_art_of_life@rocketmail.com

Alternatively, the cake will be on display on 7th December 2012 10 a.m. Until 1.30 p.m at the back space of THE ANGEL CAFE, Fair Green, Diss so pop in!

TERMS AND CONDITIONSIt is Gracie’s wish that all the money raised through the raffle goes to THE ART OF LIFE. The raffle will be drawn on Friday 17th December 2012 at 12 noon. The winner will be notified by phone.The winner must be able to collect the cake in person from the agreed collection point by 24tH December 2012 at the latest. We regret that we are unable to send the cake by post for obvious reasons.

What’s On

NOT TO BE MISSED!

1. ART THERAPY AND CHI KUNG 7 DEC 12 10.30 - 1.30

The first session of THE ART OF LIFE!If you have cancer, or care for someone with cancer but struggle to express how you feel, come along and let your hands tell your story. Using art materials, you can explore your inner, most deepest emotions when words fail. You don’t need to be able to draw or paint and all resources are provided for you. The session starts with the ancient and scientific art of Chi Kung (Qigong) to help align your energies, relax and escape. Led by local Chi Kung Master, Mark Atkinson.Minimum donation £2.00 per sessionCALL TO BOOK 07786 833916 or register here 2. THEATRE IN THE AIR - 30 NOV 12Three course supper, home cooked with the best locally sourced produce. Couple with a selection of entertaining plays by local playwrights read to you between each course by a small group of experience local actors. It’s an enjoyable friendly evening down at THE ANGEL CAFE, FAIR GREEN, DISSGreat value at only £20 per head but booking is required. TEL 07502 285957

3. PUBLIC HEALING - THURS EVES.The Fersfield School Of Healing, 20 Speirs Way, Diss opens its doors to the public twice a month from 7p.m. until 9p.m.For more information, contact: Maggie on 01379 644043

RAFFLE TICKET COMBINATIONS£1 PER TICKET£2 FOR 2 TICKETS£3 FOR 3 TICKETS£4 F0R 4 TICKETS £5 FOR 7 TICKETS£8 FOR 10 TICKETS£12 FOR 15 TICKETS

BUY HERE

WIN ME!

IMAGINE …….

BUY RAFFLE TICKETS!

Good luck x