Bexley Recovery College

Click to download the Oct-Dec Prospectus

Recovery is about a personal journey towards a meaningful and satisfying life, towards living as well as possible, whatever symptoms or difficulties are present. At Mind we set up a Recovery College in June 2014 to empower people with mental health problems to become experts in their own recovery.

The workshops and courses we run aim to provide the tools to make this happen and to help you become an expert in your own recovery or that of someone you care for. Our college offers a learning approach that complements the existing preventative services provided by Mind in Bexley. To download the latest prospectus click its front cover image on the right.

To download the latest Recovery College Prospectus click its front cover image on the right.

To download the Prospectus in a much smaller, compressed file size (1.8mb), click here

Clients registered with Bexley Recovery Services can complete this registration form to access a wide range of Courses, Groups and Workshop from our timetable and prospectus. Please note: it is not possible to sign up for the same workshop or course more than once in this period.

If you need help completing this form, please email info@mindinbexley.org.uk giving your name and telephone number – a staff member will then call you within a few days to help complete the form.

How to access Recovery Services

To refer to Mind in Bexley’s Recovery Services you will need to complete our online self-referral form or someone can assist and complete the form with you.

Once you have been registered with Mind in Bexley’s Recovery Services, you will be able to enrol on a wide range of Groups, Courses and Workshops and access the following services and support:

• Mind in Bexley Recovery College
• Mental Health Carers and Family Support’
• Digital Hub (support with all things digital)
• Social and Peer Support
• Welfare benefits support for individuals with a diagnosed Serious Mental Illness
• Employment Support for individuals with mental health issues
• IPS – Individual Placement Support (open to Oxleas)
• Education workshops
• Bexley Community Pantry

Call us on 0203 912 0040 for assistance.

Recovery College Timetable

Groups and activites use Microsoft Teams, please see this guide on how to access.

OCTOBER TO DECEMBER 2023 Timetable

Bexley Face to Face Groups – Please do not arrive more than 10 mins prior to the activity start time

Mondays 10:00 – 13:00 Open Spaces Allotment
Monday 10:30 – 12:00 Women’s Group (also online on Teams)
Tuesday 12:00 – 12:45 Pilates
Tuesdays 10:00 – 11:30 Stitch the Mind
Tuesdays 10:00 – 11:30 Women’s Group
Tuesdays 18:00 – 19:30 Menopause support group
Tuesdays 13:30 – 14:45 Young Adults Project
Wednesday 11:00 – 13:00 Digital Hub in the Community 11-1pm – Blackfen Community Library’
Thursdays 10:00 – 13:00 Open Spaces Allotment
Thursdays 11:00 – 13:00 Art Club
Wednesday 13:00 – 14:00 Hearing Voices Group
Thursdays 14:00 – 15:30 Walk and Talk
Friday 09:00 – 09:45 Yoga
Fridays 12:00 – 14:00 Open Spaces Eco Garden Friday

Online Groups

Monday 09:00 – 10:00 Yoga for mental health
Monday 10:00 – 12:00 Women’s Group
Monday 12:o0 – 13:30 Creative Writing – From Monday 6th November
Tuesday 09:30 – 10:00 Breath & Meditation
Tuesday 09:30 – 10:30 Tai Chi
Tuesday 10:30 – 12:30 Men’s Group
Tuesday 12:00 – 12:45 Pilates
Tuesday 12:00 -13:30 Ask an Employment Specialist – Re-Instate
Tuesday 14:00 -15:00 Preparing to return to work  (Also Face to Face) Re-Instate
Tuesday 18:00 – 18:45 Yoga
Wednesday 09:30 – 10:30 Photography For Fun
Wednesday 11:00- 13:00 Mend, Make and Motivate
Wednesday 16:00 – 17:30 Together we can
Thursday 12:00 – 12:45 Pilates
Friday 09:00 – 09:45 Yoga
Friday 10:00 – 11:00 Test your brain
Friday 12:00- 13:00 Employment Briefings  – Re-Instate
Friday 14:00 – 16:00 Music For Fun

