Busy in The Beehive

We popped into our Beehive Recovery Project located on our site on Manzil Way, Cowley, to see the amazing activities our members and volunteers have been doing, on World Mental Health Day.

The Project provides a large outside space, where members nurture and grow plants, as well as a fully equipped woodwork room and a welcoming and spacious craft room inside, filled with gorgeous handmade felt flowers, knitted children’s clothes, greetings cards and all kinds of hand-painted items, created by our members.

The Pompom easy chair in The Beehive

Recovery Project Coordinator, Laurent, is passionate about the therapeutic work that is being done here, alongside all of these creative projects. He describes the fact that all the activity that goes on in The Beehive exists to support and teach the members about how to proactively manage their mental health, both when in recovery at Restore, and in the longer term. Recycling is a good example of that! He says:

“We teach our members to start to change the way they view themselves and their mental health, by asking questions like, how can I make my life less painful, using what I’ve got?

We recognise that there are no quick fixes but what we do here at Restore is all about working towards every individual’s longer-term goals.

We have seen so many people move on in their lives. We currently have 2 members who are about to move on and start training with the Oxfordshire Recovery College, to become Tutors themselves, which is absolutely fantastic!”

Recovery Coordinator Laurent beside the raised beds at The Beehive

Over the past year, the Beehive Centre has been undergoing a real transformation, with outside storage areas such as the wood store and growing beds being replaced and upgraded. All this incredible work has been done by the members themselves, some of whom bring a lifetime of skills and experience to the Project.

And today is no different to any other day. Walking around you can see, among other things, Beehive member Kale at the craft table, knitting a beautiful new baby’s jacket; Fred and volunteer Jack replacing a fence post and panel in the garden; Matthew in the woodwork room, continuing to redesign and paint the Restore Garden sign and Robin, supported by Recovery Worker Jon, refurbishing a full-sized piano, which was brought in to the Restore workshop as a commission.

Robin with Jon, restoring the piano in the Beehive workshop

And while all these projects are underway, people are taking slow but sure steps forward in their personal recovery journeys.

Pudsey bear, modelling Kale’s knitting

Fred with volunteer Jack

To refer yourself to our Projects, or to find out more, e-mail:

[email protected]

Or phone us on: 01865 455823