New Things to Learn and Do in 2025
As we embark on 2025, have you thought about learning something new or trying an activity to improve your health and wellbeing?
What Do Carers in Walsall Think?
At a Carers Voice focus group held last year, Carers registered with Walsall Carers Hub shared their thoughts on the types of training and activities they’d like to explore.
Popular choices included:
Health and Wellbeing Activities: Many Carers expressed interest in trying tai chi, yoga, or other activities to support mental health.
Digital and IT Skills: A significant number wanted to brush up on digital skills, with some hoping to develop these skills for work.
Arts and Crafts: Creative activities like arts and crafts were also firm favourites.
Practical considerations:
Timing and Location: Weekday daytime sessions during school hours and term times were most popular.
Format Preferences: While most preferred face-to-face group settings at local venues with parking (preferably free), some Carers preferred online or pre-recorded sessions to fit around their commitments.
Costs: Ideally, activities and training would be free. However, some Carers were willing to make a small contribution depending on the activity.
We’ve taken this feedback on board and gathered information about activities and courses that might interest you.
What’s On in Walsall?
The Stan Ball Centre
The Stan Ball Centre is open to the public Monday to Friday 9 am – 5 pm and has a range of activities and craft rooms, there’s also a Bistro and two bespoke care hubs. Below are some activities and current prices that match Carers’ interests expressed at the focus group:
Tai Chi: £5.50
Wellbeing Café: £2.00
Yoga/Seated Yoga: £5.50
Seated Exercise: £3.00
Craft Café: £2.00
Craft/Art Club: £4.00
Computer Club: £4.00
Digital Help: Free
You can find the latest timetable with full details here.
Walsall College
Walsall College has free courses for jobseekers and adults – have a look at what’s on offer. There’s also a range of FREE* community courses available at the college’s sites across Walsall at Hawbush, Pleck Library, Whitehall and The Link.
*Free for anyone aged 19+, living in the West Midlands area and with household income below £33,000 per year. Otherwise it will cost £6.60 per hour.
Courses include:
English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL)
Seated Exercise
Mindfulness
Computer Skills
Job Clubs
Full details are available here.
What Courses Do Carers Recommend?
Caring for Me and You Course
Carers at the focus group highly recommended the Caring for Me and You course for Carers run by Walsall Healthcare NHS Trust. The Programme is a free six-week course for adults who care for someone, a child or another adult, who is living with a long-term health condition or disability. Further details on the course are available here, you can refer yourself to this course but watch this space as it may be held at our Carers Hub in March.
Palliative Care Course: A free eight-week course starts on Friday, 7 February at the Palliative Care Centre in collaboration with Fair Oaks Day Hospice. This is just for Carers providing palliative care. For more information or to book, call 01922 605 490 or email wht.selfcare@nhs.net.
Walsall Mental Wellbeing and Suicide Prevention Training
Carers recommended Mental Health First Aid training, and we’ve found a free course delivered by Birmingham Mind on behalf of Walsall Council.
This free 3.5 hour course will give you:
Increased awareness of key suicide prevention strategies & messaging.
Awareness of Mental Health and Personal Wellbeing
Key suicide prevention strategies and messaging
For details on availability and booking, click here.
British Sign Language (BSL)
Carers had found learning sign language a helpful skill to have. Walsall College offers this training, information about this course is available on this page of their website.
Get Involved with Carers Voice
Thank you to the Carers who contributed their feedback. If you’d like to join Carers surveys, focus groups, or share your experiences, sign up for our Carers Voice programme.
