Hello friends,
We are here with a Crowdfunding request. In addition to our regular classes at Every Body Studio, we also work with a few Charities and Mental Health Services. Unfortunately, one of those places has lost funding for its weekly yoga class. Classes for the Early Intervention Service have been running in the studio since 2021 and have been a positive point in clients' recovery. The classes were first taught by Katie Gordon and now run by Katie McNeil.
What we are hoping for:
We are hoping to find funding for the classes to continue for the next 12 months (or beyond) so that we can keep providing yoga for the Early Intervention Service.
Classes are £40 each, all of which goes to pay the instructor (the Studio does not take a cut). Classes are weekly all year, except for one week's break for Christmas.
We are hoping to raise £2,040 to cover the cost of classes for 12 months.
Any extra funding will be used for the following year, extra funding up to £4,080.
If we go over that then we will feed this into supporting or starting other classes for other charities within Oxford that could benefit from yoga.
A Message from the Early Intervention Team:
The Early Intervention Service is an NHS team that supports people who are experiencing their first episode of psychosis. We work with clients for up to 3 years to help improve both their mental and physical health, allowing them to recover and return to work.
Physical activity is beneficial not only for physical health (which is also poorer in people with severe mental illnesses) but also mental health research has shown that yoga is the best form of physical activity for improving symptoms of psychosis.
The yoga group at Every Body Studio is so important to our clients as it’s a gentle way of getting back into physical activity within a safe space, where clients can meet other people who’ve been through similar experiences. The combination of improving strength, flexibility, balance as well as focusing on relaxation and mindfulness creates a calm space for clients to rest and recover from challenging life experiences. We would love to keep this group going as we have seen major improvements in those who regularly attend, with one client calling the group “a cornerstone of their recovery”.
We would love to continue the yoga sessions at Every Body Studio and would really appreciate any support to help keep this fantastic group going!
We would love to continue the yoga sessions at Every Body Studio and would really appreciate any support to help keep this fantastic group going!
What the clients say about the classes:
“Nice friendly group”
“Supportive environment, very positive, give structure to the week”
“Cornerstone of recovery, relaxation of yoga helps manage anxiety”
“Very inclusive, sociable, no expectations so no pressure”