Free courses for carers

At the 51·çÁ÷¹ÙÍø, we recognise the importance of unpaid carers. We understand that it's important for you to take time out for self-care. This is especially true if you are caring for children with special needs or a family member with disabilities.  

Taking care of yourself helps you to provide support for your loved ones. So it's important to remember to make time for your own wellbeing while balancing your caregiving responsibilities. 

Jump to courses.

Designed to fit around your care responsibilities

We have designed our courses for carers to fit in with your needs. They are all online, so there is no need to travel, and our tutors understand that sometimes you need to take a break from your responsibilities. 

All our courses for carers (or those who have previously been carers) are completely free. You do not need to receive a carer's allowance. If you are unsure if you qualify, call our friendly learner services team on 0300 303 3464 and they can help. 

Find time for your interests

We want our courses to help you make time for yourself and explore your own interests. Our courses include: 

  • health and wellbeing for carers to help you manage your own health and stress 
  • virtual visits to stately homes, so you can visit wonderful places around the UK from the comfort of your living room.   

You can pick and mix these courses; we want you to enjoy as many as possible. Add any courses you are interested in attending to the basket and you’ll only need to book once. 

Explore our courses below or click the buttons to further filter classes by subject areas. 

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Care 2: Introduction to emotional freedom techniques

All our Care2 courses are completely free for unpaid carers (or those who have previously been carers). You do not need to receive a carer's allowance to qualify. If you are unsure, please contact our call centre advisors who will be able to assist you. If you suffer from stress, physical or emotional trauma, this may well be the course for you. This short non-accredited course will guide you through how you can apply Emotional freedom techniques (EFT) as a complementary treatment to support you in dealing with physical pain and emotional distress. It is also referred to as tapping or psychological acupressure. People who use this technique believe tapping the body can create a balance in your energy system and treat pain. This course offers interactive discussion and easy to learn practical techniques that millions of people use every day. With regular practice you may be surprised at how you can make a difference to your health and wellbeing.
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Course Information

Dates:
Mon 16/09/2024 -
Mon 16/09/2024
Times:
1:00pm - 2:30pm
Duration:
1 sessions
Location:
Online
Tutor:
Georgia Daniel
Course code:
Q00018560
How you'll learn:
Online
Availability:
10+ places remaining
Status:
Available
Fee:
Free

Care 2: Introduction to seated yoga

All our Care2 courses are completely free for unpaid carers (or those who have previously been carers). You do not need to receive a carer's allowance to qualify. If you are unsure, please contact our call centre advisors who will be able to assist you. This seated yoga is a progression for some and new for others. Suitable for all levels and taught by Georgia an experienced yoga teacher, who offers a range of difficulties to suit everybody. During this relaxed and friendly class, you will learn accessible yoga postures that can be done from the comfort of your own chair. We will cover breath work and body alignment. This class will strengthen your body, increase your flexibility and prepare you for your day by offering a meditation at the end of every session. You will learn how you can benefit from a regular yoga practice that incorporates hand mudras. All you need to do is prepare a space at home where you will not be disturbed, have a comfortable chair with back support and wear comfortable clothing. Look forwards to seeing you there!
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Course Information

Dates:
Mon 16/09/2024 -
Mon 16/09/2024
Times:
9:00am - 10:30am
Duration:
1 sessions
Location:
Online
Tutor:
Georgia Daniel
Course code:
Q00018561
How you'll learn:
Online
Availability:
10+ places remaining
Status:
Available
Fee:
Free

Care 2: Introduction to Chakras

All our Care2 courses are completely free for unpaid carers (or those who have previously been carers). You do not need to receive a carer's allowance to qualify. If you are unsure, please contact our call centre advisors who will be able to assist you. Join me on this relaxed and informative course where we will look at the intriguing world of Chakras. Week by week we will explore the crown, third eye, throat, heart, solar plexus, sacral and root chakra. This course is designed to elevate your awareness and knowledge of how you can use holistic therapy to enhance your life and wellbeing. We will cover both the practical and theoretical application of how to work with these amazing energy centres. Chakra centres correspond to each nerve bundle and the major organs of the body. With a deeper understanding of how each one relates to our emotions, health and general wellbeing it is possible to live a more balanced and happier lifestyle. Each chakra has its own unique profile, including the right food to eat, mantra to use, emotional expression, vibration and colour. You will learn a range of ways of how we can help balance the chakras through a deeper understanding of this fascinating subject. You will not need to purchase anything for this course and no prior knowledge is needed. We will also cover aromatherapy oils, crystals, the sound mantras and the associated body part that links in with this subject.
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Course Information

