News
Recovery College – 8 week course, Workshop Programme
Over the past 8 weeks we were delighted to have been awarded funding from the Recovery College to facilitate a cultural inclusion course to our service users – which consisted of 8 workshops on various topics.
The workshops included: Art Therapy, Performance management, Anger Management, Conflict management, Gaming and Gambling, Public Speaking, Economics Simplified, Culturally sensitive services and resilience and Art Therapy – celebrating International Women’s Day.
This course focused on understanding the cultural backgrounds of African and Caribbean communities and addressing mental health stigma within these groups. Through a series of topics, it aims to educate members on well-rounded cultural competence in mental health care.
In alignment with Recovery College Principles, we aimed to encourage:
- Collaboration and Partnership: Encourages working together with community members
- Compassion and Kindness: Promotes a non-judgmental and respectful approach to mental health care.
- Hope and Optimism: Instills hope by showing that mental health care can be culturally sensitive and effective.
- Beyond Labels: Celebrates individual uniqueness and promotes self-discovery and empowerment.
- Community Connection: Builds stronger connections within the community through shared understanding and support.
Service users enjoyed our cultural workshops
Each participant received a certificate and overall, it was as successful course.
One service user said: “it was very refreshing to take part in this course and I looked forward to each week learning something different and gaining insightful knowledge”.
Melissa Dhillon who facilitated the Performance management workshop said:
“Delivering these workshops at Kuumba Centre was truly fulfilling, it felt different from my usual work in high performance but in the most meaningful way. Each session was like a family coming together, creating a safe space to share vulnerabilities, open up, and support one another. What stood out to me most was how much love, comfort, and connection meant to this community – it was something I sensed immediately. Every voice mattered every story was a story valued, and the courage everyone showed in sharing their experiences was nothing short of inspiring. More than anything, I saw how deeply they look out for one another, making sure everyone feels included, heard, and supported. It was a privilege to be part of something so special.”
