Welcome to our timetable of courses, workshops, and outdoor activities.
We hope you find something of interest and look forward to seeing you. All courses and activities are designed to contribute to your wellbeing and recovery.
Physical Health and Wellbeing
Photography Walk (Weekly)
Fridays, 10:30am – 12noon
Facilitator: Peter / Co-facilitator: Nigel
This is a slow-paced walk based specifically around looking out for photographic opportunities, where we share advice on photographic techniques, how to improve composition skills, and other advice as to what makes a good photo.
In Durham, we have previously visited Wharton Park, the Cathedral, and the Town Hall. We often visit a café afterwards as well!
Gentle Paced Walking Group (Weekly) (60 minutes)
Mondays, 10am-11am
Walk Leaders: Christine and Luke
A gentler paced walk, taking place on flat ground and supported by friendly and supportive walk leaders. The walks are at a much slower pace, with the option to rest, if needed. These walks are great for helping to build your confidence and increase activity levels gradually.
Walks will alternate between Chester-Le-Street Riverside Park (meeting in the car park) and Durham.
We will confirm the walk venue and meeting arrangements when you contact us to book.
Places must be booked on a weekly basis.
Walking the Seasons (Monthly)
Friday 10 January & 14 February, 1:30pm – 3:30pm
Venue: Botanic Gardens, Hollingside Lane, South Road, Durham, DH1 3TN
Facilitator: Peter and Janice
A monthly walking meditation, taking place on the second Friday of every month, lets you observe and experience the changing of the seasons. You’ll be encouraged to use your senses to connect with nature. As seasons change, we’ll suggest what to look out for, so you can experience things in a new and different way.
Join a walking group in County Durham
Did you know that Durham County Council run a programme of free, weekly walks throughout County Durham? The walks are a fantastic opportunity for those wanting to take first steps to being active via Gentle Steps to Walking / Get Ready Walks, or for maintaining a healthy lifestyle (Wellbeing Walks) in the company of others. For more information and to book onto the walks, Link: Move walking (thriveleisure.co.uk) or Follow on Facebook
Walking for Wellbeing (Weekly)
Thursdays 10:30am – 12noon, starts from 9 January
Walk Leaders and Assistants: Alison, Janice, Pete, Barry, Luke, Christine
Join our weekly walking group, leaving from outside of St Margaret’s Health Centre at 10.30 am on Thursday morning, for a 90-minute walk around beautiful Durham City and the surrounding countryside. All you need is comfortable, supportive footwear and clothing suitable for the weather (water and sunscreen in warm weather).
Please note that whilst our walks are inclusive and available to all, a basic level of fitness and mobility is needed to be able to tackle some of the steep hills and banks that Durham City is renowned for. If you would like to chat to a Walk Leader about the walks before booking, please don’t hesitate to get in touch.
Health and Wellbeing Tools
Cancer & Recovery (1 Session)
Wednesday 4 February, 1:30pm – 4pm
Facilitator: Peter
Cancer is a devastating condition that can be highly distressing both to the person diagnosed with it as well as their friends, family, and loved ones.
While ‘recovery’ from cancer is normally thought of as the process one undergoes to remove the cancer from their body, for example, through chemotherapy or surgery, this workshop seeks to facilitate discussion around how recovery from a mental health perspective can be fostered, with specific emphasis on the 5 CHIME factors: Connectedness, Hope, Identity, Meaning, and Empowerment.
Wellbeing Skills and Tools
NEW! Mindfulness Morning (Monthly)
Wednesday 8 January & 5 February, 10am-12:30noon
Course Facilitator: Janice
Students who have attended Mindfulness for Stress or Mindfulness for Health are invited to continue their practice by attending these bespoke monthly sessions.
Together we will undertake mindfulness practises, including breath work, meditations, grounding exercises, compassion focused practices, mindfulness in daily life activities, mindful movement, mindful yoga, mindful eating, mindful walking, and mindful listening.
There will be time for sharing our ongoing experiences while enjoying refreshments.
Mindfulness Half Days will usually be held on the FIRST Wednesday of every month, however due to the bank holiday, we will be starting Wednesday 8 January 2025.
Building Resilience and Wellbeing Workshop (Monthly)
Friday 10 January & 14 February, 10:30am – 12:30noon
Elvet Methodist Church, 8 Old Elvet, Durham DH1 3HL (Meet at ARCH 9.45 am to walk to venue)
Course Facilitators: Janice and Luke
The aim of the free session is to promote wellbeing and relaxation by using mind, body and spirit practices gathered from many cultures, to help people cope with trauma and everyday stress. In the session we will share simple Tai chi, breath work, meditation, self-acupressure, and energy work. When engaging in these practices, many have reported feeling peaceful, more positive, calmer and feeling more alive.
Recovery: The New Me (6 Sessions)
Starts weekly from Monday 13 January, 1:30pm – 4pm
Facilitator: Kyle
This is our flagship course which takes a closer look at the CHIME model of recovery; Connectedness, Hope, Identity, Meaning and Empowerment.
Students will be supported to apply these to their own recovery journeys and share them with their support team as part of their care planning.
Cultivating Happiness (1 Session)
Tuesday 14 January 1:30pm – 4pm
Facilitator: Peter
Happiness is a positive emotional state characterised by feelings of fulfilment, joy, contentment, and satisfaction with life. While one route to happiness can be obtained through maximising pleasure and minimising pain, another approach argues that doing activities that bring us meaning and purpose can improve our sense of wellbeing.
This workshop will encourage discussion around happiness as a concept, looking at how each of us can cultivate happiness in our own way, and discussing how any barriers to happiness can be overcome.
