Restore - working for mental health

Self Compassion Skills (Part 3)
2026-05-15 14:00 - 16:30 (Europe/London) | The Straw Bale, Restore, Manzil Way, Oxford, Oxfordshire, OX4 1YH, United Kingdom
A Four Part In Person Course. Compassion for ourselves and others can be hard to maintain when faced with hardship and mental health difficulties. In this course, we will explore what compassion means, how compassion supports wellbeing and what can get in the way. We will work on practical skills such as grounding, breathing exercises, and compassionate voice and imagery. Some sessions will also have a therapy dog present. PLEASE NOTE: This is a newly developed course in collaboration with the University of Oxford and has a RESEARCH COMPONENT consisting of questionnaires at the start and end of each session. The research explores whether the course is effective and whether the presence of a THERAPY DOG might impact this. The therapy dog will be randomly allocated to attend either the first three sessions for one group or only the fourth session for the other group. Anyone who signs up to the course will be invited to take part in the research, and you will receive a full information sheet when signing up. You can attend this course EITHER morning or afternoon – please let us know if you have a preference.

Introduction to ORC
2026-05-18 10:00 - 12:00 | Location: Online
This course is designed for all new students as part of the enrolment process. The course is designed to explain to students how ORC works, and to highlight some of the potential benefits of attending our courses. There is an opportunity to explore what ‘recovery’ means to us as individuals, and to think about what helps recovery. We will also spend some time considering next steps.

Understanding Bipolar Disorder
2026-05-18 13:00 - 16:00 | The Straw Bale, Restore, Manzil Way, Oxford, Oxfordshire, OX4 1YH, United Kingdom
This course aims to increase understanding of Bipolar Disorder including its possible causes and symptoms, what it might be like to live with it and how we might define it. The course considers factors which help and hinder recovery, and aims to inspire students that recovery is possible and achievable. It considers the challenges of stigma and ways we might tackle it.

Tackling Stigma and Discrimination
2026-05-19 13:00 - 16:00 | The Straw Bale, Restore, Manzil Way, Oxford, Oxfordshire, OX4 1YH, United Kingdom
This course explores what stigma and discrimination are and how they may affect us. The course looks at actions we can take to challenge social stigma, discrimination in society and self-stigma, whilst keeping in mind our own wellbeing.

Mindful Photography
2026-05-19 14:00 - 16:00 | ORC at Restore Banbury, 28 Calthorpe Street, Banbury, Oxfordshire, OX16 5EX, United Kingdom
In this workshop students have the opportunity to try out some mindful photography and share their responses. Mindful photography uses our own eyes and a camera lens (be it a smartphone or a camera) to help ground us in the present moment by looking more closely at the world around us. It encourages us to look non judgmentally, and can help change our perspective on ourselves and our environment by harnessing gratitude, self-compassion and a sense of awe and wonder.

Neurodivergence and Wellbeing (Part 3)
2026-05-19 18:30 - 20:30 | Location: Online
This course looks at how we can define neurodivergence and how it may affect our wellbeing. We introduce various strategies, and we explore how wellbeing is related to reaching our goals. We explore with each other things which impact neurodivergent individuals and how to support those individuals and those who care and work with them. This course is developed to provide a brief introduction into the extensive topic of neurodivergence.

Mental Health First Aid - 20th & 27th May
2026-05-20 09:30 - 17:00 | Restore’s Training Room, Manzil Way, Restore, Manzil Way, Oxford, Oxfordshire, OX4 1YH, United Kingdom
Two full days, in-person. This accredited training enables you to become a Mental Health First Aider, with the ability to recognise the signs of mental ill health, provide support and guidance towards professional help.

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Organiser

Exploring Nature and Wellbeing
2026-05-20 14:00 - 16:00, 2026-06-01 10:00 - 12:00 | ORC at The Warneford, Warneford Lane, Headington, Oxford, OX3 7JX, United Kingdom
This is an opportunity to visit the W200 Commemorative Therapy Garden which has been newly created on the front lawn of the Warneford Hospital. We will learn about the history of using nature in patient care , and then take part in some grounding activities using our senses to connect to nature around us. You need to make your own way to the Warneford for this workshop

Menopause and Mental Health
2026-05-21 13:00 - 16:00 | The Straw Bale, Restore, Manzil Way, Oxford, Oxfordshire, OX4 1YH, United Kingdom
This course explores what the menopause and perimenopause actually are, how they might affect the person experiencing it, and those around them, particularly in terms of mental wellbeing, and goes on to explore ways to live and cope with menopause day to day. It’s suitable for anyone wanting to understand more about this natural part of life.

What is Mental Health?
2026-05-22 10:00 - 13:00 | The Straw Bale, Restore, Manzil Way, Oxford, Oxfordshire, OX4 1YH, United Kingdom
This course explores what is meant by ‘mental health’ and what good mental health looks like. We consider how mental health problems may be diagnosed, or understood as part of our life experiences. The course explores the meaning of recovery and looks at support available on our recovery journey.

Self Compassion Skills (Part 4)
2026-05-22 14:00 - 16:30 | The Straw Bale, Restore, Manzil Way, Oxford, Oxfordshire, OX4 1YH, United Kingdom

Sleep and Wellbeing
2026-06-01 13:00 - 16:00 | The Straw Bale, Restore, Manzil Way, Oxford, Oxfordshire, OX4 1YH, United Kingdom
Together we will focus on sleep – the physiological basics, the effects of poor sleep on our mental health and general wellbeing, and how we can learn to manage and improve our sleep.

