It's most definitely on its way. I noticed it yesterday, driving along and the leaves are turning brown, the chill is in the air... autumn is on its way in Croydon!

And with it, there are a couple of upcoming events that I'd just like to take the opportunity to give a heads up on. Events that people in Croydon are actively supporting again this year - namely The Macmillan Coffee Mornings towards the end of the month and Stoptober in... October!

Having run my own coffee morning last year for the Macmillan event, I can vouch for the fact that it really is a lovely way to spend the morning and raise money for the Macmillan nurses at the same time. There's really nothing better than spending a morning nattering with friends over coffee and cake, and feeling pretty smug about it because it's all for a good cause!

Participating couldn't be simpler. Macmillan make it all very easy by sending you a brilliant pack to help you host your event, with lots of goodies like bunting, table coverings, cake naming flags and invitations, as well as the all important donation sheet. I found it a fab way to try out a couple of cake recipes I'd seen (which were a great success too!) and it was great to catch up with people I hadn't seen in a while.

This year's event officially takes place on Friday 27th September (although coffee mornings over that week count too - whatever suits you best!) The statistics speak for themselves: with the number of people affected by cancer set to rise to 4 million by 2030, Macmillan needs our support more than ever before.

So sign up and get involved.

And then there's Stoptober! With last year's event attracting 160 000 people, this year the organisers hope to make it even bigger. Providing encouragement to quitters across the country, Stoptober is being backed by a whole host of sports personalities, celebrities and big-name organisations aiming to get smokers to take up the 28 day smoke-free challenge.

Why 28 days? Research suggests that people who achieve 28 days smoke free are more likely to quit for life.

We all know about the health risks of smoking, it's so well publicised now, and there really is no excuse for not taking the initiative and joining in with the Stoptober campaign - you never know, it may be the first step towards being smoke free.

Being a non-smoker is natural, but if you find it difficult to maintain your willpower then you could always consider getting a boost by having a course of hypnotherapy.

Vanessa Buck, hypnotherapy specialist in Croydon, offers a Stop Smoking package that not only includes 3 hypnosis sessions in 2 hours, but also offers practical help on dealing with stress & habit changing, as well as a self-hypnosis CD for use at home after the sessions. Vanessa has been successfully treating clients since 1998 and says "You can do it! You are 3 times more likely to succeed in changing back to a non-smoker with hypnosis! Try hypnosis and kick start the change today".

Click here for more info.

Use this change of season to make a change in Croydon - either by helping others with Macmillan's coffee morning, or yourself by taking part in Stoptober.