Frequently Asked Questions:
ABOUT US
How do I join S2R?
To join S2R you need to simply fill out our ONLINE APPLICATION FORM. The application form can be filled out by yourself, your GP, a Support Worker or a friend/relative. Once you have filled out the form and pressed send, it will be sent back to us by email and then we will get in touch with you via your preferred contact method choice.
What do I do if I cannot access the application form?
If you are struggling to access the application form simply give us a call on 01484 539531, email us at contact@s2r.org.uk or come into our Create Space building and pick one up.
Who are your courses for?
All our sessions, workshops and courses are open to anyone aged 16+.
Are your services free of charge?
We offer a variety of services, which vary from free of charge to £80 for an 8-week course. For any of the prices for the services we provide please look at our EVENT calendar and select your chosen service and it will tell you the charge.
What makes me eligible to join S2R?
Currently we only provide services to individuals who are aged 16 or over and live in Kirklees or surrounding districts.
Does S2R offer mental health advice?
Yes. We offer a range of services that provide mental health support and a comprehensive signposting service.
Does S2R Create Space have disabled access?
S2R Create Space offers disabled access and facilities on the ground floor. If you are joining one of our sessions and require disabled access, please contact us so that we can make the relevant arrangements.
What facilities does S2R Create Space provide?
S2R Create Space has toilets, a refreshment area, meeting spaces, WiFi, quiet rooms and information boards.
What is the difference between an attendee and a volunteer?
An attendee is an individual who comes to our services.
A volunteer has a specific role within the organisation.
How can I support S2R?
There are a variety of different ways that you can support us. This can either be by donating your time and volunteering on any of our projects, or by supporting us through fundraising events. You could also become one of our ‘I Support S2R’ benefactors which will enable you to send us one-off or regular donations.
OUR GALLERY
How can I become an artist?
If you are interested in displaying your work with us, please CONTACT US and title your message "Exhibitor Enquiry – Packhorse Gallery". We will then forward you an application form to complete and return with photos of your artworks, or you will be invited to attend a short meeting to discuss exhibiting in person so that you can see the spaces we have available.
How much will it cost to exhibit?
Our fee for exhibiting ranges from £6 - £40 per month. This fee includes advertising, labelling and promoting our artists and thir work.
What happens if I sell something?
If you sell an item, you can then replace it with a new item within your membership period.
How and when will I get paid?
We keep a record of all sales on your inventory sheet and pay out on a monthly basis; your payment will be ready for you to collect at the Gallery by the 5th day of the month following your sale. We take a commission fee of 30% off the sale price but this goes back into continuing the project and supporting S2R.
Can anyone come to the Gallery?
Yes, the Gallery is open to the public, both to browse, join community sessions and become artists. Our intention is to reduce isolation and stigma surrounding mental health as well as encourage integration, peer support and involvement.
How could being a member of the Gallery help me?
The Gallery hopes to provide an opportunity to people who may not get a chance to display their creativity elsewhere. We help and advise new artists, making their experience a positive one and encourage people to realise their potential. Telling someone that they've made their first sale is a wonderful moment, and we have seen artists and regular visitors grow in confidence and self-esteem just by being involved in our project. We also have links to artists who successfully sell and exhibit their work elsewhere.
OUTDOOR SESSIONS
What will we be doing on the ‘Nature in You’ course?
‘Nature in You’ sessions will include a range of activities, aimed to inspire you to connect with nature, the outdoors, others and ultimately yourself.
By taking time out from the busy environments that we often find ourselves in, these sessions provide a space to slow down, relax, play and create. We’ll be doing different activities each week, such as; basic cooking, willow weaving, creativity and mindfulness. Each session will be tailored for the setting and the seasons, with a focus on how we can interact with nature through our senses.
What is Eco-therapy?
Eco-therapy is any time spent in nature that makes you feel good.
What can I do after the course to continue feeling the benefits from the outdoors?
We regularly run other creative, well-being, eco-therapy, meditation and mindfulness courses, as well as our own weekly allotment and work groups. You can find our monthly session schedule on our WHAT'S ON page and we run a variety of sessions every month throughout the year.
We also have links to a range of other outdoor groups that we can provide information about and support you in joining. You can find out more about these groups at the last session of our ‘Nature in You’ course.
I’ve never spent much time outdoors; will these sessions be right for me?
It’s never too late to start feeling the benefits of spending time in the outdoors. We aim to create a relaxed, welcoming and ‘no-pressure’ environment, in which you can start to notice how the outdoors can help your wellbeing. Our courses are not task-orientated and you will never be asked to take part if you do not feel able to. Some of our sessions also include some time spent indoors, particularly if the weather is bad.
If you want to spend more time outdoors after completing your course, we can provide information and support to help you to do so.
I work during the week; do you run anything outside of office hours?
We try to offer some courses and workshops outside of standard office hours every month. Details of these can be found here on our monthly schedules. We also post lots of creative workshop and how-to videos on our Facebook page where they can be watched again at any time.
We have links to other outdoor groups in Kirklees who run on weekends/evenings, and can provide you with their information and/or support you in joining them. We also run taster sessions of at community-led events where our operating hours are more flexible. You can keep up to date with these sessions on our monthly schedules or on any of our social media platforms.
What does the offer of support include?
