We have now updated our list of Christmas church services for 2016. If you would like to attend one of the many services happening in Geneva, Vaud and neighboring France this year, please take a look at the following list, which we have compiled from the websites of local churches. Some of them are French-speaking but most are English-speaking churches. Please check the websites before setting out, in case any of the times or locations have changed.
If your local church has not yet posted details of their services, please come back and check the article again later, as we will update the list when details become available.
If you know about other services in your area, please let us know.
As the festive season approaches, it can be a tough time for many people, especially expats who don’t have the benefit of family nearby to draw upon for support.
Even those with a vast network of family and friends can feel lonely at Christmas as everyone seems far too busy with their own festive preparations to concern themselves with other people’s worries.
At times like this, it can be helpful to call upon the services of a professional therapist, trained to help clients manage the wide range of daily issues that can prove particularly challenging, not just at Christmas, but on other occasions throughout the year as well.
One English-speaking therapist, who was recently recommended to us, and has a special interest in relationship issues in the home, family and at work, is Lindsey Anderson. Having been married, divorced, a working mum, a stay-at-home mum, self-employed and re-located several times herself, Lindsey knows how difficult it is to juggle the roles of parent, partner, professional, wage earner and non-earner.
A new French-speaking nursery has opened in Luins for children aged 2 and half years old up to school entry age.
Called “Les Coloriés, the nursery was founded in September 2016 by the Director, Mélanie Deluz, an experienced “Educatrice de l‘Enfance”, who has worked at numerous crèches in the region, including Begnins, Geneva, Versoix and La Rippe.
Talking about her new project in Luins, Mélanie told knowitall.ch, “I have had the opportunity throughout my career to work in several different crèches, each of which has followed a specific, highly regarded pedagogical approach. In setting up my own nursery, I find myself in the unique position of being able to pick and choose the best of those approaches. When creating my own program, I have taken into consideration those aspects, which I think are most helpful to children learning to socialise with others in a collective, safe environment, and which encourage learning through play.”
In honor of World Cerebral Palsy Day on October 5, 2016, the Handi-Capable Association in Lausanne, Switzerland, supported by the Cerebral Association, is launching the campaign #Shake4CP to shake off prejudice towards people with cerebral palsy and raise awareness about disabilities.
This campaign, published on social media and supported by two special events in Lausanne, has been initiated by two mothers facing the daily joys and challenges of raising a child with disabilities, Maggie Goudy and Christine Luetscher Rochat. Their aim is simple; to offer a different perspective – that those individuals with disabilities can enjoy a life that is joyful, positive and colored.
The #Shake4CP challenge invites the public to shake off colored powder, glitter or confetti from their head, filming it in slow motion and posting the video on social media under the hashtag #Shake4CP, challenging family and friends to do the same. The gesture is meaningful and playful at once. The slow motion gives the shake a spectacular effect.
The invitations to participate in the challenge this year were sent personally by Arno, Emma, Jerôme, Matteo, Max, Mouna, Nouh and Sara… children and adults with handicaps. In order to prepare for the campaign, a team of volunteers, with the help of friends and family, organized a “Shake it off for me” panel design workshop.
The official video for the #Shake4CP challenge marked the beginning of the campaign on social networks (Facebook, Twitter, YouTube) in early September. The public and celebrities are invited throughout the month of September and October to take the challenge. Monica Young, Lynda Lemay, Thomas Wiesel, Christian Denisart and Gaëtan have already given their support.
Free wash for knowitall.ch readers’ dogs the first time you visit!
A new walk-in center for washing dogs has just opened in Geneva.
The first center of its kind to be opened in this region, Doggy Wash & Snack provides a self-service grooming facility that is open 7 days a week, 12h to 20h. So no matter when and where your dog gets into a mess, you can bring him straight into the center for a quick wash and dry, safe in the knowledge that you won’t have to bring any dirt into your home!
If you’d rather not get your own hands dirty, Doggy Wash & Snack also offers a full professional grooming service, which can be booked in advance for your dog. In addition, the center has around 50,000 accessories and 15,000 items of pet food, many of which are on sale at the center, or can be ordered through the company’s website, www.doggywash.ch. If you live in downtown Geneva, you can also take advantage of free delivery on orders over Fr. 80.-, or you can use the drive-in option to collect items without needing to step out of your car! If delivery is absolutely essential, you can pay Fr. 10.- for orders under Fr. 80.-. If you have a car and more time to browse the shop there is also a parking spot in front of the store.
