This year the Laughter Network celebrated World Laughter Dayin Brighton and in St. Albans.

In Brighton Julie Whitehead and Lisa Sturge gathered families by the seafront at Bosham Quay in Brighton, and Lotte Mikkelsen brought a small group together by the Roman City Wall in Verulamium Park in St. Albans.

Read the full story here!

 

Julie Whitehead reports:
 

Julie Whitehead joined Bob Taylor from the Parkinson's Disease Society at the Churchill Theatre in Bromley, Kent on Friday 11th April when they ran LAUGH-4-FUN sessions to raise awareness of Parkinson’s Disease.

Read the full story here!

 

Amanda Bate reports:
 

February – April 2008:

Amanda Bate, Julie Whitehead and a number of active members represented and supported the Laughter Network at the South Bank Centre in London as part of a series of workshops to celebrate ‘Laughing in a Foreign Language’.

The exhibition took part over three months in the Hayward Gallery and included laughter sessions both in the Gallery and the Royal Festival Hall.

A fun piece showing how laughter can transcend cultural barriers was aired on BBC2’s the Culture Show.

The laughter sessions were a great success and the Laughter Network looks forward to working with the South Bank Centre again.

 

Julie Whitehead reports:
 

Laughter Network helps Lloyd's staff to de-stress on Samaritans National Stress Down Day

For the first time Lloyd's supported Samaritans' national Stress Down Day held on 1st February and staff at Lloyd's enjoyed many stress reducing therapies in the workplace, including a laughter workshop.

Here’s what a member of staff had to say about the workshop.

"Endorphins escape!! From distress to de-stress in just under an hour!"

The Laughter Workshop was no joke, as we learned about the positive physiological changes that laughter brings about, the therapeutic benefits of tackling stress, and the remedy for a happier workplace!

 

Julie Whitehead reports:
 

The Laughter Network was featured on the Culture Show BBC2 on Saturday 2nd February.

in association with the exhibition Laughing in a Foreign Language held at the Hayward Gallery on London’s South Bank.

To see the Culture Show click link

http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/page/item/b008xzvc.shtml?filter=txdate%3A02-02&filter=txslot%3Aevening&scope=iplayerlast7days&start=2&version_pid=b008xztw.

There will be other laughter workshops held at the Hayward Gallery on 14th & 28th February at 7pm and on Saturday 29th March at 3.30pm.

To book a laughter session click http://www.southbankcentre.co.uk/calendar/productions/laughter-gym-with

 

Julie Whitehead reports:
 

“Take us to the prison please" I said to the driver in the bright blue taxi outside Peterborough station. I had never expected to say these words but had been approached by Amy who runs the Holistic centre at Her Majesty's Prison in Peterborough and asked if we could run a laughter session for the women there.

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I met Rachel as Doris at a “Mind, Body, Spirit” festival in Manchester. I was undergoing radiotherapy treatment and was searching for healing. I was disgruntled because nothing seemed to help and was about to leave when I spotted a crazy- looking charlady with a mop and bucket at the smallest stand in the festival (no bigger than a cupboard).
 

Read the full story here!