Getting involved

There are many ways you can get involved with Sussex Recovery College :

You can enrol as a student, attend courses and join the student union to influence the development of the college.

Students

If you are one of our students, and would like to get more involved in our student voice work (sharing your experiences of the College, meeting others and helping to develop new ideas) please do get in touch with us

Volunteering

We don't currently have voluntary roles available in our Recovery College, but please watch this space as we are always finding new opportunities and new ways to involve people. We run a trust-wide volunteering programme at Sussex Partnership, and if you would like to find out more about this, please contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Buddies

Buddies meet up and help to support students attend courses and engage with the recovery college. This might be just accompanying them on a journey or meeting them outside a venue or it could be supporting someone in the classroom. These are voluntary roles and are provided through partner organisations at the moment- do get in touch with us if you would like to do this and we can make sure we put you in touch with the right person. 

What is the Buddy Scheme?

The Buddy Scheme is part of the Southdown Community Connectors Service and offers one-to-one support for students to access East Sussex Recovery College courses. The service aims to provide support to help students to settle in, make progress and to achieve their potential within college. Buddy Volunteers will provide individual support at the start of the course, and if needed throughout the course. This support is focused on assisting students to gain confidence and skills enabling them to independently attend and complete their educational courses. Buddy Volunteers are selected and trained to ensure that they have the skills and knowledge necessary to support students who might be daunted by some of the obstacles they face in getting into learning. The Buddy Volunteers role will complement other college support structures, and the role of tutors, and will provide a networking link to other agencies as required.

Process for Students

If you feel you need the support of a Buddy Volunteer, please select the ‘Buddy’ tick box when completing the registration form for the Recovery College Course. The Community Connectors Outreach Coordinator will contact you to talk about the Buddy Volunteer provision and arrange for you to meet your Buddy Volunteer. At your first meeting you should let your Buddy Volunteer know what you expect from the service so they can plan to help. Please note that the service is dependent on the capacity of the Buddy Volunteers and we cannot guarantee that one will be available immediately.

Contact us

For an informal chat or more details about the Buddy Scheme simply contact the friendly Outreach Coordinator Lily Marsh by calling 07896 923282 or email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Want to become a Buddy Volunteer?

If you would like to become a Buddy Volunteer please contact Lily using the details above.

Student Voice

We are associated with the Student Union and have access to student cards. Please click here. You need to phone us first for a voucher code on 03003038086

We will help you with any needs that we are able to make reasonable adjustments for: this might be larger print handouts, text reminders about courses, providing a buddy for you or anything else we can help you with.

We ask you to attend and make full use of the resources available to you. You will fill out an Individual Learning Plan so you can establish some goals to work towards and we have a sense of what you would like to achieve with us.

We hold our courses at venues that are as close as we can get to a further education environment. We usually provide refreshment during the breaks. 

We ask that you engage with the learning process as much as possible and abide by the code of conduct which revolves around respect for others.

Student experience

"Hello! My name is Hazel and I consider myself extremely lucky to have experienced several of the Recovery College Courses. I would highly recommend them to others, especially anyone on a personal journey towards more positive health and well being.

The Courses offer a great variety in content, style and in length. From a one off philosophical session on ‘The Meaning of Life’, to two tasty weeks of ‘Food and Mood’ (with a shared lunch!), eight theory based  weeks of athletic ‘Exercise Albion’, six creative weeks of ‘Writing for Recovery’ to a full ten week, skills packed journey towards ‘Recovery’, and many more!

All of the Courses have a common thread running through them. Which is I feel is their biggest strength. This is that Course Leaders, both Peer Trainers and Professionals have warm and compassionate personalities; working together to deliver amazing Courses. Peer Trainers demonstrate a vast wealth of ‘money can’t buy’ lived experience; creating inspiring and down to earth learning experiences. Our skilled Professionals impart in depth research theories in an accessible and non- patronising way. Courses are often fun and uplifting, and always welcoming

Friendships and shared experience from classmates helped glue the courses together where an atmosphere of mutual support was fostered as we learned from one another.

The ‘Recovery’ Course team deserve a special mention for going the extra mile. Not only for their wide range of creative teaching methods, rapport, and infectious enthusiasm and support. . . . . . but for their extraordinary and delicious cake baking skills!

My only complaint is that the Courses weren’t long enough! I would like to thank everyone involved with the Recovery College. ‘Thank-You!’ Both for the ‘R C Experience’ and knowledge, and the take home skills. I hope to go on to train as a peer supporter, and to stay in touch with the Recovery College team as I progress."

Hazel Lambe

Lived Experience Roles
At Sussex Partnership we have three distinct lived experience roles.
Here is a summary of these roles and the value they bring to the organisation.

