If you’re looking for a doctor who is familiar with the “English way” of doing things, then you may have discovered that the options can be somewhat limited in this region.
Whilst there are plenty of English-speaking doctors, there are few that are familiar with the practices of UK doctors and the National Health Service. For those of you wishing to compare the treatments available here with those in the UK, it can be extremely useful to discuss the various options available with somebody who understands the issue from both sides.
Helping to bridge this gap is a UK-trained doctor called Dr. Karen Hofmann, recently arrived in the area at the end of last year. Dr. Hofmann has just opened a new practice at a cabinet in Begnins (near Nyon). Her services will complement those of swiss doctors Raimondi and Bischoff-Tieche, allowing for medical cover throughout the week.
Qualified at St. George’s Hospital medical school, London University in 1989, and having practiced as a GP partner in the UK for 8 years, Karen will continue to offer a general medical service, but with a special interest in women’s health (and will do smear tests). A mother of three boys, aged 9, 7 and 3, Dr. Hofmann is sensitive to the needs of children and will see babies and youngsters of all ages.
Fluent in English and French, Karen currently works 50% of the time, on Tuesdays and Fridays from 8am to 6pm, and on Wednesday mornings from 8am to 12 noon.
La Leche League (LLL), an international, non-profit organization founded in the United States in 1956 to give information and encouragement to mothers wishing to breastfeed their babies, has started a new English-speaking group in Geneva.Organized by volunteer Leaders, LLL Breastfeeding and Mothering Support Group - Geneva English Group will hold its inaugural meeting in Vessy/Veyrier on 15 March 2011. Future meetings will be held at rotating venues, hosted by parents, on every third Tuesday of the month.
At the meetings, mothers and other relatives will be invited to share experiences, give suggestions and offer support and encouragement. LLL meetings are ideal for learning from and making friends with others. They also provide time for mother-to-mother sharing in a friendly and accepting atmosphere. The informal meetings are attended by expectant, new and experienced mothers and their babies. Whilst most Groups rotate through a series of breastfeeding topics, every meeting is different and the questions of the attendees are always given top priority.
Asked why LLL decided to set up a new group in Geneva, LLL Leader, Michelle, says, “When my son was born, I had a lot of issues and luckily had the support of not only my mother who had breastfed me, but also a breastfeeding clinic where I met other mothers, and a lactation consultant. But when my son was 2 months old, we moved to Jordan and had absolutely no support: my partner worked long hours and I knew no one: no mothers, no family, no La Leche League. When we moved to Switzerland, I thought the situation would be better, but it was just as difficult, even more so, for expats to find the information, encouragement and support they needed to successfully breastfeed their babies.”
A new scheme has been put in place to alert the public as soon as a child has been abducted in their area. Under the new plan, the police will send out text messages to registered subscribers in the vicinity of the kidnapping.The scheme is the latest initiative in a nationwide alert system for child kidnappings that has been in operation since the beginning of last year. There has been a huge demand for more to be done to alert the public and improve the chances of saving a child, following the abduction and killing of a young girl in 2007, and the murder of an older boy in 2009.
Only those who have subscribed to the service (for a registration fee of Fr. 0.20.-) will receive the new messages. You can register for the alert service by sending the following text "START ALERT (PC)" to "77777", where PC represents the post code of the area most frequented by the subscriber. (Example, "START ALERT 8000"). Alternatively you can enter your details on the following website: http://www.kidnappingalert.ch/Pages/Register.aspx
For further information visit the website: www.kidnappingalert.ch
If you want to attend one of the many Christmas services happening in Geneva, Vaud and neighboring France this year, take a look at the following list, which we have compiled from the websites of local churches.
If you know about other services in your area, please let us know.
GENEVA
Church of Scotland
Auditoire de Calvin
1204 Geneva
022 788 08 31
www.churchofscotlandgeneva.com
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
International, English-speaking Presbyterian church.
Advent Service – every Wednesday in December until Christmas – 20h00
Christmas Day Worship, 25 December -11h00
Emmanuel Church In Geneva
3 rue du Monthoux
1201 Geneva
022 732 80 78
www.emmanuelchurch.ch
Episcopal church.
Eucharist Service, 19 December – 10h00
Family Christmas Eve Eucharist, 24 December – 17h00
Midnight Eucharist, 24 December – 22h30
Christmas Eucharist, 25 December – 10h00
Feast of St. Stephen Eucharist – 10h00
The Evangelical Baptist Church of Geneva
Chapelle de l’Oratoire
7 rue Tabazan
1204 Geneva
022 311 43 01
www.ebcg.ch
International English-language Evangelical church
Christmas Carol Service, 19 December – 17h00
Evangelical Lutheran Church of Geneva
Place Bourg du Four
20 rue Verdaine
1204 Geneva
022 310 50 89
www.genevalutheran.ch
English worship, hymns in prayers in the language of its members, of whom fewer than half are Lutheran.
Christmas carol singing, 17 December - 18h30
Christmas pageant by children, 19 December – 11h00
Christmas Eve worship with carols and candle lighting, 24 December – 17h00
Christmas Day, 25 December – 11h00
First Sunday after Christmas, 26 December – 11h00
Holy Trinity Church
14b rue du Mont Blanc
1201 Geneva
022 731 51 55
022 734 38 17
www.anglican.ch/geneva-htc
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Anglican Church in the Diocese of Europe of the Church of England
Crib Service for Children., 24 December – 15h00
Service of Nine Lesson and Carols in the Cathedral St. Pierre, 24 December -17h30 (preceded by Organ Recital at 17h00)
Midnight Eucharist, 24 December – 23h00
Holy Communion, 25 December – 09h00
Christmas Day Sung Communion, 25 December – 10h30
St. Stephen Holy Communion, 26 December – 09h00
St. Stephen Family Communon, 26 December – 10h30
First Sunday of Christmas (Organ Vespers with Compline), 26 December – 19h00
Roman Catholic Church
John XXIII Parish
35 ch. Adolphe-Pasteur
1209 Geneva
022 733 04 83
www.johnxxiii.ch
Roman catholic church.