We offer 6-8 weeks support with attending ‘Nature in You’ and starting new outdoor groups or activities in Kirklees. For more information please speak with a member of the ‘Outdoors’ team, at S2R.
What if I can’t make every session?
There is no obligation to attend a whole course; however they will be most beneficial for you if attended fully. Each week is designed to follow on from the last, as a gradual introduction the various skills and tools that we can all access through being outdoors, as a way to improve our well-being.
If you are having difficulty in attending and would like some support, please mention this to a member of the ‘Outdoors’ team at S2R.
What do I need to wear?
We recommend that you wear outdoor clothes, sturdy shoes and a coat. It is also advisable to consider the weather and bring things like sun cream or a drink with you in sunny weather.
What does it cost?
All our community-led outdoor opportunities and Recovery College Courses are free to attend but please note that travel expenses will not be paid.
Do you have disabled access?
Our S2R Create Space building has disabled access and toilet facilities; however our outdoor sessions run from various locations. Making our courses fully inclusive is very important to us, so please CONTACT US for access information on any of our sites, or to make us aware of accessibility issues.
I’m from another group or organisation, do you do partnership work?
We’re always looking for creative ways to work with other organisations! We can offer taster sessions for existing groups, or local events, and can tailor our sessions for any needs or requirements that you may have. Please CONTACT US directly for more information.
Are there any volunteering opportunities to help run courses or workshops at S2R Create Space?
We can offer various micro-volunteering and volunteer facilitator roles within S2R. Please CONTACT US to see what roles are currently available.
MINDFULNESS AND MEDIATION SESSIONS
What is the difference between mindfulness and meditation?
Mindfulness is a skill, meditation is form of practising this skill. When likened to exercise, mindfulness is a muscle and meditation is a gym.
Which course is right for me?
The course for well-being is probably most beneficial to those wanting to develop better ways to cope with stress, pain, difficult emotions and thoughts. The course for insight is probably the most beneficial for those wanting to discover more about the nature of reality and their place in the larger scheme of things. Some might consider the course for insight more advanced but it really depends on your outlook.
Do I need to have practised meditation before?
It's not essential for either course but as a complete beginner the course for wellbeing is a comprehensive foundation.
How do I know if meditation is right for me?
There is increasing evidence that meditation and mindfulness can help the majority of people live a happier and healthier life. Whilst it is certainly possible for those experiencing bi-polar, schizophrenia, dementia and epilepsy, for example, to improve their quality of life through meditation and mindfulness, the most effective method for individual conditions is inconclusive.
WELL-BEING SESSIONS
How many people will be on these sessions?
There will be ten places allocated for each five week course. We will need a minimum of five people to run it, so there will normally be between five and ten people on each course.
I don’t feel comfortable with coming to a group – can you do this as a one-to-one?
We don’t currently offer one-to-one sessions, but we do find that a lot of people feel like this. Although it can be very hard to come along to a session for the first time, there are benefits to attending sessions in a group and people have told us that it really helps to meet others, share experiences, and to know that you are not the only one who feels the way that you do.
The first session of any of our courses is a welcome session, to allow people to come along and meet us and see what we're all about, and to help people feel more confident about attending our courses.
If you feel you need a little bit more help to come along to our groups then let us know, and we can meet you and talk through what we can do.
We can also provide a support worker who can meet you off the bus or train, sit with you during sessions and help with things like filling in worksheets.
Is it group therapy and will I have to tell people about my life and how I feel?
No it is definitely not group therapy, and although we encourage active participation and conversation in the group, you will not be required to talk about yourself or disclose any personal information you would not feel comfortable sharing.
If you don’t want to share an experience, then that’s fine. Although, you may find that after getting to know your group, you feel a bit more comfortable talking about things, and that you get a therapeutic benefit from sharing some of your experiences.
At no point during the course will any pressure be put on you to speak out and some people have come along and enjoyed our courses without joining in any of the group discussions at all.
Do I have to attend the whole course?
We ask that you attend all of our sessions if possible, as you will gain the most from your course if you complete all the sessions. However, we do require that everyone attends Week 1, and that if you cannot attend Week 1 then you will need to wait for the next available course start date.
We appreciate that things such as illness, appointments and unplanned events etc. mean that you might miss the odd session. In this case we are happy to meet up with you to go through handouts of the session that you missed.
What happens when a course ends?
There will be the option to attend a follow-on support group. This will be run on a ‘drop-in’ basis, so people can attend occasionally or regularly to suit. There will be a small charge for attending. We will tell you more about this whilst the course is running.
You may also go on to attend other courses and events that S2R run. Again we will provide you with more information about these during sessions.
You may also be interested in getting more involved with our Ways to Wellbeing course and helping us to run the sessions as a volunteer peer mentor.
I am unwaged / claiming benefits, do I still have to pay?
Yes, the minimum contribution of £2 per session applies to everyone who attends the course. This is a condition required by Community Partnerships who have provided the money for us to run this programme.
I am not confident with reading and writing. Will this be a problem for me during sessions?
During our sessions we mostly talk through material, and this is sometimes supported by PowerPoint presentations. We do give out some worksheets and information sheets, but you will still get plenty from the course even if you do not use them.
If you need some assistance, our support worker can help you to fill in worksheets during your course. Please let us know before your course starts if you would like some help and we can discuss the best way to support you with this.