19th May 2025. I am no longer practising acupuncture at The Olive Tree.

To all patients that trusted me: THANK YOU ! I REMEMBER YOU ALL WITH DEEP GRATITUDE.

The Olive Tree is now an independent charity (has been Macmillan and NHS) located next to Crawley hospital where I used to offer free acupuncture treatments to support people affected by cancer and their close carers every week since 2007 (with a couple of years break).

I was asked to write for the Charity newsletter why I had been volunteering at the Olive Tree and why for so long. This is what I wrote: The answer is very short, but to me very important. I love taking care of people that are seriously committed, or forced by a disease, to improve themselves in the deepest way and classical chinese philosophy and medicine allows me to do that via acupuncture. The logic why this is possible cannot be adequately explained here.

But why at the Olive Tree? From 2007 with a year gap, almost 17 years, one morning a week, every week, few years two mornings a week: that’s some time. My appreciation has not always been the same though, it has grown with time, with the growth of the humanity in me thanks also to the work I have been doing for the charity. I have, in fact, realised that through this work I do grow psychologically and spiritually. Patients have helped me, their cases have been my teachers. It is a two ways street. Charity comes from Caritas, which means Caring, through the attempt of firstly understanding the reasons for any problem and behaviour, and, secondly the attempt of solving it by overcoming it (not indulging in it) and moving beyond it to a new time in life. All this is energetic work: words are not needed from me to help patients although I like talking to them.

The Olive Tree
Wentworth House
Crawley Hospital
West Green Drive
Crawley
West Sussex
RH11 7DH

01293 534465
‍office@olivetreecancersupport.org.uk