Lifelong learning

Learning new skills can improve your mental wellbeing by boosting your self-confidence, help build a sense of purpose and connect you with others.

Our courses are designed to support you with your awareness in topics that can improve your mental and physical health and range from short 60 or 90 minute workshops to three-day accredited courses.

All our training and awareness sessions are funded by Durham County Council and free to attend for anyone living or working in County Durham.

Our sessions provide you with the opportunity to increase your knowledge and skills in health improvement and community related subjects.

We are able to deliver our sessions in community venues, online, and we can come to you if you have a group of people who would like some training, even at your place of work.

We are also excited to be able to offer our awareness workshops and training in person or online, including evening sessions. All of our training and awareness sessions are funded by Durham County Council and are therefore free to attend for anyone living or working in County Durham.

Training

Our training courses are designed to provide practical skills and valuable insights into maintaining physical health, nurturing mental wellbeing, and building resilience. Whether you’re looking for guidance on stress management, nutrition, or mindfulness, our programs offer the tools to help you thrive in everyday life.

If you cannot see a course listed that you are interested in attending, please contact
cdda-tr.CBS@nhs.net.

Achieving Better Sleep

Good sleep is essential for both mental and physical wellbeing, yet it’s something many of us struggle with. This session explores common barriers to quality sleep and provides practical ideas to help you create healthier sleep habits.

Throughout the session, we explore:

what constitutes good or restorative sleep
how to develop daily routines, ahead of bedtime, that work for you
creating a calm sleep environment for better rest
building and maintaining habits that support long-term sleep quality

Together, these approaches help support healthier sleep patterns and improved wellbeing in everyday life.

Adult Mental Health First Aid

The Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) course empowers Mental Health First Aiders (MHFAiders®) to play a critical role in supporting people’s mental health and creating healthy working environments. The accredited two-day course will equip MHFAiders® with:

the knowledge and skills to spot signs of a person experiencing poor mental health
the confidence to be able to support themselves and others
the support to feel empowered and motivated to carry out their role

This course is ideal for anyone who’d like to gain the knowledge and skills to spot the signs of someone experiencing poor mental health, be confident to start a conversation, and signpost them to appropriate support. MHFAiders® receive three years of certification and are invited to join the Association of Mental Health First Aiders® – England’s first and only membership body for MHFAiders®. As well as access to ongoing learning and expert support, members gain the benefits of being part of a national movement for better mental health.

Adult Mental Health First Aid Refresher

Mental health should be treated equally to physical health – and just like physical first aid, Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) England® recommend Mental Health First Aiders® take the MHFA Refresher course every three years to ensure your mental health knowledge, awareness, and skills are up to date. This four-hour course is designed for individuals who are already certified Mental Health First Aiders® or who have completed a Level 3 Qualification in Mental Health First Aid and will support you by:

renewing your skills
updating your knowledge of mental health support
giving you the chance to practise applying the Mental Health First Aid action plan

By maintaining mental health knowledge, awareness, and skills with regular Refresher training, MHFAiders® can continue to support themselves and others confidently and effectively, with the potential to improve and save lives.

An Insight into Menopause

This training provides a practical introduction to the menopause, exploring:

what is meant by menopause, perimenopause and early menopause
who is affected
the common signs and symptoms
the range of treatment options available

The session also examines the impact of menopause in the workplace and outlines how reasonable adjustments can be used to make the workplace more accessible for those experiencing menopause-related symptoms.

Assertiveness for Everyday Confidence

(Previously called: Assertiveness Skills)

This practical three-hour session helps you understand what assertiveness really is – and how it differs from passive or aggressive behaviour.

The workshop helps you to:

build practical assertiveness skills
communicate clearly
set healthy boundaries
handle everyday situations with more confidence

You’ll learn simple techniques to stay respectful, reduce conflict, and feel more in control at work and beyond.

