CLEAR groups

CLEAR offers a wide range of groups in Huddersfield and Dewsbury. Please take a look at the sections below for more information. A copy of the latest group timetable for Huddersfield and Dewsbury can be downloaded from the top right of this page.

For more information about our CLEAR service, including the referral process, click here.

Creative groups: Welcome Session
A group introduction to the service, explaining who we are and what we do. This group is purely for new service users/potential service users to see what CLEAR offers. A referral form and risk assessment must have been received before you can attend the welcome session. The facilitators will explain how the service works, go through all the groups we have on offer and show you around the centre. This group is also your chance to ask questions about the service and decide if CLEAR is right for you.

Creative Writing
This group explores writing via creative activities and games as well as having time for individual work of your own. You’ll have a chance to write poetry, short stories, letters and more! No prior experience is needed to join in this group, and all levels of ability are welcome. We believe all writing is good writing! Come along and get your creative juices flowing!

“It’s a good opportunity to meet like-minded people. It is structured whilst leaving ample room to be as creative as you like. It’s the highlight of my week.” V.B.

Sing Your Socks Off
This group is designed and led by Music Therapist Rebecca, who will help you to become a confident singer in no time! Choose from a selection of songs, both old and new and sing along as Rebecca plays her guitar! If singing is not your thing you can still join in on the tambourine or drums! Come along and get involved with expressing yourself musically!

Creative Saturday / Creative Sunday
This group is an informal creative drop in. you can bring in your own projects to work on, or do something totally new! We also play board games, or watch films in these sessions if that what the group wants to do. It’s also a great social space to chat with others and get inspired.
Creative Saturdays are held in Huddersfield and Creative Sundays are held in Dewsbury.

Words in Mind
We work in partnership with Words in Mind to deliver this social reading group led by trained external volunteers. The volunteers bring along poems or short stories based on a theme chosen by the group the previous week. We read the poems aloud together and discuss them as a group and talk about how they make us feel. You can bring some of your own favourite pieces of writing to the group to share and discuss. It can be poetry, song lyrics, short stories, passages from a book, articles or quotes. You can also bring your own work to share in the group and get some feedback. Whatever you feel like sharing!

Creative Expressions
A chance to share your love of music, art or words by either bringing in your own compositions or sharing your favourite songs, book/poem paragraphs and artwork. No obligation to speak, the Support Worker will read the passages for you (though they may draw the line if it comes to singing!).

‘History Mystery’
‘Solve the past in the present’. A chance to explore the past based around a selection of clues, while using your own intrepid detective skills to piece the event together.
Outdoor groups: Allotment
A fun and friendly group which aims to teach practical skills and to get you having fun outdoors! We have various activities available that all help in growing a garden and crops! You can also get free vegetables from the garden when the crops are ready to harvest. You can get involved with creative activities such as painting murals on the sheds and helping with designing a zen garden! The group meet at CLEAR Huddersfield at 9:30, or you can meet us at the allotment at 10am (Fartown Allotment, York Road). Please also be aware you will need your bus fare to get to the allotment.

Waterside Wellbeing
Waterside wellbeing is a weekly outdoor group on our local canals alongside Canal & River Trust. Come along and improve the canal and rivers in your area! Or just join us for a cup of tea and a nice walk by the water! This group regularly takes on therapeutic walks amongst some of Kirklees most beautiful outdoor spaces. The benefits of this group are increased fitness, a chance to socialise, getting out into nature and helping your local community.
Social/Peer support groups: Women’s Social
A completely informal and relaxed group for women service users and support workers to unwind, have fun and support each other! Grab yourself a cup of tea and come for a chat and a catch up.

Men’s Group
A warm and welcoming male peer support group, which aims to build confidence and support recovery through sharing experience and learning from each other. This group is led by volunteers with lived experience of mental health difficulties.

All Together
Each week this group does a variety of puzzles, arts and testing games that are aimed at improving memory and concentration as well as developing problem solving skills. This group is also a great chance to develop your social skills and confidence and get to know other people at CLEAR in a relaxed, informal way. Come along, have fun and make new friends!

Prism
This is a social group for LGBTQ+ people in Kirklees. This group is open to anyone accessing CLEAR services who identifies as gay, lesbian, bisexual, trans, non-binary or any other gender or sexual minority. The group is run by a volunteer and takes place every week on Wednesday from 10am-12pm. Come along to get support, share your experiences and make friends!
Wellbeing and relaxation groups: Auricular Acupuncture
This wellbeing treatment is more commonly called acupuncture of the ear. It can be a significant help in the management of depression, anxiety, reduction of addiction cravings, stress, decreasing aggression and insomnia as well as contributing greatly to improving an overall sense wellbeing and balance. Most people who attend the session say they find the experience deeply relaxing and tend to sleep better after a treatment.

‘It was the first time in weeks that I was able to relax’ P.A.

Mindfulness Drop-in
This informal drop in can help you perfect your mindfulness practice and contribute to an overall sense of wellbeing. The benefits of mindfulness are decreased stress, improve physical and mental health and improve concentration. Come along to practice mindfulness and get some tips for practicing at home!

Meditation Mondays
This group helps you learn mindfulness and relaxation through meditation exercises. You will learn the benefits of meditation and mindfulness and get some help to develop your own practice. Meditation can help you manage stress and other difficult emotions and increase your concentration.
Courses: The courses are led by a facilitator and include activities and exercises to help give you the skills to develop and maintain your recovery. To access one of these courses, speak to your key worker who will add you to a waiting list, you’ll then be contacted when a space is available. It is important to attend every week in order to fully benefit from the course.

Wellbeing Skills
This group follows a structured plan of practical support around maintaining a state of wellbeing. This course is 6 weeks long and teaches practical techniques for handling intense emotions, learning to communicate assertively and relaxation.

Mindfulness
The eight-week mindfulness course incorporates guided mindfulness meditations and the theory and research behind mindfulness. Mindfulness is a way of paying attention to, and seeing clearly whatever is happening in our lives. It helps eliminate life's pressures and helps us to respond to them in a calmer manner that benefits our heart, head, and body. It helps us recognise and step away from habitual, often unconscious emotional and physiological reactions to everyday events.

“I can see life from a different perspective now I don’t feel the same person anymore” R.C

Anxiety Management
This four-week course aimed at understanding and managing anxiety. The course content includes understanding how anxiety affects us, what causes it, triggers, safety behaviours and coping strategies. This course will help you understand where your anxiety comes from, how to address it and how to cope with it in the moment. It also offers a chance for you to share your experiences and get support from people experiencing similar difficulties.

‘Really informative and fun too. Feel more confident about how to cope and deal with anxiety’ P.K.

Anger Management
This six-week course designed to support effective self-management of anger by increasing awareness and understanding. This course is based on the principles of cognitive behaviour therapy and covers the causes of anger, how to challenge our responses to triggers how to respond in more positive ways.

Smoking cessation
This course is for anyone trying to quit smoking but finding they need some extra help.

Sleep!
The aim of this course is to introduce you to some lifestyle changes that can help improve your sleep quality and reduce insomnia. In this course you will learn about the science of sleep, think about what you can do to help yourself sleep better and have a chance to practise relaxation techniques.

WRAP
This stands for Wellbeing and Recovery Action Plan. This is for service users approaching the end of their time with CLEAR and looking for ways to maintain and develop the skills they learned with us. This is a chance to reflect on your progress and set some goals for when you finish with CLEAR. The sessions encourage you to think about what has gone well, what things help you keep you keep well and what to do if things go wrong. There is also an opportunity to identify other sources of support around Kirklees.