Wednesday 7 November 2018

Helping Out at ReCoCo’s Hallow Wellbeing Event

As I described elsewhere, I recently enrolled at Newcastle Recovery College (ReCoCo) and have attended the first of several courses I intend taking there.

Last week ReCoCo held their Hallow Wellbeing fundraising event and I went along to help out, using one of my three volunteering days from work. I should note that I’m not an official trained ReCoCo volunteer, I was simply there to help out on the day as best I could, and to have fun! The latter aim was definitely achieved!

I’ve never considered myself the sort of person who does fancy dress, but as I’ve written before sometimes it’s good to challenge the stories we tell ourselves, especially those that begin "I’m not the kind of person who..."

With that in mind I allowed myself to be talked into being made up for the occasion (thanks, Vikki!). My main concern was that the heavy black and white face paint might not come off. It did (eventually!) but I think I was still sporting a little hair glitter into the office the next day.

Security is very important at ReCoCo and I spent part of the day on reception buzzing folk into the building and making sure they signed in and out.

There was a small entry charge and suggested rates for the various treatments and activities on offer. These included relaxation, massage, face painting, crystal healing, henna body art, and drumming. I’m not sure how much money was raised in the end but the collection box filled up nicely throughout the day.

I invited Carol, a dear friend of mine who is also a student at the college, if she would like to share her thoughts about the event:

I had a wonderful time at the ReCoCo Halloween party. There were so many alternative therapies on the agenda. I also received human kindness when Marty treated me to an Indian head massage. Debbie introduced me to a new style of body massage. The company was great and the ambiance was very chilled and relaxing. I recommend others to utilise and try the healthy spaces created at ReCoCo all year round. (Carol)

You can find out more about the Newcastle Recovery College on their website and on Twitter.

 

1 comment:

  1. This fabulous post just gave me an idea for my next article Marty! It is so true that these kinds of experiences can greatly help those of us with bipolar. I use massage, chiropractor, hypnotherapy and many other alternative practices to help with bipolar management. They are a GREAT addition to a management plan. Oh, an Indian head massage? That sounds amazing! Julie

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