Here at Recovery in Mind we have developed the metaphor of a ‘Shed’.  Having a variety of tools, mindsets, opportunities and support in your own mental health & wellbeing ‘shed’  to help us keep moving forward in our recovery or perhaps when things become challenging.   We spent this session thinking about what we have learnt, shared ideas and areas of development of our sheds.  It was a creative session completing a diagram and then sharing one another’s to see what you might take from another students ‘shed’ and add to your own.  When I was very unwell with my own mental illness I thought that the answer was to have a shed in my own garden full of the healthcare professionals who supported me and  who would be there 24/7 to look after me, but I realised that the answer was to have all the tools and skills in my own metaphorical shed to take care of my own mind and mental health.  This course demonstrates how we weave Hope, Control & Opportunity through our courses.  

Back in July we were fortunate in being given a space to sell Salad Boxes in the Charity Food tent at the Truck Festival.  We sold over 650 salad boxes and raised over £3000 for Recovery in Mind.  Our thanks goes to Ali & Ed Eyston who lent us their kitchen to prepare the salads along with an army of  supporters who volunteered their time chopping and mixing.  In the afternoons we opened our ‘stall’ which led into the evenings when the bands played.  The days were long but fun too.   Here are some pictures of the event.

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Our annual day in the wild enjoying the beautiful West Berkshire countryside was a great success.  Thanks to the team at Wasing Estate for hosting us at their beautiful Woodland venue.  We enjoyed tea by the fire, a mindful walk led by Toria, nature sketching with Sarah, Storytelling by the fire with Gillian, Yoga in the paddock with Jill who is the yoga teacher at Wasing and we ended the day with a Sing for Fun session.  I’m sure all who came found it inspiring, uplifting and relaxing.  A final thanks goes to our lovely Peer Trainers, Rob for taking on the role of Bunting management and Fiona for providing a delicious picnic lunch!

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Students from our last Recovery Street course in July 2018 have shown their photos in a special exhibition at Newbury Library.  The month long event during March 2019 gave students the opportunity to showcase their photos along with a description of what the images meant to them in the context of their personal recovery.  

We hope the exhibition encourages other adults with mental health challenges to try Recovery in Mind courses but it should also help reduce the stigma surrounding mental health as it so beautifully describes the struggles and inspirations that many of us encounter along the way and perhaps give others a deeper understanding of living with mental health challenges.     9 students were involved in the project ‘curated’ by Lynette a Recovery Street peer supporter and Alex, the photography tutor who facilitates the course.  Thanks to all those students who share their work and also to Alex and Lynette who gave so much of their time to the exhibition.