Recovery College Collective — Mental Health Services in Newcastle, England

I'm a former student and peer supporter at Recoco. It helped tremendously with my mental health. I'm still in contact with many from the college.

I enrolled at ReCoCo in the winter of 2024, two years into a particularly difficult time in my physical and mental health. From the very outset, I felt safe and cared for. A lot of places claim to be "safe spaces" but ReCoCo genuinely is. Being peer made and run the whole organisation reflects the experiences and needs of students, volunteers, course leaders, staff and all other participants. As a queer,working class woman with neurodiveristy, disability and mental health challenges, I have spent my whole life feeling like an outsider, like I didn't have a place in society, but I found my place at ReCoCo. It is a place of support, which cultivates openness and a generosity of spirit that I have never encountered before. This is a really special place, with so much to offer from taught courses to drop ins. I can only speak from my own experience but I have found the DBT Skills and WRAP incredibly helpful and insightful in terms of understanding myself, my experiences, and how I might better advocate for myself in the world. I would be very lost and very lonely right now if it weren't for ReCoCo. It wouldn't be an overstatement to say this place has saved my life - it gives me something to look forward to every week and a sense of structure and responsibility that I had lost since becoming disabled and unemployed. It's a slow process, and a cyclic one, but ReCoCo is really helping me on that journey, equipping me with tools and resources I didn't know existed, or couldn't find in myself before. I am incredibly grateful to all the staff and students (who also make this place by their contributions and by listening) and I cannot recommend anywhere more highly if you are struggling with your mental health, identity and/or sense of meaning. Thank you 🙏🏻💚 🌎

Lovely welcoming place staff are great down to earth! I use this place myself so I can provide feedback, the staff are very supportive and I've just joined a group myself and the people are nice who attend too.

It was fairly simple to use. All I had to do was select 2 photos.

Does the transgender or non-conforming group actually run anymore? I have emailed the website stating that a group runs in the Recoco building on Tuesdays from 6 pm to 8 pm on the third floor, but I have emailed the website and got no response. I then tried ringing the building and was told to ring back multiple times, only to be given an email that didn't work. I even went to the building only to not be greeted at the door or anything. I am very disappointed with the lack of response I have received, and as a person who wants/needs support, I am devastated by this. The sign is also different at the door. It no longer says Recoco and is very worn, adding to my theory that this group no longer exists. :(

1st time at Recoco wanted to go on the walk in the park at Saltwell park Gateshead see details Meet at ReCoCo Retreat near the boating lake. Time: 11.00am - 1.00pm Day: Monday Date: Weekly from 8th January Drove across from Newcastle to find no one there.Even arrived at 10:45 expecting organisers to be early.Very disappointed

I get that some people may find this to be exactly what they want. Having bipolar disorder I wasn't really sure how the place was going to help me. 2 enthusiastic members of staff talked at us 45 minutes. They were having a great laugh. Me. Not so much.

I have been to this service on and off since I found them in 2017. They changed my life, they made it worth living, they saved me. They really listen and really understand. The volunteers and staff have lived experience. Everything is peer led. It's a proper community. They changed everything about how I managed my mental health. They gave me insight I had never had about myself, they always listen, they gave me new wellbeing activities to try and offer a never ending stream of wellbeing activities and self help classes. There was no waiting list when I joined and my understanding is that even when there is it is only a couple of months. You don't have a limited time, you can attend as often as you like for years if you like. They link in with other mental health services loads, get free wellbeing activities from other services sometimes too including day trips to places. I have found so many other wonderful places through Recoco and their connections. There's always new courses and wellbeing activity opportunities. Everyone who runs the in house courses has lived experience. There are also flexible volunteer opportunities readily available. You can usually set up your own wellbeing activity to add even more to the list of activities. The organisation is peer led. It is a warm and friendly time. It is patient and even on set courses with start time's encourages attendance over punctuality or if you miss a session you can join the next course to do that session. They are flexible and understanding. There's a range of things to do from self help to music groups. It's a mix of organised courses and drop in sessions that you don't have to do every week. This place changed my life and continues to be a safe space that I can always depend on when I am struggling with mental health or sometimes just a place I can go to to feel welcome and heard. They never kick you out for being "too well" either. You can use them as much or as little as you like. It's a community and it's run by the community that attends the service. Would whole heartedly recommend this to anyone who ever struggles with their mental health. it is unlike any other service I have ever used. You feel so heard and understood to the point that usually someone else has already said what you were thinking before you even say it. It's like you never knew so many people understood you so well. Best place for Mental Health Support and free too.

Great in theory but in practise little they can do for me at the moment

Honestly one of the best places I've been to that has genuinely cares about me and getting my mental health better. Would definitely recommend to anyone struggling.