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A course for women with complex mental health needs who want to expand their comfort zones
through peer-led discussions and art and craft activities
Heads, Hearts and Hands is a seven week course run in West Leeds that brings participants a mix of spoken and practical tools.
The course supports women to break out of social isolation and explore their own mental wellbeing through the lens of gender, while creating beautiful art and craft pieces to take home.
Each week participants meet for a full day. During the morning wellbeing sessions, they will explore their personal strengths and opportunities for resilience and recovery. After lunch they’ll use the morning’s explorations to express their emotions, values and hopes through arts, crafts and creativity.
Participants may include women who
- Live with complex mental health needs
- Struggle to engage with other services
- Are ready to explore their wellbeing while also making art and craft pieces
- Are curious about how our gender influences our wellbeing
- Are interested in the shared influences between our Heads, Hearts and Hands
- Are ready to discover what more their community has to offer them
- No previous art or craft experience required, only a curiosity and interest
- Key-workers and carers are welcome to attend and join in as many sessions as required by the participants.
By the end of the course participants will
- Explore how gender impacts mental wellbeing: looking at the barriers and opportunities we experience as women
- Learn how to manage energy and exhaustion
- Learn to turn down the volume of our negative self-talk and replace it with a wiser and kinder voice
- Learn how to ask for what they need from a place of calm
- Support each other to learn
- Expand their comfort zone and take up new opportunities for learning, leisure, socialising and volunteering
- Embed their learning into everyday life.
What to expect from Humans Being
- An introductory online session prior the start of each course to meet the facilitator
- A seven week, in-person course, from 10 am – 3pm including lunch, arts materials and travel expenses
- Sessions follow an informal and participatory format, where participants are encouraged to contribute to the discussion and commit to small, significant, incremental changes in their lives
- All activities are always an invitation and never compulsory. Participants are always welcome ‘to pass’ and take time out, if and when necessary. We’d rather participants attended the day quietly rather than skipping because they didn’t feel sociable on the day. We understand that people might have to skip a session and we’d love to have people back the week after.
- Led by highly experienced facilitators: Humans Being Women’s Wellbeing Director Fra Panella & Art & Mental Health Practitioner Kerri Butterworth.
If participants need support to access the course, please do let us know, including any ‘hidden’ disabilities.
Expectations from referral bodies/ partners
- Support individuals to enrol on each course
- Give feedback on how you think the women have benefitted.
COURSE DATES
There are four course available between November 2023 and June 2024.
Each course lasts seven weeks (or longer as there are no sessions during school holidays).
Each course is in-person on THURSDAYS from 10am to 3pm.
The Autumn/ Winter courses take place in Bramley. The Spring/ Summer courses take place in Farsley.
Before each course there is an optional, online ‘Meet the Facilitator’ session. Please find all the links below to register on each course.
COURSE 1
Thu 9 Nov – 21 Dec at the Broadlee Community Centre, (LS13 2SN)
Register on the course using this referral form.
+ Optional online Meet the Facilitator session on 23 Oct 1-2pm online – Register here
COURSE 2
Thu 11 Jan – 22 Feb at the Broadlee Community Centre, (LS13 2SN)
+ Optional online Meet the Facilitator session on 8 Jan – register here
COURSE 3
Thu 14 March – 23 May in Farsely, venue TBC
+ Optional online Meet the Facilitator Session – Register Here
COURSE 4
Thu 16 May till 27 June in Farsely, venue TBC
+ Optional online Meet the Facilitator session – register here
'I truly enjoyed meeting people, gaining self confidence, looking forward to the future, and having a laugh.'
‘I enjoyed connecting with other women and realising I’m not alone in my pain and struggle’.
'I've completely changed the way I talk to myself and I'm so much kinder and more positive. I've turned up the Owl voice and I use much more frequently phrases like: "I am" and "I can".'
'Saying 'No' can strengthen me physically, spiritually and in every way really. I enjoyed learning to say 'No' & stop saying sorry and listen - because ‘No is a full sentence!’'
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