Online Courses

Monday 10:00 – 11:30 COURSE – Money management
Tuesday 14:00 – 16:00 COURSE – Positivity
Tuesday 18:00 – 20:00 COURSE – Stress and Anxiety
Thursday 14:00 – 16:00 COURSE – Stress and Anxiety
Thursday 10:00 – 12:00 COURSE – Confidence and Assertiveness

Workshops

03/10/2023 Tuesday 10:00 – 12:00 Body Image (week 1)
04/10/2023 Wednesday 10:00 – 11:30 Visualising Intentions and Affirmations
04/10/2023 Wednesday 14:00 – 15:30 Mental Wellbeing with Nutrition & Lifestyle Interventions
10/10/2023 Tuesday 10:00 – 12:00 Body Image (week 2)
17/10/2023 Tuesday 10:00 – 12:00 Low Mood & Depression
16/10/2023 Monday 10:00 – 11:00 Healthy Mind and Body
18/10/2023 Wednesday 10:00 – 11:30 Journaling
19/10/2023 Thursday 17:00 – 19:00 Understanding Anxiety & Panic
24/10/2023 Tuesday 10:00 – 12:00 Anger Management
31/10/2023 Tuesday 10:00 – 12:00 Emotional Intelligence
01/11/2023 Wednesday 14:00 – 15:30 Mental Wellbeing with Nutrition & Lifestyle Interventions
06/11/2023 Monday 10:00 – 11:00 Healthy Mind and Body
07/11/2023 Tuesday 10:00 – 12:00 Mental Health in the Workplace
14/11/2023 Tuesday 10:00 – 12:00 Sleep & Relaxation Techniques
15/11/2023 Wednesday 10:00 – 11:30 Visualising Intentions and Affirmations
21/11/2023 Tuesday 10:00 – 12:00 Understanding Self-Harm
23/11/2023 Thursday 17:00 – 19:00 Low Mood & Depression
27/11/2023 Monday 10:00 – 11:00 Healthy Mind and Body
28/11/2023 Tuesday 10:00 – 12:00 Understanding Anxiety & Panic
29/11/2023 Wednesday 10:00 – 11:30 Journaling
05/12/2023 Tuesday 10:00 – 12:00 Body Image (week 1)
06/12/2023 Wednesday 14:00 – 15:30 Mental Wellbeing with Nutrition & Lifestyle Interventions
12/12/2023 Tuesday 10:00 – 12:00 Body Image (week 2)
13/12/2023 Wednesday 10:00 – 11:30 Mindfulness
19/12/2023 Tuesday 10:00 – 12:00 Anger Management

Additional December Groups 

Monday 25th December 10:00 – 12:00 Christmas Day games and music
Tuesday 26th December 10:00 – 12:00 Boxing Day games and music
Sunday 31st December 15:00 – 17:00 New years eve music for fun special

Information on Activities

Online Groups

You are invited to learn about self-care. Each weekday evening at 6pm, we will look at a different method of self-care to help you find what works for you.

The 31 different self-care methods will help you to:
• Reduce stress
• Feel more motivated
• Become more resilient
• Increase your self-esteem
• Feel more able to love yourself

You will be sent all information via email as well so if you can’t make specific dates and over the weekends, you can continue the challenge by yourself.

Please have a notebook, pen and paper, laptop or tablet with you. Please register.

Download the Prospectus page here

Breathing and Meditation is learning to relax and learning to integrate the mind and body to reduce any physical sensations that cause discomfort within the body.

Breathing techniques and meditation can help reduce stress, anxiety and negative emotions.

It can reduce physical and psychological tension, calming your emotions and improving focus and concentration.

Please register and book your place online.

Weekly 9.30am – 10am Tuesdays

Download the Prospectus page here

Mind in Bexley’s creative writing group meets every Monday from 12 to 1.30pm (starting on November 6th).

Would you like to experience gentle learning and give time to developing your writing skills? Maybe you sense you have a short story or poem you would like to write. Learning new skills can improve our mental wellbeing giving us a sense of purpose and helping us connect to others.

