How did Recovery College begin?

We didn’t invent the Recovery College concept (we wished we had). We were a group of individuals, working in various areas of Kent & Medway NHS & Partnership Trust and heard of Recovery Colleges (RC) in other areas of the UK. We visited RCs in London, Sussex, Belfast and Oxford to find out more, and researched evidence papers written by other RCs. We were so inspired by what people were saying about the difference RCs were making, we made a commitment to set one up in Kent & Medway.

We gained permission to set up a short RC pilot project in Thanet. After the success of this, we extended the pilot for a full academic year. This gave us lots more evaluation information that further proved how helpful people found Recovery College. We used this evaluation to seek approval and funding commitment for a five-year roll-out plan across the whole of Kent & Medway between 2020 and 2025.

We are so incredibly grateful to everyone who encouraged, helped and supported us on this journey so far – we are eternally grateful.