Community Courses/Activites
Community Courses are designed to widen participation, and bring our community closer together.
Our Community Courses are completely free of charge; all you need to do is fill out an enrolment form!
Find Your Active
Thanks to the generous support of Active Essex, we are able to offer 3 free courses to help you be more active this year!
Seated Dance
with Rachel Newby
Seated Dance is a gentle class for movers of all abilities. Rachel guides learners through simple movement to music that can even be practiced at home. Using props such as scarves and ribbons, or just the body, this is a fantastic way to explore how movement to music can enhance your mood and wellbeing. Despite the gentle activity your whole body will really benefit from these fun and revitalising sessions. You don’t need any special outfit and the movements can be done in your normal clothes as long as they are comfortable. Shoes should be comfortable too.
“Brilliant. Uplifting. Exhilarating”
ENROLMENT TO BE ANNOUNCED
Starts on Wednesday 15 January 2025
12 - 1pm
15, 22 January
5, 12, 19, 26 February
5, 12, 19, 26 March
Tai Chi & Qi Gong
with Richard Edwards
Tai Chi & Qi Gong is the perfect way to start moving more this year. Learn the gentle yet transformative art of Tai Chi with our resident expert: Richard Edwards. Not sure if it’s for you, just come along and give it a go! You will be amazed how fun and relaxing it feels. You don’t need any special outfit and Tai Chi can be done in your normal clothes as long as they are comfortable. Shoes should be comfortable too. Qigong is a Healing Art. It is also an important branch of Traditional Chinese Medicine known as “Chinese Yoga” and has significant similarities to Tai Chi, as both work on Qi and life. In a practice, body movement, breathing techniques, sound meditation and mind activity are used to directly work on Qi – our energy or life force. Practiced by millions worldwide, Qigong is a powerful and effective tool for preventing illness and improving health. Time: 18:30 - 19:45. starts 5 Nov.
This course is currently fully booked. Please use the form below to join the waiting list.
Contemporary Dance
with Rachel Newby
Join the wonderful Rachel Newby for Contemporary Dance!
Don’t worry if you’ve never danced in this way before, or done any kind of dance – this class is open to all.
The tutor will take participants through appropriate warm-ups to wake up the muscle groups and as the sessions progress, longer, slightly more complicated exercises will be given. The classes are relaxed and fun and performed to a great variety of music.
This session will involve coordination exercises, use of the spine, working in parallel and turned out position and give the dancers a sense of freedom and change of dynamics. Music from across genres and decades are used to change the pace and create different moods.
ENROLMENT TO BE ANNOUNCED
Starts on Wednesday 15 January 2025
1.15pm - 2.15pm
15, 22 January
5, 12, 19, 26 February
5, 12, 19, 26 March
Bedford House Gardeners
THURSDAYS (every first Thursday of each month)
Gardening Sessions take place in the front and rear garden at Bedford House.
If you have gardening experience, we hope you will share it with the other participants, but you do not need experience to join the Gardening sessions
Gardening is a great opportunity for gentle physical exercise, socialising, learning basic gardening skills, or sharing gardening skills, and reconnecting with nature, self and others.
Gardening sessions are 2-2 1/2 hours long (you can leave any time). The session will be between 10:00 and 12:30.
1st Thursday of the month
Term 1: free
If you are interested, please contact the Administration Office on 020 8504 6668 to express your interest and to check the next session is taking place.
Bedford House Crafters
MONDAYS 10:30-12:30
The Bedford House Crafters with Jo Brunt.
This is a new group who meet weekly at Bedford House for crafting sessions. They are led by our wonderful Craft Coordinator, Jo Brunt. Jo will be teaching a range of crafting techniques.
This is a friendly, chatty and supportive group for people of all abilities. Don’t worry if you’ve never crafted before, Jo is always on hand with expert advice!
This course is generously supported by Jo Brunt and facilitated by BHCA.
Term 1: free | donation based
COURSE CODE: 055
Starts 9 September - to book onto this course you need to either call or pop into the office 0208 504 6668.
Supporting Community Courses
If you’d like to support BHCA to further our ability to provide free experiences for the community, and are able to make a donation or ‘pay-it-forward’, BHCA would be incredibly grateful. All our payable courses are subsidised 25-30% by our other income streams. If you can help to bridge the gap that would be much appreciated. Donation pots are situated in Reception and the Kitchen for any surplus lose change. We can also take donations via card or BACS.
If you’re a business or independent funder looking to support a course, email ceo@bedfordhouse.org.uk.