March News Stories

• Balens 60 years
• ANH hits funding target for THMPD legal challenge
• BCMA Conference
• Lavender Oil Kills Off Fungal Infections

Balens 60th Anniversary Celebrations

60 years is a big number in any business, but in the current economic climate, and with all the changes that have taken place in Balens history during that time, it just had to be commemorated. A diamond jubilee dinner was therefore organised for 150 people at the Abbey Hotel in Malvern, on Friday 10th December 2011, in order to celebrate the company reaching this tremendous milestone.

Balens have transformed in the last 20 years, when David Balen moved the business from freehold Offices in London to Malvern, where the focus shifted into specialising more in the Complimentary Therapy, well-being and Health Professional field. Initially working in a studio office in his home in 1994, when he was joined by his first Malvern member of staff, Margaret Childs, (who is still with the company). David is now the Managing Director of a business with 36 staff, in purpose-built offices spread over 2 floors. This is indeed a cause for celebration.

The dinner itself, was attended by representatives from a large number of the 200 + associations that Balens insures, together with insurers, suppliers, staff and local clients. Many commented that it was lovely to ‘put so many faces to so many names’. Entertainment was provided by a table magician, caricaturist and The Roving Crows, Irish music group whose drummer is Josh Balen Commercial Department Manager, and festivities continued well into the early hours of Saturday morning.

David himself gave an entertaining and lively speech in his usual inimitable style, where he talked about his memories of the early days of Balens, in his parent’s home where his father’s music friends rubbed shoulders with insurance representatives at the kitchen table. Professor David Peters, senior lecturer in CAM at Westminster University, also spoke, talking about the important role that Balens has played in the development of professional standards within the Complimentary Therapy field over the last few decades, and leaving many members of the audience crying with laughter over the jokes he told.

The flowers and balloons, the cake and candles, the sparkling toast sponsored by Zurich, all helped to add to the ambience and atmosphere to mark this wonderful occasion. The success of the event was seen in the feedback on the evening and after.

And the celebrations do not end there, 2011 marks the 30th anniversary of when David Balen took over as proprietor of Balens, another amazing milestone in the success story of the company.

ANH hits funding target for THMPD legal challenge

Posted on02 March 2011. Natural Products Magazine

The Alliance for Natural Health (ANH) says it expects to file its legal challenge to the Traditional Herbal Medicinal Products Directive (THMPD) at the High Court in London by the end of March after hitting its first-stage funding target of £90,000.
ANH hopes the High Court will refer the case to the European Court of Justice.

ANH argues that it is the “problematic” legal text of the THMPD, as it is currently framed, that is responsible for what it calls the “excessively restrictive eligibility requirements” of the traditional herbal registration (THR) scheme (administered in the UK by the MHRA).

ANH argues that this, together with onerous quality controls, means that the THMPD, effectively discriminates against non-European herbal traditions and poly-herbal products in general. It says that by forcing specialist herbals manufacturers into a pharma-style manufacturing and testing regime, it establishess criteria that cannot be met in the case of most poly-herbal products. And it points out that, to date, “with few exceptions, and only a few”, most successful applications under the directive relate to alcoholic extracts of single-herbs — impregnated into chemical bases as tablets or capsules along modern, Western pharmaceutical lines.

Working in partnership with the European Benefyt Foundation (EBF), ANH is being advised by leading London-based EU law specialists 11KBW. Its lawyers says there is basis for a legal challenge on grounds of proportionality, transparency and human rights:

• Proportionality: This argument will aim to expose the manner in which the Directive, and associated European laws and guidelines, disproportionately impact stakeholders associated with non-European and minor traditional systems of medicine in Europe.

Transparency: This argument focuses mainly on what lawyers will say was a lack of transparency as to the nature of the technical requirements of the THMPD when it was passing through the legislative process, prior to 31st March 2000.

Human rights: This will argue the social and cultural impacts of the planned restriction of access to products associated with traditional medicinal systems.

While the ANH acknowledges that the High Court hearing is just stage one of a long process, it believes that it is an important milestone and has signalled its gratitude to the companies and private individuals who have contributed to its £90,000 first-phase fighting fund.

ANH says the purpose of the case is to resolve the “inequalities and negative impacts that the THMPD has on herbal products that have long been available, without significant safety concerns, to consumers all over the EU”. It has said that, ultimately, it hopes that a successful legal challenge “will see the directive sent back to the drawing board to be reframed in a way that is appropriate to the real needs of consumers”.

• For more information visit http://www.anh-europe.org/

BCMA - 2 DAY CONFERENCE

The British Complementary Medicine Association (BCMA) has organized a 2 day conference event at the delightful Wyboston Lakes Conference Centre for the 21st and 22nd of May this year.

The event has been designed to achieve two main objectives, namely, to provide every opportunity for complementary practitioners to learn about new therapies and new ways of thinking about them as well as trying therapies you may or may not have given consideration to. Then, to top up the overall positive experience, it provides an environment where you can chill out and restore batteries that have spent so much time in helping others. To meet the needs of most people it is possible to attend for one or both days with a superb buffet dinner being available on the Saturday evening and hotel rooms on site that will not disappoint. This is an educational yet relaxing opportunity. There is even the opportunity to have a selling site table if you have ware that you want to offer to your peers or those simply interested in complementary medicine. Being the BCMA they have managed to provide all this at very reasonable and affordable cost. Check out the BCMA website (www.bcma.co.uk) for all information and access to all the booking options you need.

Lavender Oil Kills Off Fungal Infections

A recent study published in the Journal of Medical Microbiology shows that Lavender Oil could be used to combat antifungal-resistant infections.

Portuguese scientists have tested oil distilled from the Lavandula viridis L’Hér shrub against a range of pathogenic fungi. They discovered that it killed a number of skin-pathogenic strains, known as dermatophytes, as well as various species of Candida.

They found that these oils work by destroying fungal cells by damaging the cell membrane. Lead researcher Professor Salgueiro said, “Lavandula oil shows wide-spectrum antifungal activity and is highly potent. This is a good starting point for developing this oil for clinical use to manage fungal infections. What is now required is clinical trials to evaluate how our in vitro work translates in vivo.”

http://www.physorg.com/news/2011-02-lavender-oil-potent-antifungal-effect.html