Basic Diabetes Awareness

This session provides a clear introduction to Type 1, Type 2 and prediabetes, helping to build a better overall understanding of the condition. It covers:

early signs and symptoms to be aware of
how lifestyle choices can influence risk
key information around prevention
potential short and long term complications

The session also offers clear, practical information to help anyone develop a stronger understanding of diabetes and its impact on health.

Basic Mental Health Awareness

(Previously called: Basic Mental Health Awareness Toolbox)

This session provides a clear, easy to understand introduction to mental health and mental wellbeing.

You will learn how to:

maintain positive mental health
recognise early signs of poor mental health
understand common mental health conditions and their symptoms
challenge common myths and stigma around mental health
identify and signpost to reliable sources of support and help

This session is suitable for anyone who wants to build their knowledge and understanding of mental health and related conditions.

Challenging Mental Health Stigma and Discrimination

The aim of this workshop is to build skills, knowledge, understanding and confidence for anyone who is, or would like to be, involved in challenging mental health stigma and discrimination within their organisation or community. After completing this online workshop, learners will be able to:

explain what mental health stigma and discrimination are
understand and describe the impact of stigma and discrimination, including its wider consequences for individuals and communities
identify practical ways to challenge stigma and discrimination safely and effectively
explore key tips for keeping safe and looking after their own wellbeing when challenging stigma and discrimination

Overall, the workshop supports learners to feel more confident and prepared to challenge stigma and discrimination in a thoughtful, informed and supportive way.

Communication Skills for Positive Behaviour Change

(Previously called: Motivational Interviewing and Communication Skills)

This session offers an introduction to communication techniques that encourage positive behaviour change.

You will learn how to:

use active listening skills to build rapport
support others to explore their own motivations
guide conversations that encourage confidence and change

Together, these skills help create supportive conversations that encourage positive behaviour change in a respectful and empowering way.

This course is designed for anyone working in roles that support people to improve their health, wellbeing and quality of life.

Energy Drinks: Caffeine, Sugar and Your Body

(Previously called: Awareness Around Energy Drinks and Caffeine)

This short and informative session introduces:

what energy drinks are
the ingredients they typically contain
the recommended guidelines for both caffeine and sugar intake

It explains how caffeine and sugar affect the body and explores how these substances interact with alcohol, offering practical strategies to help reduce energy drink consumption.

Everyday Movement and Physical Activity

(Previously called: A Fresh Start with Physical Activity)

This friendly, interactive session is ideal for anyone who wants to become more active, or to support others to make healthy physical activity lifestyle changes.

The session focuses on physical activity of all types and at all levels, from everyday movement such as walking, gardening and housework, through to more structured activities. It highlights why even small amounts of movement matter, and explores common barriers that can make getting started or staying active feel challenging.

By the end of the session, you will feel more confident in:

choosing activities that suit your lifestyle, interests and current ability
setting realistic and motivating goals
monitoring your activity levels safely
developing simple ways to build more movement into everyday routines
progressing at your own pace

No specialist equipment – or Lycra – required!

Making Every Contact Count (MECC)

This session introduces the core ideas behind Making Every Contact Count (MECC) and shows how everyday conversations can support positive behaviour change. You’ll learn:

easy practical techniques for starting wellbeing conversations
understand what helps people make change
explore trusted resources you can use to signpost others to information on smoking, alcohol, mental health, finances and more

The sessions supports learners to feel more confident in having meaningful conversations that help others access the support they need to improve their wellbeing.

MECC Gambling Harms

This session explores how gambling related harms can affect individuals, families and communities. It helps you to:

recognise early signs of gambling-related harm
understand why some gambling products are particularly high risk
use MECC (Make Every Contact Count) principles to have supportive, non judgemental conversations with confidence
signpost people to specialist support, encouraging prevention and early intervention

These approaches support participants to feel more confident in using everyday conversations to identify concerns early and help reduce the impact of gambling harms.

