Welcome to Tunbridge Wellness
I have always been a seeker.
I grew up in South London and, for most of my life, I was a very urban creature. London was my home, my playground and, in many ways, my teacher. I studied the arts, went on to work in music and began producing and performing spoken word events after university. Creativity has always been one of the ways I make sense of the world.
Alongside that, I have always had another thread running through my life: a fascination with the spiritual, the mysterious and the things that help us understand ourselves a little more deeply. I picked up my first crystal when I was 8. I discovered Buddhism as a child, learned tarot from a woman who lived with my family for much of my childhood, and spent my late teens and twenties exploring different ideas, practices and ways of being. Later came Reiki, yoga and kirtan, and eventually several years studying the shamanic medicine wheel. I am now a student of core shamanism.
But I didn't follow a linear path to any of this.
The death of my brother 8 years ago profoundly changed the direction of my life. Since then, my search for what it means to live authentically, to find wholeness, healing and meaning has become much deeper. It has also shaped the work I do now. I retrained as a civil celebrant because I wanted to walk alongside people through some of life's biggest transitions: love, loss, beginnings and endings.
And then, in 2025, my husband, our three cats and I left London for Kent.
I was looking for something different. More nature. More connection to the seasons. More time outdoors. A different pace of life. Somewhere our cats could have a better home, too. I had also begun working as a celebrant and was drawn to Kent's beautiful landscapes and the possibility of working with forest and outdoor weddings.
When I arrived in Tunbridge Wells, I quickly realised that there was something rather special here.
There is history everywhere. Geology, beautiful landscapes, the Commons, the old wells and the stories woven into the town. There are artists, therapists, practitioners, makers, small businesses, community groups and people quietly creating wonderful things. There is a real community spirit.
But there was a problem. I didn't know where to find any of it.
I was looking for wellness locally and had absolutely no idea where to start. The more I looked, the more I discovered. And the more I discovered, the more I thought: surely there should be one place where all of this comes together?
And well, there wasn't, so I built it.
Tunbridge Wellness began with a very simple idea: to connect the people doing amazing things with the people who are looking for them. To create a place where you can discover a practitioner, find an event, stumble across a local business, read something that makes you think, or simply find a little inspiration for your own wellbeing.
Because I don't believe there is one definition of wellness, or one right way to get there.
We all arrive by different routes. Sometimes the route itself is the most interesting part.
That is what I hope Tunbridge Wellness can reflect. Not a prescriptive idea of what it means to be well, but a wonderfully diverse local community of people exploring what wellbeing, connection and a meaningful life can look like for them.
And that brings us to this magazine.
This is a space for local wellness happenings, ideas and advice, interviews, discoveries, thought pieces and voices from the people making this community what it is. A place to find out what's happening, but also somewhere to pause, explore and perhaps discover something you didn't know you were looking for.
Most of all, I hope you find something here that is for you.
Maybe you'll discover a practitioner you didn't know existed. A small local business you didn't know you needed. An event that changes your week. An idea that stays with you. Or perhaps you'll simply find another person who makes you feel a little less alone in whatever it is you're navigating.
That, ultimately, is what this is about. Connection.
Since beginning Tunbridge Wellness, I've had the privilege of meeting some of the most wonderful people, and I have been genuinely overwhelmed by the warmth and support that has already gathered around this little idea. We aren't officially launched yet. This is our beta, our beginning, and there is still plenty to build.
But I am incredibly proud of what we've created so far.
So welcome to Tunbridge Wellness.
I'm excited to keep building this beautiful community, to bring you bigger and better events, more stories, more discoveries and more opportunities to connect with one another.
And, hopefully, to enjoy every minute of it along the way.
Lucy
Editor, Tunbridge Wellness