Children’s Christmas mass, commencing with carols, 24 December – 16h30
Christmas Vigil Mass, 24 December – 20h00
Carols followed by Midnight Mass, 24 December – 23h30
Mass of Christmas Day, 25 December – 11h00
Masses at the Centre, 26 December, 10h00 and 11h30
Mass at Notre Same, 26 December – 19h00
Mass, 31 December – 12h45
Adoration, 31 December – 18h00
Adoration, 1 January – 11h00
New Year’s Day Mass, 1 January – 12h00
Sunday Vigil Mass, 1 January – 18h30
VAUD
All Saints’ English Church
Av. de la Prairie 40
1800 Vevey
021 922 94 57
www.allsaints.ch
Christmas Eve Midnight Communion, 24 December – 23h00
Christmas Day Family Communion, 25 December – 10h30
Morning Prayer, 26 December - 10h30
Christ Church Lausanne
Av. de l’Eglise Anglaise 1
1006 Lausanne
021 617 65 63
021 312 65 63
www.christchurch-lausanne.ch
Crib Service, 24 December, 17h00
Midnight Mass, 24 December, 23h30
Christmas Day, Holy Communion, 25 December – 08h00
Christmas Day, Holy Communion, 25 December – 10h30
St. Stephen Holy Communion, 26 December – 10h30
La Côte Anglican Church
(Gingins Village Church, Divonne Eglise Réformée, Genolier Village Church)
Ch du Couchant 7
1260 Nyon
022 364 00 30
www.lacotechurch.ch
English-speaking church with an emphasis on family activity.
Family Communion with Nativity Play at Divonne, 19 December – 10h00
Family Celebration with Christingles at Gingins (followed by minced pies and mulled wine in the Stand de Tir), 19 December – 16h00
Service of Nine Lessons and Carols at Genolier, 23 December – 20h00
Crib Service for Children at Gingins (NEW!), 24 December – 15h00
Christmas Eve Communion at Gingins (NEW!), 24 December – 17h00
Christmas Day Family Communion at Divonne, 25 December – 10h00
Roman Catholic English-language Mission of Our Lady of Faith
Av. de Béthusy 54
1012 Lausanne
021 653 42 58
www.catholicchurchlausanne.org
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Vigil Mass of the Nativity of Christ at the Champittet College Chapel, 24 December – 18h00
The Nativity of Christ Mass at Champittet College Chapel, 25 December – 25 December – 10h30
The Holy Family Mass at Champittet College Chapel, 26 December – 10h30
Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God, Mass at Av. Béthusy 54, 1 January – 17h30
The Epiphany of the Lord Mass at Champittet College Chapel, 2 January – 10h30
Scots Kirk
Av. de Rumine 26
1005 Lausanne
021 323 98 28
www.scotskirklausanne.ch
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Family Nativity Service, 19 December – 10h30
Christmas Eve watch-night service, 24 December – 23h30
Christmas Day Service with Holy Communion, 25 December – 10h30
St. John’s Anglican Church
Av. de Chillon 92
1820 Montreux-Territe
021 963 43 54
www.stjohns-montreux.ch
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Evangelist Anglican church.
Nine Lessons and Carols at St. John’s, followed by wine and finger foods (n.b. parking may be difficult du to Montreux Christmas Market so please use public transport if you can), 19 December – 17h30
Midnight Communion, 24 December – 23h30
Sung Eucharist, 25 December – 10h30
Matins followed by shortened service of Holy Communion (St. Stephen’s Day and Patronal Festival), 26 December – 10h30
Westlake Church Nyon
6 rue Juste-Olivier
1260 Nyon
www.westlakechurch.com/site
4th Advent, 19 December
Christmas Eve with a Drama, 24 December
Westlake Church Lausanne
c/o ch. du Bochet 27
1025 St-Sulpice
021 534 57 72
www.westlakechurch.ch/lausanne
Christmas Morning family service at the Foyer Paroissal, Chemin des Paquis, St. Sulpice, 25 December – 10h00
FRANCE
Crossroads Evangelical Church
Ch. de la Brunette
01210 Ferney-Voltaire
France
0033/450 40 65 11
www.crossroadschurch.fr
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Christmas Eve Service, 24 December – 17h00
A new website has been set up in the Geneva area, designed to help parents and families find the best child care solution for their needs.Called Baby Best Friend (www.babybestfriend.ch), this comprehensive online platform, aims to put parents in touch with independent child-care workers, who can be selected according to a range of different criteria. You can indicate, for example, whether you require a baby sitter, nanny or day care mother, where you live and what language you speak.
Browsing the database contained within the website requires no registration and is absolutely free. The database provides a short profile on each candidate, excluding their full name and contact details. Once you find a potential candidate, you are asked to register for membership in order to obtain the contact information and full profile details for all baby-sitters, nannies, day-care moms, etc. on the site.
Explaining why she decided to set up the website, Baby Best Friend founder, Yasmina, says, “ Given the high number of families moving into and out of the Geneva area, it is clear that many of the traditional support networks provided by extended families in the last century do not exist for many families here. This is often due to relocation from one's place of origin due to work, but can also be due to marriage or just simply life's circumstances.”
