Get involved
Community Events
Here we share details of upcoming REC social events as well as local community events that we are attending. Please read below for more information. We look forward to seeing you at events in the future!
In support of World Mental Health Day 2023, the REC are attending a few local events, we would love to see you so please come along and meet us!
We will be manning a stall and delivering bitesize activites at the following:
On Track event at The Tank Museum in Bovington, on Thursday the 5th of October. Pre-book your tickets through the website link.
Harmony Breathe event in Bridport on Monday the 9th of October
BCHA Festival of Wellbeing 2023
Jo (REC Co-ordinator) and Jane (DMHF Peer Lead for Education) had a wonderful time at the BCHA Festival chatting to both existing students and potential new students, along with other local mental health support services.
Feel-Good Band Workshops
In partnership with Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra and a peer from Dorset Mental Health Forum, we were delighted to offer two Feel-Good Band taster sessions. The workshops were an opportunity for everyone to explore how music can help improve their well-being. The sessions were led by BSO Associate Sam Mason and Tia Roos, a peer from the Dorset Mental Health Forum, accompanied by a trio of musicians from the world famous orchestra.
We loved meeting you all and listening to the wonderful tunes you created!
Forum Festival
Our partners, the Dorset Mental Health Forum, celebrated their 30th birthday with a community festival at Dorchester Rugby Club! They enjoyed meeting members of the REC and the community, taking part in wellbeing activities, sharing stories and learning new things together.
Beach Day
In May we enjoyed a beach day with the Forum's Sports and Social team as part of Mental Health Awareness Month in Poole. We had beach huts, played games and sports like beach football and volleyball and had wonderful conversations with you. Thank you to those who came along and joined us in the sunshine, we hope to see you at more events in the future.
The Recovery Education Centre celebrated its 10 year anniversary! (2012-2022)
Last year we began celebrations to commemorate 10 years of the Dorset Recovery Education Centre (REC). We asked students, staff and anyone who has accessed us, to join us to reflect on a decade of recovery education in Dorset.
We first introduced REC courses in the Spring of 2012 and went on to deliver our first full term that September.
Our aims were to share experiences, raise awareness of the REC and celebrate learning. We are still welcoming any contributions and will be sharing resources until the end of the current academic year.
How do I get involved?
To celebrate we are inviting you to share ‘What you have learnt with us?’
There are a number of ways that you can still get involved.
Book of Learning
You can share your thoughts, memories and learning from attending the REC with us in a variety of ways e.g. using pictures, words, music or any other way that is meaningful to you. We aim to use some of the contributions in our Book of Learning. This will be a virtual book on our webpage which we will continue to add to.
Scroll down to see some examples of contributions we have already received.
Courses
We have run a number of interactive and creative courses reflecting on 10 years of REC which celebrated your learning and gave opportunity to share your hopes for the future of the REC. These courses have been delivered in webinar and face-to-face format across Dorset. We ran several in autumn term of 2022 and we have few remaining for our current spring term 2023. To see when these courses are running, head to the courses section and look at our current timetable.
Workbook
You can still access our 10 Years of the REC workbook which can be used for self-directed learning.
How can I contribute?
Please see our information and consent form for details and requirements of how to contribute. Please note we may not use all contributions submitted and we will not be able to return any postal contributions (you may wish to submit a copy or photograph instead of original work).
Contact details for submission can be found on the information and consent form above.
Examples of contributions:
Words
On our REC staff away day, we asked the team to think of one word to represent what they had learnt with us. A few of the chosen words were: hope, values, aspire and growth.
"I attended my first REC course three weeks after being discharged from a Home Treatment Team and was still under a Community Mental Health Team, I had also been supported by an Early Intervention in Psychosis Team too, so I was used to discussions around mental health being very serious and clinical.
At the REC, it was lovely to have relaxed conversations and laugh during talking about mental health for the first time ever! It was from then I knew that I wanted to become a peer specialist to give that experience to other people too."
Hannah (DMHF, Peer Specialist)
Art
Kate, our assistant co-ordinator and admissions tutor, painted this image during her induction when asked to think about what recovery meant to her.
There may be other artistic mediums that you wish to explore, for example, drawing or creating a collage.
Drawing by Leo, REC Student, during
one of our 10 year reflection courses.
10 Voices for 10 Years
Hello and welcome to our new series 10 Voices for 10 Years which is part of our celebrations to commemorate 10 years of the Dorset Recovery Education Centre.
In this series, we will be talking to different people for whom the REC has been an important part of their lives.
Figures correct as of 12.08.22
Student voice
The REC is based on the principles of sharing assets and we are continually attempting to look to, and be led by the community in which we work. We would love to hear from you and receive feedback on every stage of your journey with the REC. Your valuable insights help us to shape our future offers.
If you have a particular topic that you are interested in learning more about, or would like to share your views, please contact us.
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