Expert by Experience (EbE)
An EbE represents the service user or carer perspective and contributes to improvement projects and activities, such as recruitment or steering groups. This role is for people using services now or in recent years and is paid by an hourly rate.
If you are interested in learning more about this role, please contact: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Peer Support Worker
With lived experience of mental health issues, or other relevant issues such as neurodivergence or criminal justice, peer support workers offer direct support to people who use our services. They are part of our clinical teams with a distinct role to build relationships using common experience, developing skills, strengths and new perspectives.
If you are interested in learning more about this role, please contact: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Peer Trainer
Peer Trainers use their lived experience to develop and deliver co-produced training around relevant subjects. Peer Trainers are paid roles through the Trust bank as work is sessional and varied. We have Peer Trainers in both Recovery and Discovery Colleges.
If you are interested in learning more about this role, please contact:
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Other roles
There are other roles where lived experience is essential, including Senior Peer Trainer, Senior Peer Support Coordinator, Peer Trainer Lead, Peer Support Lead and Engagement and Support Officer. In other roles lived experience is an asset, but not necessarily essential, including Participation Lead or Manager, and Patient and Carer Experience Lead.
If you are interested in learning more about these roles, please contact: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Please check out NHS jobs for latest job offers

A Peer Trainer is someone who has lived experience of mental health problems and has shown that they have been able to use recovery tools to sustain good management of their difficulties. We have Peer Trainers from a wide spectrum of mental Health challenges giving us the ability to provide a good range of course from anything from Mindfulness to Managing psychosis. All our Peer trainers in Sussex have at least level 3 adult education qualification that used to be called PTTLS [Preparing to Teach in the Lifelong Learning Sector] or the Award in  Education and Training.

Many of our Peer Trainers have a background of Peer Support or teaching in other areas but this is by no means a requirement. 

Peer trainers' lived experience may also come from their experience of being a supporter, relative or carer of someone with mental health challenges. Sometimes these trainers are called Peer Carer Trainers.

Peer trainers are responsible for co-developing and producing courses alongside a mental health practitioner or clinician [co-facilitators] who has experience through training but can also [and quite often] have had mental health challenges of their own at one time or another.

Peer Trainers often take on roles outside of this, for example, in steering groups and can teach elsewhere as well. Peer Trainers meet regularly in group meetings and have supervision to make sure that any issues that arise can be dealt with in the best way possible. Many Peer Trainers will have gone on courses themselves to widen their own knowledge of Recovery and will have professional training in other areas of mental health and teaching.

Peer Trainer role

As a peer trainer my role at Hastings Recovery College is to use my personal experience of my own mental health issues alongside my teacher training to deliver courses with my co-trainers.

For me this has been an incredible experience. One of my fears was that as a former service user I was recruited as a token gesture but from the first day I was treated as an equal, with my new colleagues - professionals with years of training and experiences, seeking my opinion and making decisions based on it. This to me demonstrates how much more respect is given to people living with mental health issues now and how passionate professionals are about supporting them in their recovery. Using my own experiences to help others was very rewarding and hopefully my role helps others to see that their mental health issues needn’t be a barrier to living the life they want.

One of the most inspiring things about my previous term at the Recovery College was speaking to the students who came. Some had been involved with services a long time, others had only recently started their recovery journey but all of them had made the decision to come along and try something new in the hope that they could learn something that may help them. That showed me the amazing strength that people have and seeing how much people enjoyed and took away from the sessions is why I feel so privileged that I get a chance to be part of Hastings Recovery College again this year.

Jo Harris

Being a peer trainer:

"I became a peer trainer after the role being suggested as I was actually having difficulties managing my mental health. I had said to the practitioner that I was fed up with talking about my problems. I needed to do something constructive with my problems.

I met the team and immediately felt at ease with the group of people and straight away felt part of a positive team keen to make a difference and impact on peoples’ lives.

I was a bit of a late comer [I was always called a ‘late starter’ in my early years] and in a few days the PTTLS training begun, an intensive course on teaching adults which would give me a vocational qualification and enhance my already practiced teaching skills. The group bonded quickly and with our own set of shared difficulties and goals it was easy to make friends and feel needed.

AS we were going through this, our own course, our minds were also being challenged by thinking about the types of courses best suited to us to deliver to our students. We formed relationships with practitioners and other professionals and, for the first time in a long time, I felt part of a properly engaged and professional team with high standards and wanted goals where I and my new colleagues were able to use our skills that, in some cases, had been completely dormant for years due to illness and lack of opportunities.