In this group, there is guided learning such as an inspiring thought or theme or discussion and a variety of activities to help us express ourselves. These may include reading a story, sharing a poem or playing word games.

This is an online group so, for our own writing, either have pen and paper or laptop at the ready.

Days and Times: Monday 12:30 – 13:30 Duration: One Hour

Download the Prospectus page here

This group is your time to put aside two hours for arts, craft, making, mending and DIY. Grab a cup of tea and the project you are working on to meet likeminded crafters for inspiration, tips and giggles. Don’t know what to bring? Still come along to get the motivation.

Creating is a form of selfcare, it benefits you and those around you. It can help you feel more able to cope with situations.

Days and Times: Wednesday 11:00- 13:00 Duration: One Hour

Download the Prospectus page here

The men’s group is an informal, friendly and supportive group where you meet others to talk about a range of topics
including your own wellbeing.

This group helps to build good supportive relationships which are important for our mental wellbeing. These friendships can build a sense of belonging, give us opportunity to share
positive experiences and provide emotional support.

Please register and book your place online.

Days and Times: Tuesdays  10:30 – 12:00 Duration: 90 Minutes

Download the Prospectus page here

Music for Fun is an opportunity for people to come together and pick a piece of music.

Every participant gets a chance to select a song of their choice to be played to the group and are given time to talk about their selection.

This is a relaxed group with great discussion.

Please register and book your place online.

Fridays – 2-4pm

Download the Prospectus page here

Pilates, pronounced “Puh-Lah-Tees”, takes its name from Joseph Pilates who was born in Germany in 1880.

Pilates believed mental and physical health were closely connected. His method was influenced by western forms of exercise, including gymnastics, boxing and Greco-Roman wrestling. He immigrated to the US in the 1920s and opened a studio in New York, where he taught his method – which he called Contrology – for several decades. Pilates mat-work classes are not only fun, they are designed to help you improve flexibility and strength. Small equipment such as bands, toning circles and balls are used during mat-work classes to help you achieve better movement patterns and provide you with more awareness of your body – and of course to challenge you!  Our instructors cater to each individual, offering alternative movements if required so there is never a reason to feel worried about your ability.

Days and Times:  Tuesday 12:00 – 12:45, Thursday 12:00 – 12:45 Duration: 45 Minutes

Download the Prospectus page here

In this group, we encourage each other to take notice of what is around us by taking photos on a theme. Taking notice
enables us to be in the moment and can help you to feel more positive about life.
Each week we start by looking at the photos those
attending the group have taken during the week. We enjoy talking about the photos, where these were taken and
exploring the different styles.

Then a different theme is suggested for the next week such as animals, doors, weather, ‘why is that there’, food. During the week you notice what is around you and take photos on the theme.

No photography skills are needed and you can use a camera or your mobile phone. Please register and book your place online.

Download the Prospectus page here

Tai chi is an ancient Chinese tradition that is practiced as a graceful form of exercise.

It involves a series of movements performed in a slow, focused manner and accompanied by deep breathing.

Tai chi, also called tai chi chuan, is a non-competitive, self-paced system of gentle physical exercise and stretching.

Each posture flows into the next without pause, ensuring that your body is in constant motion.

Please register and book your place online.

Days and Times:  Tuesdays 9-30-10.30am

Download the Prospectus page here

You are Invited to join us on Zoom for Quizzes, Memory Games, spelling tests, boggle, spot the difference, math’s problems and much more…

All you need is a pen and paper. No scores are read aloud, this is all for Fun!

Please register and book your place online.

Days and Times: Friday 10:00 – 11:00 Duration: One Hour

Download the Prospectus page here

In this group, we are going to encourage each other to get those jobs done!

Whatever is on your To Do List bring it along (with a cup of tea) and get tips from your peers on the best way to achieve what you want, as you are doing it!

From sorting your bills/benefits, decluttering, craft projects, homework from another group or a course you are doing, DIY, selfcare/glow ups, housework, journaling, planning, creative writing, gardening, shopping lists and so much more…
Please register and book your place online.

