Certificate in Teaching
Craft for Wellbeing
A new professional training for makers who want to run craft for wellbeing workshops - in mental health, social prescribing and community settings. Live online across the UK, or in person at MAKE Southwest in Devon. Delivered by Woodcrafters in partnership with MAKE Southwest, funding by the Goldsmiths’ Foundation
Expressions of Interest are now open.
Once registered applicants will be invited to book from 2nd November 2026
Prices
£35 instead of £395* | £45 instead of £750*
Live online & In Person | CPD certification | 7 modules | UK-wide
*Places are Funded by The Goldsmith’s Foundation
Delivered in Partnership with MAKE Southwest, funded by the Goldsmiths’ Foundation for 2027
Certificate in Teaching Craft for Wellbeing
Woodcrafters have partnered with MAKE Southwest to create the first UK CPD Certified training in craft for wellbeing. The first 2 rounds in 2027 are funded by Goldsmiths’ Foundation to train skilled craftspeople supporting underserved communities.
Many makers are new to running workshops with a focus on wellbeing, and meanwhile social prescribing is growing fast and the demand for community-focussed workshops is growing.
What's been missing is a recognised standard and professional CPD certification to provide craftspeople with the confidence and competence to run craft for wellbeing workshops with real impact.
Dates for 2027
Cohort 1 Starts 7th Jan 2027 | Limited Places | Cohort 2 Starts 22nd Feb 2027
Online Only / In Person Options Available
Cohort 1: January ‘27
Tuesday & Thursday evenings
Tuesday 5 January 2027, 5.00pm
Enrolment closes
Thursday 7 January 2027, from 6.45pm (60 mins) · Live online
Enrolment call: course overview; pods and pod leads assigned
Tuesday 12 January 2027, 7.00pm – 8.30pm · Live online
Session 1, Module 1: Foundations, the Field & the Wider Landscape
Thursday 14 January 2027, 7.00pm – 8.30pm · Live online
Session 2, Module 2: Craft Psychology & the Research Behind Craft for Wellbeing
Friday 15 January 2027, 9.15am – 4.30pm · In person, MAKE Southwest
In-person Day 1: Running a session, using the Field Guide and Toolkit, professional boundaries and group dynamics
Tuesday 19 January 2027, 7.00pm – 8.30pm · Live online
Session 3, Module 3: Role, Scope, Boundaries & Safeguarding
Thursday 21 January 2027, 7.00pm – 8.30pm · Live online
Session 4, Module 4: Trauma-Informed Facilitation & the Container
Tuesday 26 January 2027, 7.00pm – 8.30pm · Live online
Session 5, Module 5: Designing & Delivering Sessions
Thursday 28 January 2027, 7.00pm – 8.30pm · Live online
Session 6, Module 6: Measuring Outcomes & Evaluating Sessions
Tuesday 2 February 2027, 7.00pm – 8.30pm · Live online
Session 7, Module 7: Social Prescribing & Sustainable Practice
Friday 12 February 2027, 9.15am – 4.30pm · In person, MAKE Southwest
In-person Day 2: Facilitation practice, evaluating sessions &| portfolio assembly
Cohort 2: February ‘27
Monday &Wednesday evenings
Monday 15 February 2027, 5.00pm
Enrolment closes
Monday 22 February 2027, from 6.45pm (60 mins) · Live online
Enrolment call: course overview; pods and pod leads assigned
Monday 1 March 2027, 7.00pm – 8.30pm · Live online
Session 1, Module 1: Foundations, the Field & the Wider Landscape
Wednesday 3 March 2027, 7.00pm – 8.30pm · Live online
Session 2, Module 2: Craft Psychology & the Research Behind Craft for Wellbeing
Friday 5 March 2027, 9.15am – 4.30pm · In person, MAKE Southwest
In-person Day 1: Running a session, using the Field Guide and Toolkit, professional boundaries and group dynamics
Monday 8 March 2027, 7.00pm – 8.30pm · Live online
Session 3, Module 3: Role, Scope, Boundaries & Safeguarding
Wednesday 10 March 2027, 7.00pm – 8.30pm · Live online
Session 4, Module 4: Trauma-Informed Facilitation & the Container
Monday 15 March 2027, 7.00pm – 8.30pm · Live online
Session 5, Module 5: Designing & Delivering Sessions
Wednesday 17 March 2027, 7.00pm – 8.30pm · Live online
Session 6, Module 6: Measuring Outcomes & Evaluating Sessions
Monday 22 March 2027, 7.00pm – 8.30pm · Live online
Session 7, Module 7: Social Prescribing & Sustainable Practice
Thursday 25 March 2027, 9.15am – 4.30pm · In person, MAKE Southwest
In-person Day 2: Micro-facilitation practice, evaluating sessions and portfolio assembly
Who’s The Training For?
This course is for you if:
You're a skilled maker in any material and you want your work to reach people who need it.
You already run workshops and want to work more confidently with vulnerable groups.
You're a social prescriber, occupational therapist, SEND educator or support worker who already uses craft and wants formal training in how to enhance the wellbeing aspects of your workshops
You want craft to be a bigger part of your professional practice, not just a hobby or a passion project
You’ve been running craft workshops and are keen to incorporate the wellbeing aspects of craft into your sessions.
It's probably not for you if you're looking for a therapy or counselling qualification, or if you want to learn a craft rather than learn to teach one with a wellbeing focus.
Course Content
You cannot learn the nuances of wellbeing facilitation by simply watching a video about it! This course provides an action based learning approach which provides learners with the professional structure, case studies and practical resources to run wellbeing workshops with confidence
+ Watch — experienced facilitators model it first, challenging parts included!
+ Do — live practice with your fellow learners, in a low-stakes positive learning environment.
+ Feedback — specific, from tutor and peers, on what works.
+ Reflect — group peer pods on real situations from wellbeing work in the community
Every cohort opens with a welcome session before teaching starts, so you meet the group and know how it runs before you're asked to do anything. Recorded modules, facilitator field guides and worksheets are yours to keep.
Total Qualification Time is 17-22 hours
The training is certified by the CPD Certification Service.
Lead Trainer
Alex is an award-winning wood carver, published author, and NHS-commissioned practitioner. Alex has delivered Woodcraft for Wellbeing since 2022 originally with the NHS Devon Recovery Learning Community, and has 8 years' experience working in mental health recovery colleges.
Alex is the lead trainer, bringing a warm and engaging approach to teaching craft for wellbeing, with inspiration from his own Woodcraft for Wellbeing Sessions and a wealth of experience working with diverse groups.
Alex Finberg
What Happens Next?
1. Register your interest. Tells us about your practice and puts you on the list - it only takes two minutes. Deadline: Sunday 1 November, 11pm.
2. We send you the application form & booking link (and discount code) once enrolment opens. Apply for your route: live in person, live online or self guided*. Enrolment closes Tuesday 5 January 2027, 5pm for cohort 1, and Thursday 18 February 2027, 5pm for cohort 2.
3. Book Your Place. Places are limited - 15 people per cohort for in person sessions and 40 per cohort for the live online only sessions. Funded places are only available for the first 2 cohorts - places will be full price from cohort 3 onwards.
4. Join the welcome session. Meet your cohort & get started!
Our Partners
