Founded in 2013, the Recovery Academy, which is part of Greater Manchester Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust (GMMH), is recognised locally and nationally as a flagship Recovery College.
In 2024, there were over 220 Recovery Colleges across the UK and in 26 countries worldwide.
‘A recovery college takes an educational rather than a clinical or rehabilitation approach to improving mental health. As far as possible the distinction between service users and professionals is avoided and there is an emphasis on co-production, co-delivery and co-participation in the learning’. (Leach, J, 2015, 5 things you might like to know about Recovery Colleges, OpenLearn)
Recovery Colleges offer a comprehensive range of courses based on the wishes and needs of those who use them and form a core part of mental health services. They are not meant to be a substitute for clinical mental health services, but they can complement other treatment and interventions.
Recovery Colleges embody a shift in the culture of mental health services from considering individuals as passive recipients of care to empowering individuals to manage/support mental health and recovery.
They explicitly bring together the expertise of lived experience and professional expertise in an inclusive learning environment
Anyone who is 18 or over.
The Recovery Academy is for everyone: Individuals with mental health problems, those with experience of addiction, families, carers, the local community, staff from mental health service providers, and individuals from partner agencies.
The ethos of the Recovery Academy is that everyone learns together and from each other.
Did you know that for every £1 spent on supporting the mental health and wellbeing of their workforce, employers get (on average) about £4.70 back in increased productivity? (Poor mental health costs UK employers £51 billion a year for employees | Deloitte UK)
“Employers are increasingly putting mental health and wellbeing at the heart of their business and providing effective mental health support for their people. The benefits of providing targeted support for employees are clear and compelling” (Elizabeth Hampson, Deloitte partner and author of the latest Deloitte mental health research).
As well as providing training courses which support the wellbeing and recovery of individuals, the Recovery Academy provides online or face-to-face training packages tailored to an organisation’s needs. We have provided bespoke mental health training for Metrolink, local housing associations, Bolton NHS Foundation Trust, The Christie NHS Foundation Trust, TACT Fostering, and Greater Manchester faith leaders.
We’re passionate about empowering people through creating an inclusive educational space where individuals, families, carers, and professionals can access tools and knowledge to support mental health, wellbeing, and recovery.
I have worked within mental health services for over 15 years and have spent the last 10 years within GMMH, working clinically as a Mental Health Practitioner and then as a manager within services in Salford.
“I am an Occupational Therapist by background and am extremely passionate about education, training and sharing knowledge and experience with others to help in an individual’s recovery.”
I have previously delivered courses at the Recovery Academy, and I feel honoured to be joining on a permanent basis, meeting many more students and those with lived experience to help deliver our courses to all.
In my spare time, I love spending time with my family and my little one who enjoys the great outdoors and watching Peppa Pig (on repeat). I would like to think of myself as a performer and will take on a karaoke challenge whenever I can!
I have been working for the Recovery Academy for the past 11 years, since the very beginning. I arrange all the Recovery Academy’s face to face courses, co-ordinating the dates and venues.
I also make sure that course tutors have all the necessary equipment in order for your course to go ahead, producing all printed resources, attendance lists, certificates etc.
“I love helping our students and answering all queries.”
I have worked alongside the Head of Service User and Carer Engagement for the past 20 years, and thoroughly enjoy my work.
Away from work, I enjoy watching football, but I won’t say which colour I support! I have a grandson who loves football and plays every Saturday, as well as a newborn grandson. You could say my free time is taken up with football and my grandchildren! I also enjoy visiting my family in Majorca which I try and do as much as I can.
In my role, I develop and facilitate a range of face-to-face courses, supporting individuals on their recovery journey. I also play a key role in the Peer Support training and employment pathway, helping services integrate lived experience roles into their culture and approach to care.
I have worked in the NHS for 18 years, with the last five dedicated to mental health. My background as a Peer Support Worker allowed me to use my own lived experience to shape a pathway within a Community Mental Health Team, ensuring Peer Support is embedded in meaningful ways.
I am especially passionate about Trauma-Informed Practice and holistic approaches to wellbeing. As a qualified Yoga teacher, Breathwork Facilitator, Reiki, and EFT practitioner, I incorporate these spiritual interventions into the courses I deliver: supporting people in a truly person-centred way.
Outside of work, I find balance through nature, holistic practices, and music. I’m also a DJ!
“Music and nature have been my greatest healers, and I love sharing their power with others.”
For lots of people, the Recovery Academy is a space to rediscover who they are, build resilience, boost wellbeing, and connect with others for inspiration and support.
Working alongside experts by experience and experts by profession to develop and expand the Recovery Academy’s digital content has shown me just how much the Recovery Academy means to people – personally and professionally.
My journey started in teacher training and teaching English as an additional language, which gave me the chance to travel, live in five countries, and learn from a variety of cultures.
These experiences—along with my own experience as a service user—have inspired me to help others grow and take action through learning. I want to develop resources which reflect the heart and hopes of the Recovery Academy.
