LIVE EVENTS IN 2023: Ireland, Portugal & UK
IRELAND EVENTS
Herbal Medicines from Summer Herbs
Location: Ireland
LEVEL: Open to everyone.
From total beginners – to experienced students
Sat. 10th June 2023
Spend the day exploring and making medicines from some of the summer herbs in season around us.
Wild roses, red clover, elder flower, honeysuckle, daisy, chickweed, plantain, yarrow, thyme, calendula, borage, comfrey, mint, wild strawberries, lady’s mantle, tormentil, wild oats, herb robert … there are so many herbs that we might find at this time of year.
Herb Walk: Together we will explore and find medicinal herbs. Vivienne will point out key identification features to help you to develop your confidence in picking the correct plant. We will collect some of these, learning how to harvest them sustainably. We will prepare them for drying and other traditional methods of preserving them.
Medicine-Making Session: Using the herbs we collected we will make medicinal remedies and treatments such as infused vinegars, glycerites, tinctures, poultices, etc. Make and taste proper medicinal herbal tea blends (these taste very different to drinks made from shop-bought herbal tea bags!). Given the season, this class will include a lesson and remedies for hay fever, as well as other medicinal uses of herbs. Bring home some of the remedies we make on the day e.g. a medicinal infused vinegar, a floral glycerite etc.
TIME: 10 am – 5 pm (including 1 hour lunch break).
VENUE: Slieve Aughty Centre, Loughrea, Co. Galway, Ireland. >Click here to see this venue.
PRICE: €100
INCLUDES: The class, materials used, printed hand-outs, and samples of products made to bring home.
DOESN’T INCLUDE:
~ Lunch A beautiful 3 course lunch is available to book in the organic restaurant at the Slieve Aughty and costs €20. Or you are welcome to bring your own packed lunch with you instead.
~ Accommodation. The Slieve Aughty centre has beautiful eco-accommodation, from guest rooms to glamping. If you would like to book to stay then click here to see the options available.
MORE ABOUT THE VENUE:
The Slieve Aughty Centre is a beautiful organic eco-centre in east Co. Galway with organic gardens & organic restaurant. Eco-accommodation (4*) is also available: Glamping, lodges, guest rooms etc. >Click here to see details about this venue.
Getting there by car: This nature sanctuary is only a 2 hour drive from Dublin, 40 mins from Athlone, 1 hour from Limerick or 35 mins from Galway city.
Public transport: Buses go to Loughrea, from there get a taxi to the Slieve Aughty Centre.
Student Celebration! A herbal gathering for Vivienne's students (past & present)
Location: Ireland
LEVEL: Open to all students, past & present.
From total beginners – to experienced students
Sunday 11th JUNE 2023
Relaxed, informal time together for us to meet up and share our love and enthusiasm for learning about and using wild herbs.
(And we’ll also be celebrating that it will be 20 years since I qualified as an herbalist!)
Includes an herb walk looking at the plants around us that can be used as wild food, herbal medicines, natural skincare and more. Get my tips and help with making extracts, drying herbs etc. Ask me your questions. A wonderful opportunity to get help and share experience, recipes and get more inspiration with this group of herb enthusiasts and fellow students.
Optional: Bring things you have made to show, share or get my (and other people’s) tips and help with. Ask me questions so we can trouble-shoot what’s gone wrong with your extract. Get my help and tips to improve what you’re doing to help to prevent things going wrong again.
TIME: 11am – 3 pm (including a hearty lunch).
VENUE: Slieve Aughty Centre, Loughrea, Co. Galway, Ireland. >Click here to see this venue.
PRICE: €50
***Students who book the Herbal Medicine class on Sat 10th and/or the Herbal Skincare class on Mon. 12th can receive a 50% discount on the Student Celebration ticket i.e. €25 instead of €50.***
PRICE INCLUDES LUNCH: Enjoy a beautiful 3 course lunch in the organic restaurant at the Slieve Aughty.
THE TICKET DOES NOT INCLUDE:
~ Accommodation. The Slieve Aughty centre has beautiful eco-accommodation, from guest rooms to glamping. If you would like to book to stay then click here to see the options available.
~ An official class with specific topics covered and learning outcomes achieved. If you would prefer to attend one of these then please consider the classes available on Sat. 10th and/or Mon 12th June.