Dates:
Tue 17/09/2024 -
Tue 17/09/2024
Times:
11:00am - 12:30pm
Duration:
1 sessions
Location:
Online
Tutor:
Georgia Daniel
Course code:
Q00018556
How you'll learn:
Online
Availability:
10+ places remaining
Status:
Available
Fee range
Free to £5.55

Care 2: Introduction to Relaxation for Wellbeing

All our Care2 courses are completely free for unpaid carers (or those who have previously been carers). You do not need to receive a carer's allowance to qualify. If you are unsure, please contact our call centre advisors who will be able to assist you. Leading a busy life leaves little room for calm and relaxation. This can make it hard for us to wind down and enjoy the present. But finding these moments of calm is essential for our emotional well-being and mental health. This short course will introduce you to a range of simple and accessible relaxation techniques that will help you to learn to slow down and relive tension. The session is practice based; you will be guided to participate in a series of relaxation practices that will support you to progressively relax. We will focus on calming breathing techniques, gentle mindful movements to relieve tension and guided Yoga Nidra (deep relaxation of both mind and body).
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Course Information

Dates:
Thu 19/09/2024 -
Thu 19/09/2024
Times:
1:30pm - 3:00pm
Duration:
1 sessions
Location:
Online
Tutor:
Nicola Bailey
Course code:
Q00018562
How you'll learn:
Online
Availability:
10+ places remaining
Status:
Available
Fee:
Free

51·çÁ÷¹ÙÍø Membership

For just £15 a year, you can:

  • Join our popular, award-winning weekly lecture series,
  • Access an archive of over 100 past lectures,
  • Get priority online and phone booking for autumn courses (England only),
  • Receive our Highway magazine and access back issues,
  • Attend our members’ annual conference.

Just add us to your basket to sign up today!

Add to basket

Membership Information

Duration:
12 months
Fee:
£15

Care 2 Find out about Embroidery of Maldon

All our Care2 courses are completely free for unpaid carers (or those who have previously been carers). You do not need to receive a carer's allowance to qualify. If you are unsure, please contact our call centre advisors who will be able to assist you. The Maldon Embroidery celebrates 1000 years of history in stitches. Find out about the ideas behind the Embroidery, who worked it and how and where this modern piece sits in a long tradition of embroidery and tapestry. We'll pick out the details on the vibrant panels to locate and tell the stories of Maldon’s past from the Battle of Maldon, through the Industrial Revolution and into the present.
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Course Information

Dates:
Wed 25/09/2024 -
Wed 25/09/2024
Times:
2:00pm - 4:00pm
Duration:
1 sessions
Location:
Billericay Reading Rooms (Billericay)
73 High Street
Billericay
CM12 9AS
Tutor:
Claire Parker
Course code:
Q00019243
How you'll learn:
In venue
Availability:
10+ places remaining
Status:
Available
Fee:
Free

Care 2: Try relaxation techniques for stress management

All our Care2 courses are completely free for unpaid carers (or those who have previously been carers). You do not need to receive a carer's allowance to qualify. If you are unsure, please contact our call centre advisors who will be able to assist you. Modern society is often fast - paced causing many of us to feel overwhelmed and stressed, learning to relax is an effective tool to support stress management. This course is suitable for anyone - if you want to learn how to really relax, this course is ideal for you, and you are encouraged to join. You will learn to recognise how simple relaxation techniques can help you to relieve your own symptoms of stress. You will be guided through the practice of calming breathing techniques and gentle movements that ease tension in the body. Each session will end with a guided Yoga Nidra (deep relaxation practice) that will encourage deep rest of both mind and body.
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Course Information

Dates:
Thu 26/09/2024 -
Thu 03/10/2024
Times:
1:30pm - 3:00pm
Duration:
2 sessions
Location:
Online
Tutor:
Nicola Bailey
Course code:
Q00018563
How you'll learn:
Online
Availability:
10+ places remaining
Status:
Available
Fee:
Free