Mindful Photography
2026-06-02 10:00 - 12:00 | The Straw Bale, Restore, Manzil Way, Oxford, Oxfordshire, OX4 1YH, United Kingdom

Journaling for Wellbeing
2026-06-02 13:00 - 16:00 | ORC at Didcot Civic Hall, Britwell Road, Didcot, Oxfordshire, OX11 7JN, United Kingdom
In this course we discuss how journaling in its widest sense (recording some aspects of our day to day experiences) supports wellbeing by helping us gain perspective on our lives, notice what’s good and focus on what is meaningful to us. Students will be introduced to both bullet journaling and scrapbook journaling and have the opportunity to experiment with different methods and materials ( which will be provided) to find a way of journaling which works for them

Mental Health First Aid - 3rd & 10th June
2026-06-03 09:30 - 17:00 | Restore’s Training Room, Manzil Way, Restore, Manzil Way, Oxford, Oxfordshire, OX4 1YH, United Kingdom

Emotional Regulation and Resilience (Part 1)
2026-06-03 13:00 - 16:00 | ORC at Restore Banbury, 28 Calthorpe Street, Banbury, Oxfordshire, OX16 5EX, United Kingdom
Emotional regulation is not about controlling emotions, it’s about noticing our emotions, understanding what message they are trying to give, and developing practical strategies so that our emotions help us rather than overwhelm us. We will focus on this in Part 1. Then in Part 2 we will look at resilience, which is our capacity to handle the challenges of life without becoming emotionally dysregulated. We will look at how we can draw on the strategies, strengths, resources, and insights we already have to strengthen our resilience and stay

Loss, Grief and Wellbeing (Part 1)
2026-06-04 10:30 - 12:00 | Location: Online
This course is designed to provide information and ideas for support for anyone interested in or who has experienced grief or bereavement. It explores the various types of grief we can experience, and how grief can impact on our lives, wellbeing, and mental health. We explore some of the common theories of grief, share wellbeing tips, and examine how we may be able to support someone who is experiencing grief. Signposting is provided for further sources of support. We encourage students to think about their own experience of grief and loss, and how it might affect them during the course. The course is not usually suited to anyone who has experienced a recent, significant personal loss or bereavement.

Managing Self Doubt (Part 1 In Person )
2026-06-04 13:00 - 16:00 | The Straw Bale, Restore, Manzil Way, Oxford, Oxfordshire, OX4 1YH, United Kingdom
This 2 part course is for anyone keen to learn more about self-doubt and how to live with it better. Self doubt feeds anxiety in a continuous cycle and can have a huge impact on our mental health and wellbeing. Together we explore what it is, the impacts it can have, and some things we can do to manage it. There is a practical emphasis and we hope that students will leave feeling more able to manage their own self-doubt, and/or to better support others who experience it.

Self Care for Carers (Part 1)
2026-06-05 10:30 - 12:00 | Location: Online
This is a 2 part online course for those who are (or have been) caring for someone. The course explores the importance of self- care whilst supporting others and explores how we might overcome some of the challenges of putting self-care into practice. Together we look at the role of creativity in self-care, and nurturing a creative mindset, and think about how we can build this into our daily lives whilst caring. The course will include some simple creative activities to do together in the session as well as practice at home between sessions.

Understanding Personality Disorders (Part 1)
2026-06-08 10:00 - 13:00 | The Straw Bale, Restore, Manzil Way, Oxford, Oxfordshire, OX4 1YH, United Kingdom
In this course we consider how personality disorders are defined and how they may develop,as well as exploring the stigma surrounding this diagnosis. We discuss ways to move forward – both support which may be offered and how people can help themselves. In Part 2, we discuss some models for understanding human relationships and think about how we can make positive changes in our lives.

Tackling Stigma and Discrimination (Part 1)
2026-06-08 14:00 - 15:30 | Location: Online

Thinking about a New Role (Part 1)
2026-06-09 14:00 - 15:30 | Location: Online
This course is suitable for anyone thinking about taking on a new role in the future, whether it’s starting employment or changing jobs, starting to volunteer or taking on new responsibilities. The two- part course focuses on building confidence to take steps forward in a new direction.This is a stand-alone course though other courses in the Employment series may be of interest to students. The course will signpost towards places to get further help and advice, as well as to additional resources and reading.

Emotional Regulation and resilience (Part 2)
2026-06-10 13:00 - 16:00 | ORC at Restore Banbury, 28 Calthorpe Street, Banbury, Oxfordshire, OX16 5EX, United Kingdom

Introduction to ORC
2026-06-10 14:00 - 16:00 | The Straw Bale, Restore, Manzil Way, Oxford, Oxfordshire, OX4 1YH, United Kingdom

Loss, Grief and Wellbeing (Part 2)
2026-06-11 10:30 - 12:00 | Location: Online

Managing Self Doubt (Part 2 - In Person)
2026-06-11 13:00 - 16:00 | The Straw Bale, Restore, Manzil Way, Oxford, Oxfordshire, OX4 1YH, United Kingdom

Self Care for Carers (Part 2)
2026-06-12 10:30 - 12:00 | Location: Online

Understanding Personality Disorders (Part 2)
2026-06-15 10:00 - 13:00 | The Straw Bale, Restore, Manzil Way, Oxford, Oxfordshire, OX4 1YH, United Kingdom

Tackling Stigma and Discrimination (Part 2)
2026-06-15 14:00 - 15:30 | Location: Online