MORE ABOUT THE VENUE:
The Slieve Aughty Centre is a beautiful organic eco-centre in east Co. Galway with organic gardens & organic restaurant. Eco-accommodation (4*) is also available: Glamping, lodges, guest rooms etc. >Click here to see details about this venue.
Getting there by car: This nature sanctuary is only a 2 hour drive from Dublin, 40 mins from Athlone, 1 hour from Limerick or 35 mins from Galway city.
Public transport: Buses go to Loughrea, from there get a taxi to the Slieve Aughty Centre.
FAQS
Q I am doing one/several of your online courses/e-classes. Can I attend?
A Yes!
Q I came to a workshop with you years ago. May I attend?
A Yes!
Q I came to a herbal walk years ago. May I attend.?
A Yes!
Q You did private work (e.g. a land survey, herbal product consultation etc.) for me. May I attend?
A Yes!
Q I came on a Herbal Holiday with you in Portugal. May I attend?
A Yes!
Q I haven’t done anything with you before, but I am booked into one of the classes on this weekend (10th June/12th June). May I attend?
A. Yes!
***Remember: Tickets for this STUDENT CELEBRATION are half-price for students who also book the herb class on Sat 10th June and/or the Herbal Skincare class on Monday 12th June***
To receive this discount, on the CHECKOUT page add the coupon code CELEBRATING20 Then click ‘apply coupon’ and the discount will be deducted from your total.
Natural Skincare with Herbs
Location: Ireland
LEVEL: Open to everyone: beginners-experienced.
Of particular interest to people with skin issues e.g. eczema, psoriasis, varicose veins, acne etc., therapists treating skin conditions, herbalists & herb students, beauty therapists and natural cosmetic-makers/formulators.
Mon. 12th June 2023
A specialist class focusing on skin issues, treatments, products, general skin health and how we can improve and enhance these using herbs.
Skincare Herbs: Learn about herbs that can help the skin and the ways in which they can ease skin complaints such as acne, dry skin, eczema, psoriasis, spider veins, scars etc. Get Vivienne’s advice and recommendations for what would be most likely to help with your skin issue.
Herbal extract-making: We will make extracts from herbs (e.g. infused oils, herbal glycerites, infused vinegars etc.) to use directly on the skin or to combine into skincare products and treatments such as balms, serums, butters, sprays etc.
Skincare Treatment & Product-Making Session: We will make treatments such as a varicose vein treatment, face or hand natural gel mask, a skin healing balm (usually of great help to psoriasis), cleansers, facial serums enriched with herbs, a plant butter cream and a herbal spray deodorant etc.
Learn, compare & understand extracts and product types: Vivienne will also show examples of herbal emulsion creams (we will not make these in class because they take hours to make and require specialist equipment; video lessons are available in online courses though) e.g. a skin soothing chickweed cream to show the texture and how these compare with other skincare extracts that are easy to make at home. This is to help you to better understand which treatment is more likely to help different skin conditions and why.
Chill out in our Spa Session: At the end of our class we will relax and try out the treatments and products we’ve made during the day, while luxuriating in an herbal footbath
Bring Home: Go home kitted up with beautiful natural skincare products that we have made on the day e.g. herbal facial serum, skin healing/psoriasis balm etc.
TIME: 10 am – 5 pm (including 1 hour lunch break).
VENUE: Slieve Aughty Centre, Loughrea, Co. Galway, Ireland. >Click here to see this venue.
PRICE: €150 (this class costs more than the herbal medicine day because of the cost of the certified organic ingredients e.g. shea butter, fixed oils etc. that are required for making the skincare treatments and products).
INCLUDES: Class, materials, printed hand-outs, a set of the products that we make on the day to bring home.
DOESN’T INCLUDE:
~ Lunch A beautiful 3 course lunch is available to book in the organic restaurant at the Slieve Aughty and costs €20. Or you are welcome to bring your own packed lunch with you instead.
~ Accommodation. The Slieve Aughty centre has beautiful eco-accommodation, from guest rooms to glamping. If you would like to book to stay then click here to see the options available.
MORE ABOUT THE VENUE:
The Slieve Aughty Cetnre is a beautiful organic eco-centre in east Co. Galway with organic gardens & organic restaurant. Eco-accommodation (4*) is also available: Glamping, lodges, eco-house etc. >>Click here to see this venue.
