Colette Harris
Emap’s alternative health magazine, Here’s Health, has undergone a revamp and promoted Colette Harris to editor.
She has been acting editor since her predecessor, Elaine Griffiths, left in December.
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Harris told Press Gazette there would be "substantial" changes to the design and tone of the magazine from the March issue onwards. The title will continue to provide in-depth material but it will be presented in a more "beginner-friendly" way to encourage people to find out more about therapies such as aromatherapy, homeotherapy or herbalism, she said.
A new five- to six-page section dedicated to natural homes and gardens has been introduced.
Harris said: "It reflects the fact that more people who are looking at health holistically feel that their home environments need to be as healthy as possible too – reflected in theincreasing number of eco-cleaning ranges, feng shui products and aromatherapy candles available in the shops."
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She hopes to stamp out Seventies Good Life stereotypes and include articles on organic food and natural medicine to help readers get the most out of their daily lives.
"The idea about aromatherapy being weird has gone with the wind since you can buy it in Boots.
"Alternative health is bigger than it has ever been," she said. Here’s Health will also have a five-page section on subjects such as Eastern therapies.
And Harris intends to increase the title’s celebrity profile with names such as Twiggy, who has a new homeotherapy range, and TV chef Anthony Worral-Thompson talking about organic food.
"It is not necessarily Martine McCutcheon talking about how she puts lavender oil in the bath," she added. Emap will be hoping to reverse the recent ABC decline which showed a year-on-year drop of 12.4 per cent.
Here’s Health has a current ABC of 29,193. Harris has worked on the title since 1996. She freelanced before joining the features desk and was later promoted to features editor, associate editor and then editor.
Her appointment also coincides with a number of changes to the editorial team. Editorial assistant Vicky Wisdom has been promoted to sub-editor. Freelance writer Charlotte Hague has joined as a features writer, Helen Lim has joined from Therapy Weekly as editorial assistant and Zara Cronin, previously of Mother and Baby magazine, is the designer.
By Ruth Addicott
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