Welcome to find out more about the Wakefield Recovery and Wellbeing College; our growing, co-produced recovery college, covering the whole of the Wakefield District, from west to east, the five towns, the south east and much further beyond the district borders.

The Recovery and Wellbeing College is led by South West Yorkshire Partnership NHS Foundation Trust. We work in partnership with volunteers and other supporting organisations (both local and national) to develop the College and run a range of free courses and workshops, in small group sizes, that promote wellbeing and good health.

We are one of three community recovery and wellbeing colleges within the South West Yorkshire Partnership NHS Foundation Trust. Other recovery colleges within the Trust are the Barnsley Recovery and Wellbeing College and the Calderdale and Kirklees Recovery and Wellbeing College. You are welcome to attend any of our recovery and wellbeing colleges, no matter where you live or where your GP is based.

We also have very close links with our inpatient and forensic wards at the Trust, offering inpatient courses and workshops to those who wish to attend whilst in hospital.

We are open to all adults (anyone over the age of 18 (or 16 if attending online sessions), with no upper age limit) who would like to improve their own mental and/or physical wellbeing or knowledge, that of someone they love or care for, and to those who wish to aid their work with others. We offer a range of courses and one-off workshops (both face to face and online) which all aim to improve wellbeing through learning.

Some of our popular courses include:

• Understanding and managing depression

• Living with anxiety

• Baking basics

• Understanding post-traumatic stress reactions

• An introduction to mindfulness

• New beginnings

• Craft taster

These courses and workshops have been designed and are delivered by professionals (as you might traditionally expect) but also by those with lived experience of the subjects that they are teaching (known as experts by experience).

The College is open to all adults who want to improve their own wellbeing and/or the health and wellbeing of someone they care for or support. This includes members of the public, mental health service users, carers, staff members and other professionals. You do not need to be referred to attend (we work through self-enrolment instead) and you do not need to live in the Wakefield District to attend.

We focus on learning and building people’s skills and knowledge. We don’t provide therapy or clinical interventions or treatment.

The College is based on the principles of hope, control and personal responsibility. We believe that it is possible to lead a meaningful life, despite having a mental or physical health-limiting illness or disability, or being a carer to those who do.

Recovery means different things for different people and there is no single definition.

Recovery does not always refer to the process of complete recovery from a mental or physical health condition. It is about recovering a quality of life and regaining those things important to us that may have been lost due to illness, caring responsibility and/or disability. These things could include confidence, purpose and meaning and life opportunities, through to education or employment. Our courses reflect this.

Our College is not somewhere to obtain qualifications, but to learn to be well and stay well (for yourself or someone you care for). We focus on personal development, wellbeing and recovery. It is a place to shine, blossom and grow. We will help you develop wellness tools and we support courses that help you move your life forward in the best way for you. This may include help with understanding and managing conditions, getting physically more active, becoming used to being around others, decreasing social isolation or simply being creative. The choice is yours.

We provide the opportunity to explore personal strengths and talents in a relaxed and safe environment. We introduce students to a wider network of people and organisations that will benefit their wellbeing and recovery, and hopefully enable them to access more in their communities.

We are also continually developing and expanding a library of resources around self-help, care and wellbeing.