Training and Courses
Training and Courses
Through my training sessions, I will enable you and your staff, freelancers or volunteers to learn new skills, develop new knowledge, learn how to facilitate a course, deliver activities, and share life stories and experiences, whilst exploring heritage and local history through creativity.
If you work with older people and would like to learn how to provide them with professional reminiscence and activity sessions, I can offer bespoke training courses for groups, staff and volunteers throughout the year.
I am also happy to provide tailor-made training specifically for your groups in a location of your choice.
I currently offer the following courses to groups and organisations, all of which can be made bespoke to perfectly suit your staff and volunteer needs. I am also happy to create new ones on related themes, just get in touch for a discussion:
Training sessions available:
- Reminiscence Training – Both 1 & 2-day programmes
- Oral History Training – Both 1 & 2-day programmes
- Online Oral History Training – Over 2-4 sessions
- Dementia Awareness Training
- Object Handling for Reminiscence Work
- Remembering Together: A Life History Book Course
These courses are suitable everyone and in particular for:
- Activity co-ordinators and care staff at homes and day centres
- Carers/family members needing guidance on providing activities for loved ones
- Anyone wishing to learn more about the role of creative reminiscence in supporting older people
- Participants wanting to make a bespoke creative present for friends and family
- Social Care workers engaging with volunteer training
- Participants wanting to improve their lives through a creative medium
- Artists and Facilitators working with older people
I deliver a range of training from talks and practical sessions to one- and two-day courses for those wishing to improve their knowledge and skills in the fields of oral history, reminiscence, creative engagement, dementia, and life story work.
Both online and in-person courses are available.
“Fantastic resources and ideas. The course content was extremely useful – practical, NOT just theory!”
“It introduced the whole area in a practical, useful and engaging way’”
“Nothing I would add, change or take away! I’d easily do another day. It was very engaging.”
“Provided lots of inspirational ideas about how to apply the ideas in practice”
“I found the course informative and enjoyable!”
“A thoroughly engaging and rewarding course that has given confidence to further our own reminiscence ambitions.”
“Fantastic course where I was able to learn about reminiscence and think more creatively how to use heritage to connect with people, especially those living with dementia.”
“Nicola pitched the training at exactly the right level for us and was able to adapt to our needs and energy levels!”
“Engaging, informative and fun!”
“Thank you so much for giving me the opportunity to join this course, I cannot tell you how much it has enriched my life. That sounds rather dramatic, but it has shown me just how much oral history means to me. I have been regarding my historical projects as something I participate in merely as a hobby, and as such, not worth taking further, such as, investment in training. The knowledge I now have, thanks to the course, I hope to put to good use at some point in the future.”‘
“I found it very valuable!”
“I thoroughly enjoyed this course – a delight from beginning to end.”
“Excellent, fast paced, varied – and so much to learn! Really enjoyed this so Thank You, Nicola.”
“Nicola is lovely to work with. She is warm, friendly, imaginative, creative and very professional!”
Pippa Smith Freelance Producer / Former Head of Education – Brighton Festival and Dome
“Nicola has worked on the Chichester Festivities lantern procession since 2005. On this project she runs lantern making workshops in the community, creates art for the event and then works on the actual event. We have found Nicola to be a good communicator and popular with the groups that she has worked with; she is a hard worker, good team player and has created amazing art for us. We would not hesitate in recommending her for similar projects.”