Buckinghamshire Recovery College focuses on mental health, offering free courses to support people with both understanding and recovery from mental health conditions, Staff and Carers. Courses can range from one session to nine weeks covering a variety of topics including yoga basics, creative safe space, wellness planning and benefits of nature.
The college runs like any other college, providing education as a route to Recovery and not as a form of therapy.
The college has now announced the timetable for the forthcoming term at the Whiteleaf Centre in Aylesbury and Valley Centre in High Wycombe, an opportunity for further students to be involved in the benefits of the college.
The college supports students with their mental health recovery by creating an environment which offers three very important aspects: hope, control and opportunity. Courses are co-devised and co-delivered by people with lived experience of mental illness and by mental health professionals.
There are a variety of free courses offered at the college, all of which are designed specifically for people to strengthen control over their mental health and to help with recovery, enabling students to be experts in managing their own well-being and happiness.
Courses include:
- Yoga – basics: this is a 5 week course introducing the basics of yoga covering breathing, mindful movement, relaxation and how to bring yoga into your life. A resource booklet will be given at the end of the course to guide home practice
- Insight for carers programme: this new 9 week course aims to give carers a better understanding of mental health issues, especially where care for others is their main priority
- Spirituality and recovery: over 4 weeks this course explores the relationship between spiritualty and recovery in order to address common concerns of meaning, purpose, relationships and human values. The course looks to deepen self-awareness and understanding of spiritualty in mental health plus in personal health and wellbeing
- Creative safe space: a course filled with multiple creative activities lasting 4 weeks, students are able to select an activity each week with options such as knitting, painting, origami and card making on offer
- Benefits of nature: over 2 weeks students will focus on how interacting with nature can benefit mental and physical health in aspects such as happiness, confidence and sleep
Paul Wells, Acting Recovery College Lead, commented “At Buckinghamshire Recovery College we hope every student will feel they can live the life they wish to live with an improved well-being and supported recovery. We do our best to ensure every student’s experience is positive and as the exciting new term approaches I’m really looking forward to welcoming students onto this fulfilling experience.
We look forward to seeing students on the enrolment days and wish them every success in the courses which they undertake.”
Anyone interested should come to the college’s enrolment days to discuss courses and content with tutors.
New students should arrive at the beginning of the session and take part in an ‘Introduction to Recovery College’ session so they can become familiar with the college before starting any courses. They will then be eligible to enrol at the college during the enrolment session.
New students are also asked to fill in a Student Induction Form as much as possible beforehand and bring it to the enrolment day. Staff will be on hand on the day to help students with any gaps or goal setting if they wish.
Students who have previously attended the college do not need to attend the Introduction to Recovery College session and should come along to the enrolment session.
If you would like to enrol, please come to one of the enrolment days below. You do not need to book.
The Whiteleaf Centre
August 30: 09:00 – 10:00 – Introduction to Recovery College
August 30: 10:00 – 13:00 – Enrolment
Whiteleaf Centre Conference Room
August 30: 14:00 – 15:00 – Introduction to Recovery College
August 30: 15:00 – 16:30 – Enrolment
Whiteleaf Centre Conference Room
September 9: 09:00 – 10:00 – Introduction to Recovery College
September 9: 10:00 – 13:00 – Enrolment
Whiteleaf Centre Conference Room
September 9: 14:00 – 15:00 – Introduction to Recovery College
September 9: 15:00 – 16:30 – Enrolment
Whiteleaf Centre RC Art Room
The Valley Centre
September 5: 09:30 – 11:00 – Introduction to Recovery College
September 5: 11:00 – 13:00 – Enrolment
Valley Centre Meeting Room 2
September 5: 14:00 – 15:00 – Introduction to Recovery College
September 5: 15:00 – 16:30 – Enrolment
Valley Centre Meeting Room 2
September 12 09:30 – 11:00 – Introduction to Recovery College
September 12: 11:00 – 13:00 – Enrolment
Valley Centre Meeting Room 2
September 12: 14:00 – 15:00 – Introduction to Recovery College
September 12: 15:00 – 16:30 – Enrolment
Valley Centre Meeting Room 2
Anyone unable to attend an enrolment date should contact the Recovery College directly on 01865 901 515 or 07748 328 258. Alternatively, please visit the Buckinghamshire Recovery College website for more information.
Published: 16 August 2019