Days and Times: Wednesday 16:00 – 17:30

Download the Prospectus page here

The women’s groups provide a safe environment where women feel comfortable to connect and talk together over a coffee. This group helps to build good supportive relationships which are important for our mental wellbeing.

These friendships can build a sense of belonging, give us opportunity to share and provide emotional support.

Please register online.

Days and Times: Monday in Bexleyheath  10:30 – 12:00, Tuesday in Thamesmead (term time only) 10:00 – 11.30

Download the Prospectus page here:

A gentle but energising all levels practice. Focusing on mindful movements, connection to breath, refreshing stretches and some strengthening poses, this practice will set you up for whatever your day brings. Open to all, including beginners.

The benefits of practicing Yoga include, but are not limited to:

  • Reduction in anxiety, stress and worry
  • Increased strength and flexibility
  • Take time for yourself
  • Increase focus
  • Prepare the body and mind for your day
  • Connection to breath and calming techniques

Please register and book your place online.

Days and Times: Monday 9am-10am, Tuesday 6-6.45pm, Fridays 9-9.45am

Download the Prospectus page here:

Face-to-Face Groups

The Art club meets every Thursday from 11 am-1 pm at Devonshire Rd, Bexleyheath.

Bring along your own arts and crafts to make progress on
your project while socialising with like-minded peers.

We are a relaxed and friendly group and we enjoy connecting with each other and sharing creative ideas, tips and
techniques. We find the creativity and connecting helps to
improve our wellbeing.

This group is not the same as Art Therapy.

Please contact us to book or to be put on the waiting list.

Download the Prospectus page here:

Grow your digital skills at Mind in Bexley’s weekly session in Blackfen Library. Meet new people and find out about how computers work in a safe and friendly space.

Each week will have a different theme and include time for a coffee and connecting with others. Activities are suitable for all abilities. Complete beginners welcome. We also offer 1-2-1 digital support sessions at our Bexleyheath office on a Monday.

Wednesdays 11am-1 pm at Blackfen Community Library, 7-9 Blackfen Parade DA15 9LU

Download the Prospectus page here:

Gardening and food growing has a range of benefits; it is physically active, mentally healthy, a place to meet people, and builds confidence. Plus, growing healthy nutritious food for you and your families.

Why not join our green spaces: Mind in Bexley has two food growing spaces and a garden. We will be arranging workshops throughout the growing season. Eco-therapy improves mental and physical wellbeing by supporting people to be active outdoors doing gardening, food growing or environmental conservation work and other activities in nature.
Please register and book your place online.

Days and Times: Monday, Thursday 10:00 – 13:00, Friday 12:00 – 14:00

Download the Prospectus page here:

A support workshop group for people who are experiencing hearing voices or seeing visions.

These supportive workshops provide an opportunity to
exchange information and learn from each other. These are held weekly in a comfortable and confidential space.

The workshop is open to those who have experience of hearing voices or seeing visions whether past or present.

Days and Times: Wednesday 14:00- 15:00 Duration: One Hour

Download the Propesctus page here: Hearing Voices Groups

Pilates, pronounced “Puh-Lah-Tees”, takes its name from Joseph Pilates who was born in Germany in 1880.

Pilates believed mental and physical health were closely connected. His method was influenced by western forms of exercise, including gymnastics, boxing and Greco-Roman wrestling. He immigrated to the US in the 1920s and opened a studio in New York, where he taught his method – which he called Contrology – for several decades. Pilates mat-work classes are not only fun, they are designed to help you improve flexibility and strength. Small equipment such as bands, toning circles and balls are used during mat-work classes to help you achieve better movement patterns and provide you with more awareness of your body – and of course to challenge you!  Our instructors cater to each individual, offering alternative movements if required so there is never a reason to feel worried about your ability.

Days and Times:  Tuesday 12:00 – 12:45,  Duration: 45 Minutes

There is small fee of £3

Held at The Pilates Studio – Bexley Village DA5 1BF

Download the Prospectus page here

Are you a keen knitter?

