Herbal health care school is forced to close

ONE of Scotland's leading centres for teaching complementary health care has closed.

The founder of the Scottish School of Herbal Medicine in Glasgow blamed the economic downturn.

At its peak the school had 80 students, but had been half full recently.

Medical herbalist Keith Robertson, who established the centre with his wife Maureen in 1992, said: "It has turned out to be a 'double dip'.

"We planned to use our reserves to keep us going until recovery came along but it never did."

The school, based near the Southern General Hospital, was a not-for-profit organisation dedicated to the furthering of traditional herbal medicine and specialising in the education of herbalists as high as master of science (MSc) standard. It had trained more than 600 aromatherapists and massage therapy students.

Robertson added: "The school represents 18 years of my wife Maureen and my lives' work.

"A few folk have called it a 'crying shame' and we have certainly cried a lot.

"We had our last formal teaching week at Wiston Lodge in the Borders and the energy around the closing ceremony bonfire was hugely positive and the feeling was overwhelming that as one thing closes, it opens up new possibilities.

"It is really over to the graduates now, to keep in touch and to keep promoting a mode of health care that is both empowering and ecologically driven - a vital ingredient for the 21st century."

For the past 18 years, the Robertsons have refused any funding or co-operation from organisations in any way involved with animal testing.

Robertson said: "Orthodox medicine is still interested in herbs as they still provide the basis of the vast majority of drugs but I see it less interested in bringing theherbalist in with the herbs and this is still a mind shift that has to happen.

"In the meantime, practising herbalists provide a very important service to a specific section of the public - people who want a natural approach and are prepared to take responsibility back for their health and get active with diet and lifestyle changes without which herbs are much less effective."

"In over 35 years of combined herbal practice my wife Maureen and I have witnessed over and over the power for healing that this combination of herbs and a personal consultation can provide in peoples lives."