Getting there by car: This nature sanctuary is only a 2 hour drive from Dublin, 40 mins from Athlone, 1 hour from Limerick or 35 mins from Galway city.
Public transport: Buses go to Loughrea, from there get a taxi to the Slieve Aughty Centre.
FAQs ABOUT THIS CLASS:
Q I’ve been to one of your natural cosmetic-making classes before. Is this one different?
A Yes! While you might be familiar with some of the core basic cosmetic-making techniques, we will look at the specific actions of skincare herbs in more depth, especially in terms of which ones to select for applying to different skin conditions. We’ll also look at herbal glycerites and emulsions, which we haven’t done in a workshop before.
Q I’m a total beginner but keen to learn about this. Can I attend?
A. Yes, you are most welcome. We will be making treatments and extracts from scratch so no advanced knowledge is required.
Q. I am experienced at making natural skincare. Would this be too basic for me?
A. If you’d like to learn how to enhance products and techniques that you already know with herbs, then this would be a great class for you to attend. You’ll also get a better understanding of which herbs to choose to try to create different effects and actions in skincare that you’re trying to make.
Q. I’ve got lots of questions about making skincare, skin issues and herbs. Will there be a opportunity for me to ask questions?
A. Yes, questions are welcome throughout the day as we explore the techniques and herbs. There will also be a dedicated Q&A session in the afternoon.
Speaker at Limerick Garden Festival
Ireland
Sunday 18th June 2023
Vivienne is delighted to be part of this event this year.
She will give a talk and an introductory masterclass.
LOCATION: The Milk Market, Limerick City, IRELAND
LONDON CLASSES & WALKS
Making Herbal Medicines for Stress Relief
London
Sat. 12th AUGUST 2023
Herbs can be wonderfully supportive on an emotional level.
- This class will introduce safe and non-addictive herbs that can often help as supportive tonics in busy lives or through especially difficult times.
- Topics covered will include: stress, anxiety, depression, panic attacks, insomnia, grief & bereavement, exhaustion, concentration, memory, ‘busyness’ and adrenal burn-out.
- Learn natural ways to cope with these using herbs and essential oils.
- Prevention is better than cure! What we do on a daily basis really impacts on our physical, mental and emotional health. We will look at simple ways to develop healthier patterns and easily integrate them in to our lives.
- We will explore recipes using safe herbs that can help to improve concentration, aid sleep, reduce stress and anxiety and much more.
- We will look at changing some of our bad habits for healthier ones and swapping common stress-enhancing habits for more nourishing herbal treatments e.g. to help concentration: replacing/reducing caffeinated drinks with herbal tonics to improve the functioning of the brain.
- We will also look at some of the under-lying reasons that we have and fall back in to habits and patterns that aggravate stress. Vivienne will offer practical tips to reduce this and try to nudge us all to healthier ways of living (We are aiming for ‘better’, not ‘perfection’. Perfection is another form of stress!)
- Discover beautiful natural herbal remedies made from roses, lemon balm, lavender, hawthorn, lime flower, rosemary, wood betony and many more. We will try out samples of many of these in the class in various different extract forms e.g. teas, tinctures, infused oils, essential oils etc.
- Get hands-on and make your own: During the class you will get the chance to make your own nourishing tea blend and soothing aroma stick and aromatic herbal infused oil. Bring these home with you.
- Having your own go-to soothing remedies to help you during difficult times can be a very empowering experience.
Get: recipes, safety instructions.
Ask me: your questions! I am a professional herbalist. I qualified 20 years ago. I have years’ of experience treating people in my clinic and helping them to manage and get through times of grief, bereavement, depression, insomnia, anxiety, panic attacks, stress, sadness and over-whelm.
LOCATION: Mount Vernon Hospital, MSCM, Northwood, Middlesex.
Seaweed Spa Class
Middlesex, UK
Sunday 13th AUGUST 2023
Make your own seaweed skincare & hair-care.
This 1 day class teaches some of the skin & hair-care benefits of seaweed (inside & out!).
It is perhaps one the most beneficial and abundantly available natural ingredients for skincare on the planet. According to research, some seaweed contains 10 to 100 times more vitamins and minerals per unit of dry mass than land based plants or animal derived foods.
Luckily you do not need to live at the coast and collect fresh seaweed in order to enjoy its benefits for the skin and hair. Beautiful natural cosmetics and treatments can easily be made at home using packets of edible dried seaweeds that you can buy from health shops and suppliers. Vivienne will share her recommended suppliers of ingredients during this class.