Perhaps you like to crochet or stitch? This face-to-face group incorporates stitching with connecting with others. It is held at a variety of locations in and around Bexleyheath.

Please bring along any projects you have and we can socialise over a cup of tea while working on our creations. A lovely
social group and setting to get creative and improve your wellbeing.

Tuesdays, 10-11.30am

Download the Prospectus here:

Come along to Danson Park every Thursday afternoon for our Walk and Talk group (weather permitting).

The Walk and Talk is an opportunity to get some physical exercise walking round the park while also socialising and meeting new people. Being physically active improves our mental wellbeing as well as our fitness. The activity causes chemical changes which can help to positively change your mood. Connecting with others builds good relationships which are important for our mental wellbeing.

Download the Prospectus here:

The Young Adult’s Project (YAP) is a person-centred informal social support group which allows those aged 18-28 to express themselves and to also gain the skills and confidence to empower themselves and others.

The group is facilitated by a Mind in Bexley staff member with lived experience and is held on a weekly basis at various locations in Bexleyheath. This can include visiting different cafes, doing activities such as bowling, visiting exhibitions and also guest speakers from various organisations. The group
decides where they would like to go and collaborate on ideas.

Please register first.

Tuesdays: 13:30 – 14:45

Download the Prospectus page here:

Workshops

This workshop helps people to understand the cycle of anger and when certain types of anger become problematic.

During this workshop you will identify the causes of anger, the e­ffects of anger on your health and your relationships and most importantly a variety of coping strategies to deal with anger. We help promote the use of self-awareness and self-reflection to aid anger management. Sometimes the simplest coping strategies are the most effective!

The workshop also promotes group participation and interaction with discussion points aimed to encourage participants to grasp a better understanding of the thoughts and patterns that surround anger.

Download the Prospectus page here:

This workshop will run over a two-week period, split into two two-hour sessions. It will try to adjust your way of thinking about body-image and challenge the images of idealised bodies shown throughout the media that can negatively impact people’s perceptions of themselves.

The course aims to help you achieve:

  • An improved self-image
  • A more realistic approach to body-image

During the course we explore:

  • Body image and how it is affected
  • How external/internal factors influence how we think and feel
  • Body image in men and women
  • How to accept your body and not aspire to unrealistic ideals
  • How not everything in the media is as it seems
  • How body image affects mental health
  • Ways to overcome negative body image
  • Body image and eating disorders

Download the Prospectus page here:

This workshop aims to give you the ability to distinguish between helpful and unhelpful thinking patterns and how to manage negative emotions effectively. The hoped outcome is that you will become more self-aware, be able to regulate your emotions more effectively and to develop your social skills including empathy and understanding different perspectives.

Overall, the suggested tips and coping strategies should help you to start challenging your learnt behaviours; become more in tune with your emotions and in time build up your resilience.

This workshop promotes group participation and interaction with discussion points aimed to encourage participants to grasp a better understanding of emotional intelligence.

Download the Prospectus page here:

In this one-hour workshop, you will be given ideas, inspirations and encouragements to help you live a more balanced lifestyle. Achieving optimal health and wellbeing requires taking care of both your body and mind.

We will look at what we can do and can avoid doing to bring balance into our lives.

We all need to exercise, eat well, get enough sleep and practise self-care and in this workshop we will help you discover what methods suit you best.

Download the Prospectus page here:

In this workshop, we can learn to journal by expressing thoughts, feelings, inspirations or emotions through writing.

We will look at different journaling methods and how to get started.

You will need a pen and notebook to journal in.

Download the Prospectus page here:

This workshop looks at the key differences between low mood and depression and the psychological, physical, emotional, social and behavioural symptoms linked to both.

The main focus is looking at the many causes of depression and understanding them fully and the most effective coping
strategies to help manage depression in daily life.

The workshop promotes group participation and interaction with discussion points aimed to encourage participants to grasp a
better understanding of low mood and depression.

Download the Prospectus page here:

In this workshop, we explore the relationship between mental health and work, focusing on how to create a mentally healthy workplace and how to be supportive of colleagues, while still looking after oneself.