The first day of our first courses there was an apprehension of whether or not we would be able to deliver something different, something unique that would reach people who have found other methods of learning how to self-manage. It was soon apparent that our courses, delivering information through both practitioners and peers at an equal level really gave our student a lot to work with. Being able to adapt answers and suggestions to individual points raised is something often a practitioner with no lived-experience could provide and equally the practitioners advice and tips would be answers the peers weren’t necessarily able to provide themselves and working as an equal partnership gave neither option true precedence and therefore the students were able to use whichever training they felt appropriate.

I can tell you that it was very difficult for me to hold back tears of admiration and joy when I saw one particular student go up on stage and deliver a speech in front of 100 people. It was a big enough leap for me but for this particular student the journey was far further and done far quicker. That student had needed to be brought into the first session of my first course terrified of being in a group. That student had attended almost all of our courses and to see the result was uplifting and if you were to ask me what the highpoint of the experience was, that was it.

Being placed in a position where I can make significant changes to others’ lives and watch people grow and move on built on those small steps, I helped with, is better medication for me than any anti-depressant. I feel this is where I belong. I can pool all of my talents and experience, become part of a great team and grow my own self-esteem and sense of self-worth into the bargain. The confidence and experiences I have had have had the most positive influence on my Personal-development than any other activity I have engaged with."

Louise Patmore

We also sometimes take on associate peer trainers – this is a volunteer trainee role and we provide the training and supervised experience they need to go on to apply to become peer trainers.  This includes them completing the ‘Preparing to teach in the life-long learning sector’ (PTTLS) accredited level 4 teaching qualification. We advertise, interview and recruit peer trainers and associate peer trainers on a regular basis. [contact us to go on a mailing list ready for when we are next recruiting

Most of the peer trainers have lived experience of personal experience of mental health challenges but we do also recruit relatives and carers of people with mental health challenges, learning disabilities and dementia for specific courses where the carer perspective is especially valuable

When we are not actively recruiting peer trainers for Sussex Recovery College you can also apply to join the Sussex Partnership Peer Trainer and Peer Support worker bank at any time 

“It was great to be offered training in “Preparing to Teach in the Lifelong Learning Sector” and to receive a qualification at the end.  It was very hard work as it was an intensive course with many essay deadlines, but I definitely learnt a lot about how to make sessions inclusive and to use a variety of teaching materials including visuals.” ,

Peer Trainer

“I worked alongside several professionally trained staff, we all worked together very well, and I think we also learnt from each other”

Peer Trainer

We welcome the involvement of mental health professionals, whatever organisation they work for. They bring their expertise by clinical or professional training. Mental health professionals co-produce and teach courses as part of their job with the partner organisation. We also take graduate interns who help with the development and running of the college.

If you want to propose a course you might teach at the recovery college or get involved generally please get in touch.

Trainers  include occupational therapists, employment speicalists, psychologists, nurses and psychiatrists.

The key to the success of the Recovery College is the relationship between the mental health professional and the Peer Trainer. The Co-Production occurs on an equal footing. The Practitioner will have no more authority on content of the Course than the Peer Trainer and Vice Versa. Please contact our Clinical Specialist Georgina Sheppard for more information This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.  

‘There is no doubt about it the service users love hearing about the lived experience - so valuable!!’

Mental Health Professional

‘The best thing about Recovery College for me was seeing how successful running groups/courses could be in Recovery – managing one’s symptoms – giving people choice in mental health ‘treatment’ and seeing the strong element of peer support’ mental health professional

I am an Occupational Therapist in the Assessment and treatment team at Cavendish house. I undertook the PPTL’s training to enhance my skill set in delivering the Recovery Course in a more education based way, and align it with Recovery college principles.

It has been refreshing to look at things through the perspective of an educator rather than a clinician. The trainer/educator part of the role has allowed me to embrace the concept of joint learning and reduced the emphasis that the professional holds all the answers because of course we don’t!

It has been inspiring to see how students flourished in a learning environment, growing in confidence to share their own ideas and disagree on certain things without harming relationships with each other. 

I found it challenging devising lesson plans to cater for every learning style but it is worth the investment to ensure that all learners are gaining the most from the course, and achieve their own learning objectives.

I would recommend anyone who enjoys meeting people from a wide cross section of society, are keen to learn about mental health recovery and improving their own wellbeing to get involved. We all learn something about ourselves and other people along the way; the emphasis is on a journey together, where what you learn and how you learn it can be surprising and profound.

Trainer with Expertise by Professional Training

‘It has been amazing to be in a learning environment with such a broad range of people. I have co-produced and taught a course on understanding psychosis and another on improving your sleep. I have seen some of the students really blossom as they have learned new ways of understanding or making sense of mental health challenges; and others whose lives have been transformed by learning how to manage their distressing voices or their insomnia. Sometimes quite simple information has made all the difference, like not drinking caffeine in the evening. The classes have been a pleasure to teach.’

Mental health professional