NEW – Coffee, Cake & Conversation (Monthly)
Wednesday 15 January & 12 February, 10am – 12noon
Facilitator: Peter
Coffee, Cake & Conversation is an informal, monthly event whereby we come together to discuss a specific issue concerned with wellbeing and positive mental health while enjoying some light refreshments.
Theme for January: New beginnings. A discussion on New Year’s resolutions, personal growth, and goal-setting. What are the barriers to change? How can we gently encourage ourselves to do the things we think might help us?
Theme for February: Nurturing relationships. How can we develop and improve relationships with others? How can we meet new people, and strengthen the relationships we already have?
Please book ahead to avoid disappointment.
Mind, Body and Spirit (Weekly)
Wednesdays, 1pm – 2:30pm, starts from 15 January.
Course Facilitator: Janice or Peter / Co-facilitator: Luke
Weekly sessions are practical and informative, covering practices such as Tai-Chi, Breath Work, relaxation techniques, acupressure, and mindfulness. No prior knowledge or experience is required. The practices aim to promote relaxation, whilst nourishing the mind, body and spirit. They can positively affect our emotional and physical wellbeing and increase our energy levels.
Journalling for Wellbeing (2 Sessions)
Starts weekly from Thursday 16 January, 10:30am – 12:30noon.
Course Facilitator: Kay
This two-part workshop explores the different types of journaling and the research around the many wellbeing benefits of writing. We will look at how to tailor a journal to meet individual needs and support students to design and write their own.
For those who feel comfortable doing so, there will be opportunities to reflect on the process of writing and to share experiences
Exploring Self Compassion (6 Sessions)
Starts weekly from Friday 17 January 10am – 12:30noon.
Facilitator: Kyle
This 6-session course will explore self-compassion, using compassion focused therapy techniques.
Discover why it seems so much harder to apply self-compassion than compassion for others. We will look at ways to overcome these challenges and use the latest neuroscience to help us turn compassion into an enjoyable practice. Students will take part in mindfulness exercises at home and share their progress with the group.
Featured – Eat Well, Feel Well (1 Session)
Tuesday 21 January 10am-12:30noon.
Facilitator: Angela Norris, Head of Dietetics
This session will cover the key areas of healthy eating on a budget and the relationship between food and mood.
We will also look at behaviour change techniques to put some of the learning into action.
Managing Uncertainty (1 Session)
Wednesday 29 January 10am-12noon
Facilitator: Peter
It is common for us to get trapped in a spiral of worrying about the future, with many people focussing on the ‘what ifs’. As humans we generally prefer order, security, and familiarity, and when don’t have the answers, it is common for us to feel in danger.
We find uncertainty challenging because we often overestimate the possibility that something bad will happen on the one hand, while also believing that we would not be able to cope with any setbacks on the other. This workshop seeks to equip participants with the tools and strategies to better manage uncertainty in their day to day lives, for example, by looking at what we can/cannot change, building resilience, and looking at situations where we had to manage uncertainty in the past.
NEW – Men’s Mental Health (Monthly)
Wednesday 22 January & 26 February 10am-11:30am
Facilitator: Peter
While poor mental health affects us all, men experience their own particular challenges, often choosing not to talk about any problems for fear of stigma and ridicule.
This is a monthly discussion group at ARCH where men can come together, in a safe and supportive environment, to catch up, share experiences around mental health challenges, and gain new insights as to how to move forwards. Each session will be loosely based around a specific topic, for example, fatherhood and family roles, building resilience, and assertiveness.
Assertive Communication (1 Session)
Thursday 30 January 10am – 12:30pm
Facilitator: Kay
This workshop supports students to recognise their own rights as an individual and introduces a variety of techniques to express thoughts and feelings in an open and honest way, whilst being respectful of others.
We will consider the barriers to assertiveness, discuss why different communication methods are appropriate in different contexts and explore practical examples in everyday situations.
Understanding Depression (3 Sessions)
Starts weekly from Tuesday 4 February 10:30am – 12:30noon.
Facilitator: Peter
Depression is a common condition, with 3% of the UK population experiencing it in any given week. In this course you will be learn more about the symptoms of depression, the different types of depression, and the potential causes of depression.
Similar to many other mental health conditions, it can become easy to get stuck in a ‘negative cycle’ of depression, and this course will help you understand both the warning signs and suggest accessible and manageable ways to break this cycle.
This course will also discuss a number of tried and tested approaches that you can adopt to help you get control of your ‘black dog’, looking at lifestyle changes, medications/supplements and psychological therapies, as well as new and emerging treatments.
NEW – Roll for Recovery (6 Sessions)
Starts weekly from Thursday 13 February 10:00am-12:30noon.
Facilitator: Kyle
Did you know that Tabletop Role Playing Games (TTRPG’s) can be a great way to make connections with new people and explore social situations in a safe environment? Join us to roll many dice and tell a story of daring adventure, all whilst exploring the theme of recovery!
These sessions are aimed at complete beginners to experienced players; with simplified rules loosely based on popular TTRPGs like Dungeons & Dragons, Pathfinder or Dungeon World. No experience or equipment necessary but feel free to bring your lucky dice if you like!
Keeping Safe Online (1 Session)
Thursday 20 February, 1:30pm – 4pm
Facilitator: Peter
Around 9 out of 10 UK citizens use the internet on a daily basis, for example, to shop online, use social media to catch up with friends, and to work remotely. While being online brings a number of financial and personal risks, it is possible for all of us to remain safe, well, and keep our personal information private and secure. This course looks at online safety, and discusses internet scams, virus protection, the benefits and pitfalls of social media, and how to tell if a news story is accurate.
