Meet the team
Our Gentle Wellbeing retreat team

Retreat Host & Instructor
Karen Bentley-Brown
Karen is a business and wellbeing coach with personal experience of chronic fatigue. Karen will be our host and will also lead our gentle nature connection activity.

Retreat Instructor
Charlotte Coope
Charlotte is a Qigong & Tai Chi teacher with 10 years’ experience. She has seen the beneficial effects of qi gong for her students – including Lou – who live with chronic fatigue.

Retreat Instructor
Hugo Brasher
Hugo is an Acupuncture and TCM practitioner with 14 years’ experience. He has a personal interest in chronic fatigue having experienced it with Glandular Fever in his teens.

Retreat Chef
Julia Savory
Julia is a professional cook who is passionate about the power of whole food to support physical and mental wellbeing. She teaches a holistic vegan whole food cookery course.

Retreat Chef
Helen Pateman
Helen is a freelance chef with many years experience in the food sector. She founded Kendal People’s Cafe, a community initiative providing a vital food resource for the town.

Venue Hosts
Joanne & Damian Withers
Joanne & Damian own and run St Marks Stays as a home to share with others. They are a core part of our team and will be on hand during the retreat to guide and support us all.
Our directors

Co-founders and Directors of Wellbeing in Spoonfuls, Lou & Chris had their world turned upside down by cancer and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome in 2019 and they both had to find a new way of being in the world. For Lou, gentle wellbeing practices such as Qigong, acupuncture, meditation and Reiki provided vital physical and emotional support during this transition. She still lives with chronic fatigue and continues a daily wellbeing practice as her energy allows. At Wellbeing in Spoonfuls Lou holds the vision, connecting with people and inspiring them to join and support us. Chris holds the values – how we work – keeping the pace gentle and protecting our energy. They both enjoy spending time outdoors enjoying the lakes and fells near their Lake District home. |
Our supporters and volunteers
Without our many supporters and volunteers Wellbeing in Spoonfuls would have never progressed from wishful thinking! Living with chronic fatigue, we could never have done it on our own. We’ve benefited from lots of help and advice at every stage to get this new non-profit up and running.
Huge thanks to: Karen Bentley-Brown, David Beuzeval, Fleur Boxall, Hugo Brasher, Charlotte Coope, Maya Field, Henny Flynn, Faye Latham, Helen Machen-Pearce, Alison Marsden, Ali & Tracey McCluskey, Helen Pateman, Julia Savory, Claire Steele, Caroline Southerden, Damian & Joanne Withers.
And the journey has only just begun, so there’s plenty of room for more in the team! If you’re living with chronic fatigue and you like the sound of what we do and how we do it, we’d love to hear from you.