Care 2 Seated Yoga

All our Care2 courses are completely free for unpaid carers (or those who have previously been carers). You do not need to receive a carer's allowance to qualify. If you are unsure, please contact our call centre advisors who will be able to assist you. When you are constantly busy, stressed, overwhelmed, emotionally and energetically drained, yoga is quite possibly the last thing you feel like doing! But did you know that rather than taking more energy, the practice of yoga actually gives you more? It’s a great way to rest and revive, relieve the feeling of overwhelm, and work out the tension from your body that’s keeping you in a state of stress? Just a few minutes of gentle movement coordinated with your breath helps to calm the nervous system, quieten the mind, and allows all the systems of your body to work more efficiently. Most people don’t realise there are over one hundred different styles of yoga, so if you’ve tried a class before but felt it wasn’t for you, here’s your chance to try another! Chair yoga is a great way to enjoy many of the benefits of a mat-based practice without the need for equipment and props, or the ability to get up and down from the floor. It is a safe way for anyone living with a disability, or managing an injury or condition such as fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue, or arthritis to improve balance, mobility, circulation, and energy, without putting strain on joints or vulnerable areas of the body
View details

Course Information

Dates:
Sat 28/09/2024 -
Sat 28/09/2024
Times:
10:00am - 11:30am
Duration:
1 sessions
Location:
Billericay Reading Rooms (Billericay)
73 High Street
Billericay
CM12 9AS
Tutor:
Stephanie Driver
Course code:
Q00018909
How you'll learn:
In venue
Availability:
10+ places remaining
Status:
Available
Fee:
Free

Care 2 Look after your bulbs

All our Care2 courses are completely free for unpaid carers (or those who have previously been carers). You do not need to receive a carer's allowance to qualify. If you are unsure, please contact our call centre advisors who will be able to assist you. Would you like a lovely Spring bulb display in your garden but not sure how to best care for them? Maybe you don’t know which bulbs are best for the soil in your garden or where to plant them, or just want some general tips on how to get the best out of your bulbs. Join tutor Debbie Young at the Reading Rooms in Billericay on this fun and informative one-off free course for carers, care staff and former carers as part of the Care 2 delivery.
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Course Information

Dates:
Tue 01/10/2024 -
Tue 01/10/2024
Times:
2:00pm - 3:30pm
Duration:
1 sessions
Location:
Billericay Reading Rooms (Billericay)
73 High Street
Billericay
CM12 9AS
Tutor:
Deborah Young
Course code:
Q00019249
How you'll learn:
In venue
Availability:
10+ places remaining
Status:
Available
Fee:
Free

Care 2 : Guided Relaxation to support Mental Wellbeing

All our Care2 courses are completely free for unpaid carers (or those who have previously been carers). You do not need to receive a carer's allowance to qualify. If you are unsure, please contact our call centre advisors who will be able to assist you. Leading a busy life leaves little room for calm and relaxation. This can make it hard for us to wind down and enjoy the present. But finding these moments of calm is essential for our emotional well-being and mental health. This short course will support you to improve your mental well-being through guided relaxation practice. You will develop your ability to calm the mind by learning to physically relax your body using body scanning and mindful movement. You will learn to calm the mind through breathing practices and mindfulness practice. You will learn to encourage deep rest of mind and body through guided Yoga Nidra practice and soothing visualisation.
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Course Information

Dates:
Thu 10/10/2024 -
Thu 24/10/2024
Times:
1:30pm - 3:00pm
Duration:
3 sessions
Location:
Online
Tutor:
Nicola Bailey
Course code:
Q00018567
How you'll learn:
Online
Availability:
10+ places remaining
Status:
Available
Fee:
Free

Care 2: Staying calm at Christmas

All our Care2 courses are completely free for unpaid carers (or those who have previously been carers). You do not need to receive a carer's allowance to qualify. If you are unsure, please contact our call centre advisors who will be able to assist you. If you find Christmas stressful, why not treat yourself or a loved one to a gift of health and wellbeing? Have you ever been interested in helping yourself holistically? This course will take you through the fascinating art of reflexology where we will explore the roots and history of this amazing subject.
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Course Information

Dates:
Mon 02/12/2024 -
Mon 02/12/2024
Times:
10:00am - 11:30am
Duration:
1 sessions
Location:
Online
Tutor:
Georgia Daniel
Course code:
Q00019075
How you'll learn:
Online
Availability:
10+ places remaining
Status:
Available
Fee:
Free