When I’m not working, you’ll usually find me outdoors.
“I love spending time in nature—it’s where I feel most grounded, calm, and connected.”
The Recovery Academy Team sits within GMMH’s wider Service User and Carer Engagement and Experience Team who ensure that the principles of co-production reach every corner of GMMH and our services so that there is a culture of involvement, empowerment and recovery with the aim to improve access, experience and outcomes for all of the people and communities we serve.
The Service User and Carer Engagement and Experience Team work to deliver GMMH’s Together Strategy to improve: collaborative care; learning from feedback; co-production in service design and development; and co-delivery of our services via resources such as the Recovery Academy, Peer Support workforce, and Volunteer roles.
We’re passionate about service transformation through collaborative care; learning from feedback; co-production in service design and development; and co-delivery of our services.
As part of my portfolio of work, I am responsible for the Recovery Academy. I’ve seen firsthand the power of learning, co-production and co-delivery in terms of individual recovery and organisational change throughout my career; starting initially in addiction services using the founding principles of mutual aid and community asset development and moving onto the growth of Recovery Colleges and Peer Support employment pathways.
I’m most passionate about service transformation using all of the learning from the past few decades.
“ I believe 100% in the power of collaborative care to help people and their families live well.”
I also believe in co-production to transform services to meet the needs of local communities; and co-delivery to empower people, reduce internal stigma and give individuals hope. I know there is amazing co-production within my own organisation and the wider health and social care sector, and I am proud of our Recovery Academy and all of the things we achieve together each and every term.
Welcome to all our students whoever you are, and thank you to all of our staff, service users and carers who help us to co-deliver our courses.
I’ve worked in mental health services for over twenty years in a variety of roles from support worker, substance misuse practitioner, team manager and more recently Lead for Service User and Carer Experience.
I feel really strongly about the benefits of using lived experience to strengthen and improve services for all. How are we going to have fit for purpose mental health services without listening to those who use our services?
“It’s important to me that we look at where in the organisation we get this right and share this in the areas where we could do more.”
Involving people who use our services (and those who care for them) to bring about improvements based on their experience will ensure that our services are fit for purpose and reflective of the diverse communities that we serve.
All those accessing GMMH services should be able to feedback on their experience, and more importantly, know that their feedback will be used to inform how we do things in the future. People often tell us that they want to be involved in decisions about the care and treatment they access, and it’s important that we listen and act appropriately.
Outside work, I’m a husband and busy dad to two boys and I spend a lot of my time either out long distance running or listening to extremely heavy music.
As a person with lived experience of using mental health services, acting as an unpaid carer, and working professionally as a mental health nurse and advocate, I am deeply passionate about the importance of parity of esteem—ensuring that mental health is valued equally with physical health.
“My unique perspective allows me to understand the complexities individuals face not only from a clinical standpoint but also from the deeply personal and relational dimensions of care.”
I believe that true recovery and wellbeing are only possible when services work collaboratively across sectors, integrating health, social care, voluntary organisations, and community resources to support individuals holistically. This means recognising the value of co-production, amplifying the voices of service users and carers, and fostering inclusive environments where lived experience is not only respected but actively shapes service design and delivery.
I am committed to championing trauma-informed, person-centred approaches that promote dignity, choice, and empowerment, and to building partnerships that break down silos and create more responsive, compassionate systems of care.
My role ensures our mental health services and staff see people and not just data especially when it comes to race and lived experience of patients and carers accessing mental health services within Greater Manchester.
I have worked in various sectors across the NHS as a registered general nurse (adult) for the last 9 years and passionate about making a change.
When I am not saving lives or co-producing action plans for PCREF. You can find me chasing my toddler with snacks.
“I am passionate about fairness, and I believe in co-production, community and a good playlist powered by faith and coffee.”
In 2018 I discovered the Recovery Academy here at GMMH and I loved its foundations of co-production and lived experience practice. It was here I was able to share my true passion for Peer Work, something that I had both facilitated and received within my personal experiences.
“I am so excited to now be taking on the role of Peer Support Lead for GMMH, and I can’t wait to see where this journey takes us as a workforce.”
I have worked in mental health services for over twenty years in both the independent sector and the NHS. My background is largely in Mental Health Law, policy and procedure.
“I have always been passionate about service users ‘having a voice’ and being heard.”
GMMH recognises that volunteers provide a valuable service to our service users, and I now work supporting people with lived experience with their recruitment, training and induction into voluntary roles to support our service users.
I undertook a voluntary role myself in the past as a befriender to a young child on the autistic spectrum. I supported her from the age of five years old up to her being sixteen, and I learnt a lot from her and how she viewed the world!
Outside of work I love walking my dog; being out in nature soothes my soul. I love listening to music of all genres and enjoy going to gigs and festivals with my friends. I also like to practise yoga and have practised with teachers on my travels across the globe from France, Spain, Hungary to India, Indonesia and Australia. Yes, I love to travel!
