MSE Recovery College

Mid and South Essex Recovery College offers free courses and workshops to support your mental health and recovery.
The MSE Recovery College runs a wide range of courses, workshops and activities to help you better understand your mental health and learn strategies to manage it better. If you are struggling with anxiety, depression, low mood or a similar mental health condition, the team can support you with your wellbeing and on your road to recovery.
All of the courses being offered by Mid and South Essex Recovery College are free of charge and open to anyone, aged 18 or over.
What is Mid and South Essex Recovery College?
The newly established Mid and South Essex Recovery College serves as a symbol of hope and empowerment for more residents across Essex.
This initiative is a joint effort by Inclusion, part of Midlands Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust, in partnership with Mid Essex Recovery College, part of Provide Community, and Trust Links.
Our Timetable
If you are a member currently booked onto a course, and you can no longer attend your session, please inform a member of staff at the earliest opportunity possible.
Courses & Workshops
Module One – Understanding (5 weeks)
• What is Mental Health? What is Recovery?
• Understanding Anxiety, low mood and depression
• The Fight/flight/freeze/fawn responses – Brain and Body Connection
• Neuroscience and the Nervous System
• Going forward with new awareness
**No session on 29th June
| Date | Time | Location |
| Monday 1st June | 1pm – 3pm | Rochford |
| Tuesday 9th June | 10am – 12pm | Thundersley |
Module Two – Managing (5 Weeks)
• Anxiety Management Tools & Techniques
• Introduction to Self-Compassion and Journaling
• Healthy Sleep Habits
• Introduction to Mindfulness
• Grounding techniques and introduction to Module three – ‘Maintenance’
| Date | Time | Location |
| Wednesday 3rd June | 10am – 12pm | Shoebury |
| Monday 15th June | 7pm – 8pm | Online |
Module Three – Maintenance (5 Weeks)
• Routine, Physical Wellbeing, Food and Mental Health
• Boundaries and Healthy Relationships
• Recognising Strengths and Achievements and Protective Factors
• Resilience and Self Compassion
• Moving Forward – Your Next Steps and What’s in the Community
| Date | Time | Location |
| Monday 1st June | 1:30pm – 3:30pm | Canvey |
| Thursday 4th June | 1:30pm – 3:30pm | Westcliff |
Arts and Crafts for Wellbeing – 5 weeks
Join us and take part in a variety of creative arts & crafts activities. You can expect a supportive environment where people’s voices come together and creative juices overflow.
| Date | Time | Location |
| Monday 13th April | 1pm – 3pm | Rochford |
| Thursday 18th June | 1pm – 3pm | Basildon, Unity Centre |
Cooking with Confidence – 6 weeks
This course is aimed at boosting your cookery confidence. Every week you will learn a new recipe using easily available, budget-friendly ingredients. The collective learning environment allows members to share tips and learn from each other.
| Date | Time | Location |
| Tuesday 21st April | 10am – 12pm | Thundersley |
| Tuesday 9th June | 10am – 12pm | Rochford |
Drawing for Mindfulness
This 10 week course for 17-25 year olds is funded via Active Essex Foundation’s Transition Age project.
This peer-developed course will offer you an opportunity to learn zentangle-inspired art in a calming and relaxing environment. No prior knowledge of drawing or zentangle is required. All materials are provided and all abilities are welcome!
| Date | Time | Location |
| Friday 5th June | 10am – 12pm | Rayleigh |
Anxiety Tools & Techniques Workshop
We all experience anxiety at times – that ‘butterflies in your stomach’ feeling when you worry about sitting exams, going for an interview or seeing the dentist. It is a natural feeling and can be useful, as it can help us perform better or warn us when we need to act if in danger. However, anxiety can be
persistent, excessive or over-whelming. It can begin to interfere with many aspects of our life – from confidence, to seeing people, going out and engaging in everyday activities. This workshop introduces students to a variety of techniques and different approaches to build skills & strategies for anxiety management.
| Date | Time | Location |
| Monday 8th June | 7pm – 8pm | Online |
| Monday 6th July | 1:30 – 3:30pm | Canvey |
| Thursday 16th July | 1:30pm – 3:30pm | Westcliff |
Dealing With Panic Attacks Workshop
Covering: Why do people have panic attacks, The panic cycle, triggers, thoughts, and feelings, exercises to help during an attack, long term strategies to help prevent attacks.
| Date | Time | Location |
| Thursday 30th April | 1pm – 3pm | Vange |
| Friday 22nd May | 10am – 12pm | Rayleigh |
| Thursday 9th July | 1:30pm – 3:30pm | Westcliff |
Anger Management Workshop
Learn about the anger response in our bodies and angry thoughts in our minds, and how they can affect our quality of life. We also look at some practical techniques and different thinking strategies to help you cope.
| Date | Time | Location |
| Tuesday 2nd June | 10am – 12pm | Rochford |
| Thursday 11th June | 1pm – 3pm | Basildon, Unity Centre |
Confidence & Self-Esteem Workshop
Covering: What is the difference between self-confidence and self-esteem, what factors have impact on them, and what can we do to start working on improving both?
| Date | Time | Location |
| Thursday 21st May | 1:30pm – 3:30pm | Westcliff |
| Mnday 1st June | 7pm – 8pm | Online |
| Friday 10th July | 10am – 12pm | Rayleigh |
Healthy Sleep Habits Workshop
Are you struggling with your sleep? Do you want to improve the quality of your sleep? We all need to sleep and there are biological reasons for it. This course explores the relationship with sleep and mental health challenges, providing a better understanding of our sleep habits/routines.
In this workshop we consider what happens physically and emotionally when we do not get good quality sleep, and we provide ideas for changes that can be made to promote better sleep.
| Date | Time | Location |
| Thursday 7th May | 1pm – 3pm | Vange |
| Tuesday 19th May | 10am – 12pm | Rochford |
| Wednesday 8th July | 10am – 12pm | Shoebury |
Introduction to Mindfulness Workshop
Ae you curious about “mindfulness”? Mindfulness-based training is an ancient approach, now recognised scientifically for promoting wellbeing.
Mindfulness is about being present, in the moment, noticing your experience of the now. With mindfulness practices, we learn to recognise and acknowledge what is going on in the mind and body moment by moment, increasing self-awareness of thoughts, emotions and sensations that arise.
This workshop aims to introduce mindfulness for everyday living.
| Date | Time | Location |
| Thursday 21st May | 1pm – 3pm | Vange |
| Monday 13th July | 1:30pm – 3:30pm | Canvey Island |
Labyrinth Workshop
Discover the ancient path of the labyrinth for stress relief and self-reflection, learn a little about the history of the labyrinth and how they are used across the world, and then experience walking the mindful path for yourself!
| Date | Time | Location |
| Wednesday 15th July | 10am – 12pm | Shoebury |
Positive Thinking Workshop
How can we start thinking more positively? We look at how to recognise our achievements, skills and strengths as well as how to re-evaluate more negative thoughts.
| Date | Time | Location |
| Thursday 14th May | 1pm – 3pm | Vange |
| Tuesday 2nd June | 10am – 12pm | Thundersley |
| Monday 13th July | 10am – 3pm | Rochford |
Resilience Workshop
What is resilience and how can you build your resilience muscle?
Learn about the 4 S’s of resilience and how having a new perspective can be helpful as well as build healthy coping mechanisms and routines
| Date | Time | Location |
| Thursday 4th June | 1pm – 3pm | Basildon Unity Centre |
| Friday 17th July | 10am – 12pm | Rayleigh |