I was incredibly proud to be included on the fundraising committee for International Animal Rescue which culminated in a glittering event last week with guest speaker Buzz Aldrin at George in Mayfair. We raised lots of funds for a great cause, thank you to those who kindly donated and well done all!

International Animal Rescue is hands on, just like Charter’s method of treatment, they don’t pussy foot around but do what’s required on the ground – an attitude I wholeheartedly support.

Sure there must be time to reflect and consider – you will totally misunderstand me if you think I am as impulsive as I look! – but there must also be a time to act.  That scene in Monty Python’s Life of Brian where they have a meeting about a meeting always makes me laugh as does the moment in ‘The Gods Must Be Crazy’ (wonderful B movie from late ‘70s) when everyone has to ‘look busy’ in the office.  We are all too good at justified prevarication reinforced by bureaucratic accountability and in this sadly I think we often lose the moment of opportunity.

It is in this moment that I think charities such as IAR or our therapeutic approach at Charter really works. We capitalise on that moment.

At Charter its all about what’s happening right now and therefore what do you do/want to do. So often people want to talk about their father/mother/childhood etc., about what happened back then, but actually I believe the action lies in ‘[therefore] how are you now’ – it lies in taking the risk to actually be there with them right then. Almost a counter therapy stance where there is very little interpretation.

I enjoyed chatting with Bill Bailey enormously, and with Buzz Aldrin, and enjoyed several other conversations about the vital importance of a culture of kindness with boundaries, which inevitably led over and again to the subject of addiction…how does that happen?!