Mental Health Awareness for Line Managers

Line managers play a key role in creating a healthy, supportive, positive workplace. This course will help you to:

recognise signs of poor mental health at work
start supportive conversations with greater confidence
reduce stigma within your team
create a positive and open workplace culture
understand your role in reducing stress in the workplace and supporting staff wellbeing
gain awareness of reasonable adjustments and how they can be applied to support staff effectively

By bringing these elements together, the course helps line managers play an active and positive role in supporting mental health and wellbeing at work.

Resilience: Tools for Challenging Times

(Previously called: Building Personal Resilience to Change)

This reflective, interactive session will help you to understand the meaning of resilience and how you can apply tools and strategies to strengthen it.

You will explore how to:

recognise our natural responses to change
recognise your personal strengths
focus on what you can and cannot influence
build healthy coping strategies
understand the importance of your support networks

The session concludes by bringing these elements together, helping you feel able to maintain your wellbeing and respond positively through challenging times.

Simple Steps to Healthier Eating

(Previously called: Healthy Eating: It’s a Balancing Act)

This session gives simple, clear advice on healthy eating in the UK.

It uses the Eatwell Guide to explain:

the main food groups
portion size recommendations
How to read food labels – including traffic light labels
simple changes that support long-term wellbeing

It also talks about common challenges people face when trying to eat well, the link with obesity, and easy food swaps that can help improve everyday eating habits.

Stress Awareness

(Previously called: Stress Awareness Toolbox)

This 90-minute session helps you to understand the difference between pressure and stress, how to spot your own early warning signs, and what can trigger stress.

You’ll explore:

simple, practical ways to reduce day to day pressure and build a sense of balance
how stress can affect your thoughts, feelings and behaviour, and ways to minimise its negative effects
basic mindfulness techniques that can be used to manage stress more effectively in everyday situations

Overall, the session helps build awareness of stress and introduces simple techniques to support wellbeing in everyday situations.

Suicide Awareness

This session helps people talk more openly about suicide. It explores the local picture in County Durham, explains why stigma can make it harder for people to ask for help, and provides simple, practical guidance on how to start a caring and supportive conversation with someone about suicide. The aim is to:

build confidence in talking about suicide in a calm, sensitive and non judgemental way
increase understanding of suicide, stigma, and why open conversations can make a difference
help people feel more able to notice when someone may be struggling and to reach out appropriately and supportively

This session is suitable for anyone who would like to feel more confident and informed about talking openly and supportively about suicide.

Looking for events, groups or activities near you?

Lifelong learning courses

Developing new skills can boost your self-confidence, create a sense of purpose, and help you connect with others.

Feedback

"Great course content. Interesting, very well presented and the chance for some interaction which was very useful. [It] makes the course so much better than just watching a presentation. I will take away some of the information for personal use. I am in a role where I wouldn’t use this professionally, but thank you for […] "
"I learned a lot. It will help re-shape my clinical practice and improve my approach towards patients with mental health disorders. "
"It was beneficial learning about stress and pressure. I found the 5 ways to wellbeing particularly useful and will continue to practice these every day. "
"I was nervous about an upcoming job interview but your support really helped me with stress control and mental resilience. "
"It was a great experience and extremely insightful. I feel empowered and ready for any situations I may face. "
"The facilitator was very knowledgeable and gave time for reflective discussion –would recommend this to anyone, very beneficial. "
"Thank you for the session, it has generated lots of discussion. Some have already tried some of the sleep hygiene suggestions – me included. "

How we've helped

Ten graduations on the first Mental Health First Aider day

On 11 and 12 November 2025, our Training team delivered a two-day Adult Mental Health First Aid course at Durham County Council. How timely, that the participants’ graduation fell on the very first Mental Health First Aider day in England. Amazingly, we had ten graduations from this course – meaning there is now ten more people...

The Adult Mental Health First Aid graduates and the Training team in a group.

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