Learn about the properties of seaweeds: vitamins, minerals and other beneficial compounds. Make different DIY extracts to capture these.
We will make a range of natural cosmetics and skincare & hair-care treatments from them such as:
* DIY seaweed shower gel & face masks
* Nourishing hair & scalp tonic
* Bath products
* Masks & mousses
* Nourishing facial serums & cremes
We will relax while we experience these during our Spa Session.
LOCATION: Mount Vernon Hospital, MSCM, Northwood, Middlesex.
Get: Bring home samples of all the products that we make on the day as well as printed recipes and instructions for all the extracts and products that we make.
Ask me: Your questions. I’ve been working with seaweed in skincare for 17 years and love using it.
Cost: Prices are in Sterling and can be booked via the booking button below.
The class (including notes, recipes etc.) costs: £100.00 +VAT
Materials & Ingredients Cost: £45.00 (the materials fee is paid directly to Vivienne on the day).
CLASSES & HERBAL HOLIDAYS IN PORTUGAL
IRELAND 2024: Classes, walks & events
PREVIOUS EVENTS FROM 2022
Meadowsweet Medicine
Fri 12th AUGUST 2022
Meadowsweet is a wonderful native medicinal herb and a firm favourite of herbalists (it is also the herb that Aspirin was originally discovered in). Meadowsweet can be used in natural skincare and in wild food & drinks too.
We will spend this day meeting this wild herb and making medicinal extracts for body and soul. Includes making a pain-ease balm, a digestive tea, demo of drying herbs and a herb walk to see fresh meadowsweet. With Vivienne Campbell, kindly hosted by Julí/Dingle Druid at her beautiful centre & ceremonial garden in Dingle, Co. Kerry.
LOCATION: Dingle, IRELAND
Seaweed Skin & Haircare Spa Class, Seaweed Walk and Edible Seaweed Tasters.
Sat 13th & Sun 14th AUGUST 2022
Book one class or both.
LOCATION: Dingle, IRELAND
The Beauty of Herbs, Portugal.
OCTOBER 2022
With Marju Kivi (essential oil distiller) & Vivienne Campbell (herbalist)
Spending time together with wild herbs…in the beautiful Portuguese countryside.
We will harvest wild herbs, distill the essential oil & hydrosol, make nourishing, therapeutic & beautiful seasonal herbal extracts and use herbs to enhance our food & drinks.
Food for our body, heart and soul! Enjoy walks and spending time in this stunning area.
DATE: 17th – 21st Oct. 2022.
LOCATION: Castelo Branco region, PORTUGAL
Essentia Nobilis Tour, Portugal
25th OCTOBER – 2nd NOVEMBER 2022
‘Wines & Oils’ Aromatic Tour
with clinical aromatherapists Jonathan Benavides & Madeleine Kerkhof
and guest teacher herbalist Vivienne Campbell.
An experiential retreat full of aromas, wine, gastronomy, art, nature, herbs and workshops. A beautiful tour including a river boat and historical train journey through a stunning area of Portugal.
***PLEASE NOTE: Vivienne will teach during one day of the tour, but she is unlikely to be present for the full 1 week tour.***
LOCATION: Douro River & Valley, PORTUGAL
Vivienne has taught workshops since 2004.
Here’s what people have said about her classes over the years…..
“Really enjoyed the day. The obvious passion that Vivienne has for her topic. The hands-on was great combined with the wonderful smells were ‘amazing’. Would not hesitate to recommend this course. Leaves me wanting more. Thank you.”
“So interesting … and the spa treatments were a lovely ending. Vivienne is wonderful“
“Great day, very informative, you made it all look so simple. Very social and the room smelt FAB.”
“Just finished that serum we made in your class. It was the best thing I ever used for my skin.
My skin is so good now, I don’t have to use foundation any more.”
“Thank you for a lovely course. I found it really helpful and practical. Looking forward to cooking up some of my own lotions soon.”
“Fantastic 2 days. An interesting and very inspiring teacher. Loved every minute of it!”
“Attended both the natural cosmetic and herbal medicine courses in Gorey in January. Both courses were very informative and enjoyable. The only issue is the courses have left me wanting to know more! Thanks Vivienne.”
