The Recovery Academy marks Stress Awareness Month with the launch of their brand-new prospectus
The Recovery Academy, run by Greater Manchester Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust (GMMH), is proudly launching their new spring / summer term prospectus on 2 April 2024, during Stress Awareness Month.
This year the theme for Stress Awareness Month is ‘little by little, a little becomes a lot’. This is an approach the Academy strives for by providing a range of training and resources that will help people to build up their wellbeing toolbox for themselves or to support someone else.
The new term will run with over 60 face to face courses on offer at various locations across Manchester, Bolton, Salford, Trafford and Wigan. This will include new subjects such as Chronic Pain, Managing Money, and Raising Awareness around Domestic Abuse.
Tried and tested favourites will also be back including Understanding and Managing Hearing Voices, Coaching Skills for Recovery, and Using Creativity to Improve Mental Wellbeing.
The Recovery Academy has also continued to grow their wide range of digital resources on offer. New resources added this term include an e-Learning course on supporting someone to stop smoking; a video shining a light on lived experience voices from the Recovery Academy student community, and self-help resources to support stress management.
The Recovery Academy first launched in 2013 with the key aim of providing learning opportunities that empower individuals to manage and support health, wellbeing, and recovery.
At the heart of the Recovery Academy lies core values of inclusivity, empowerment, and hope. These values are embedded within the Academy via a co-production approach meaning that resources are co-developed and co-delivered with people with lived experience.
The Recovery Academy is free to join and available to:
- Anyone who is experiencing mental health and/or addiction problems (you do not have to be under the care of NHS services).
- Their supporters (family, friends and loved ones).
- GMMH staff members, volunteers, and students on placement.
- Any healthcare professionals.
A student who recently attended the Building Self-esteem course said:
“It was more than expected. I really enjoyed the course and found it very interesting. I learnt some terminology too, and my self-esteem has improved”.
Claire Watson, Head of Service User / Carer Engagement & Improvement at GMMH said:
“We are very proud to launch our new spring / summer term prospectus.
“In light of the fact that it is Stress Awareness Month, I would like to offer our students reassurance of the support that the Recovery Academy can provide. Our team has always taken a ‘little by little’ approach, and over the past 11 years and I have seen many students who have done just that – taken one step at a time. I have seen many of those students go on to bigger and better things including peer support work and nurse training, and it has been wonderful to know that we have been part of their recovery journey.
“I have also been humbled by the number of service users and carers that have been in touch to say that even one course or resource has helped them manage their everyday stress by knowing that they are not on their own and that other people understand.
“So, I hope that many more people will access whatever it is they need this term, whenever it is that they need it. And for anyone who is not sure what that looks like, get in touch. We can start you off on our Hope course and help you develop an individual learning plan so that you can work towards achieving your goals – whatever they may be. Enjoy, and we look forward to seeing you”.
If you would like to see what the Recovery Academy can offer you, visit their website: https://recoveryacademy.gmmh.nhs.uk/.
You can also contact the Recovery Academy team directly with any questions at: recoveryacademy@gmmh.nhs.uk or 0161 358 1771.