We will also look at why mental health is just as important as physical health, and share information about local mental health services.

Download the Prospectus page here:

A multi-faceted approach to improve mental wellbeing, first looking at the nutritional perspective by making sense of all the conflicting information about diet, then a  close-up on the brain and the best nutrients to support mental wellbeing. Each workshop will also have a different focus to support mental wellbeing, from the role of improving the gut-brain connection to balancing the nervous system and understanding the effect of blood glucose, all providing simple nutrition & lifestyle intervention methods.

Mindfulness is a way to incorporate calmness into your life to support your wellbeing. This mindfulness workshop encourages a positive mindful approach.

Through practical tools to gain understanding, it helps us develop an open mind and forgiveness of and acceptance towards ourselves and others.

The workshop includes a short guided mindful breathing meditation which can be used as a coping strategy when under stress or pressure from life, work or relationships.

Download the Prospectus page here:

Researchers have found that sleep and relaxation are important for us because it can support us in achieving

  • Better productivity and concentration ● Lower weight gain risk ● Better calorie regulation ● Greater athletic performance ● Lower risk of heart disease ● More social and emotional intelligence ● Preventing depression ● Lower inflammation ● Stronger immune system

Aims of the Workshop

  • simple relaxation methods, that promote health and general well-being ● the scientific background of why we sometimes can’t sleep ● practical implementation in daily life ● how to relax yourself

Download the Prospectus page here:

This workshop is for those who would like to learn more about anxiety and panic.

We learn about different types of negative thinking patterns and share our own experiences of how we can relate to these.

We will explore different ideas on how we can turn negative reactions and thought patterns into positives by incorporating different healthy ways to wellbeing into our lives.

Download the Prospectus page here:

This workshop is a group where you will learn to use visualising skills to set intentions and affirmations using practical tools and guided meditation.

What do you intend to change in your life?

In this workshop, you will look at tools and meditation to help you set intentions and choose affirmations to help bring about positive change.

Download the Prospectus page here:

Courses

A positive self-image is key to living a happy and healthy life.

Research shows that people who feel confident in themselves can problem solve and make better decisions, take more risks, assert themselves and strive to meet their personal goals.

Aims of the workshop:

  • Provide the participants with a better understanding of what is positive thinking, how it impacts and how to develop it
  • Enable a greater self-awareness
  • Equip the participants in effective techniques for changing attitudes
  • Support wellbeing

Course content:

  • What is positive thinking?
  • Why is positive thinking the key to a successful life?
  • How to develop the skill of positive thinking

Days and Times: Tuesday 14:00 – 16:00

Download the Prospectus page here:

Anxiety and stress cause more sick days, illness and presenteeism than physical ailments. Discover the difference between stress and anxiety and why in combination they are the single biggest cause of concern for the working population.

Aims of the workshop:

  • Provide the participants with a better understanding of what is positive thinking, how it impacts and how to develop it
  • Enable a greater self-awareness
  • Equip the participants in effective techniques for changing attitudes
  • Support wellbeing

Course Content:

  • Typical causes of anxiety
  • How to become familiar with triggers
  • How to select coping strategies that work specifically for you

Days and Times: Tuesday 18:00 – 20:00 Thursday 14:00 – 16:00 Duration: Two Hours

Download the Prospectus page here:

The course aims to increase group members’ self-awareness, coping mechanisms in stressful situations and teach techniques to enable individuals to plan positively for the future.

The course is in modules and covers:

  • Building Confidence
  • Self-awareness and building positive self-image
  • Stress management
  • Assertiveness
  • Goal planning

The course runs for six weeks. Thursdays 10:00–12:00

Download the Prospectus page here:

In the Money Management workshop, you will learn the importance of knowing where your money goes each month.

We will look at the ways to save on spending, and how to budget our money, as well as how to manage debt, and where to seek help.

We are living through ‘a cost of living crisis’, and we can offer you the information you need to get your money in order and control your debts.

Mondays 10:00 – 11:30

Download the Prospectus page here: