Brentford Together Events

We are now running our sessions both online through both Zoom and Facebook Live and in-person in Brentford providing tips and ideas for making the most of the time in isolation and a space to chat and meet others. 

Online:

• First Aid on Sundays 
• Fitness on Mondays 
• Sewing on Tuesdays 
• Cooking on Thursdays 
• Children’s Music Mornings on Fridays.  

For those new to Zoom and online workshops, we have a handy guide explaining how to join in.  

In Brentford:

• Meditation  
• Calligraphy  
• Creative wellbeing workshops connected to nature  
• Dr Bike 
• Gardening workshops 

See below for more information about the sessions and how to book. 

Join the Facebook page or keep an eye on the website for details of each session. For any queries, please contact us at [email protected]

Cooking

Sara Ward welcomes you to Hen Corner, her Urban Smallholding in West London, every Thursday. Now that we are eating more at home, ensuring that we are well fed has never been as important as it is now. Be that learning new skills, foraging in the back of the cupboard, fridge and freezer or simply getting creative with the ingredients, Sara is here to help.

Due to COVID-19, sessions are being held by video conference. Please click the link by the session to register and get joining details.

Cooking Together, Thursdays 10-11am, Zoom session

Register in advance for any of these meetings

September  

30/9 Coffee & Catch Up, 11am Spire Cafe (St Paul's Church)  

October  

7/10 Portuguese Custard Tarts  

14/10 Seasonal Soup  

21/10 Spiced Pear Tart  

28/10 Coffee & Catch Up, 11am Spire Cafe (St Paul's Church)  

November  

4/11 Bonfire Soda Bread  

11/11 - no session   

18/11 Coffee & Catch Up, 11am Spire Cafe (St Paul's Church)  

25/11 - no session  

December  

2/12 Choc Chilli Cake  

Sara has prepared some additional videos on cooking tips for you to watch and will be adding more each week.

Bike repair and maintenance

In line with current government guidelines regarding COVID-19 restrictions, we are happy to announce Winston has returned to Brentford Market Place to provide advice on how to repair your bicycles and ensure that they are fit to ride safely on the roads. He will be able to check your bike, help you repair punctures, adjust brakes, gears and remove rust. 

You can access the full risk assessment for the bike hub here.

Dr Bike sessions in Brentford Market Place:

18th September - 12pm to 4pm    

26th September - 10am to 1pm  

10th October - 10am to 1pm  

31st October - 10am to 1pm  

Sewing

Mary from the Brentford Sewing Bee will be running free community classes on basic sustainable sewing skills and creative clothing projects. 

Mary is a professional dressmaker and qualified teacher, her classes offer expert advice on simple, useful sewing techniques, making your own clothes and shares her skills and enthusiasm for regenerating fashion as well as repairing and restoring garments. Formerly of Liberty and Harrods, Mary is a vintage and original creative consultant whose sustainable fashion and lifestyle design can be seen on Mary A La Mode on Instagram and in Brentford Together sessions, she will answer questions and give help on sewing projects. 

Due to Covid 19, sewing sessions are currently online on Tuesdays 18.00 to 19.00 on the Brentford Together Facebook page. 

Instagram :  @_maryalamode_ 

Click here to join us on Facebook

Fitness and First Aid

Tania Cheney is the founder of Simple First Aid, an organisation which teaches life-saving first aid skills. Simple First Aid's training is primarily focused on providing parents with first aid skills to help babies and children. Simple First Aid believes that everyone should have the opportunity to learn simple first aid life-saving skills giving them the confidence to deal with a real-life first aid emergency.

Tania is regarded as an expert speaker, and she has participated in baby shows in London, Manchester, Birmingham and Scotland to advise on first aid for babies and children. The Red Cross Movement has presented Tania with their highest award for her work with them.    

Due to COVID-19, sessions going forward are being held by online. Online fitness and first aid sessions will be livestreamed on Facebook.

Click here to join us on Facebook

Gardening & Growing Food

In line with current government guidelines regarding COVID-19 restrictions, we are happy to be bringing back our face to face gardening sessions. 

Cultivate London and Brentford Together invites you to join us in creating a garden at:

St Paul's Church

Brentford

TW8 0PN.

The aim is to create a garden oasis with fruit, flowers and healing herbs.

To ensure we all stay as safe as possible, we will be strictly limiting numbers and you will be required to book attendance in advance.  

You can find previous online session videos on the Facebook page and blog posts on how to get your garden growing. 

Click here to join us on Facebook

Creative wellbeing workshops connected to nature

Zoe is an artist and textile designer with a background in fashion who enjoys connecting people to nature with creative experimentation and practical development.  @zoeburtuk  

Zoe will be joined by Mary - Mary is a creative consultant with a lifelong love of fabric and fashion. She will share traditional techniques from the local sewing bee and community craft creations from sustainable sources.'  @_maryalamode_  

17/09/21 - Natural Dyeing with Kitchen Botanics   

 Make a swatch card of colourful samples on fabric. Explore kitchen chemistry to change colours and make patterns.  

24/09/21 - Contact printing/hapazome   

With seasonal garden flowers and foliage. Experiment with colour and shape using this simple technique to extract pigment from plants. Take home samples on fabric and paper to send as gifts or frame.  

 01/10/21 - Cyanotype   

Explore this early form of photography with historical links to botany. Create your own unique postcards.  

08/10/21 - Mindful drawing and mark making   

Create artist pages through simple and fun drawing exercises, express and enjoy making pattern.  

Sewing demo - stitching to make a notebook to document all the different techniques and experiments.  

Sign up for all four sessions to enjoy the full course journey. All the materials included. A small and intimate group, with a maximum of six people per session. 

Calligraphy

Laura Edralin is a calligraphy artist and happiness facilitator based in West London with her husband and two young children. Laura started calligraphy in 2017 after experiencing a period of ill mental health. Fast-forward to 2021 Laura now runs her own business as a calligraphy artist and illustrator working for clients requiring lettering work from, weddings, workshops to bespoke projects.   

Co-founder of the UK National Arts Wellbeing Collective, Laura, will teach you how to calm your mind through calligraphy, pick up a new skill and explore different lettering techniques.   

Step away from the busyness of life and step into the calming space at St Paul’s Church for this empowering four-week course. Enhance your wellbeing toolkit with the mindful effects of calligraphy and learn four beautiful styles to support your mental health and the essential pillars of improving happiness.  

Each session you will create a final piece designed and hand lettered by you integrating the weekly theme to support your wellbeing.   

30/09/21 - Finding our flow state  

In week one we will be learning monoline calligraphy to switch on our state of flow and begin our reflective journey.   

We will create beautiful fluid monoline calligraphy finishing with a postcard to ourselves.  

07/10/21 - Gratitude & Abundance Mindset   

In the second week we will be learning brush pen calligraphy to enhance our sense of gratitude and inviting abundance.   

We will create stunning brush pen calligraphy finishing with a personal gratitude and abundance card to help visualise and manifest this mindset.  

14/10/21 - Connection & Kindness  

Week three we will be learning modern extended monoline & brush script to guide our theme of connection and kindness - both outer (social) and inner (self) work.   

We will create our elegant modern style extended calligraphy - and extend - a card to be given to two other people.   

21/10/21 - Commitment & Change  

For the final week together, we will be learning modern bouncy calligraphy style and returning to ourselves. Reflecting on the course and looking at our wellbeing tool kit and how to create positive change in ourselves and our lives ahead - ending the course with a bounce and making a loving commitment to yourself.  

We will finish the course in this fun modern bouncy style calligraphy with a personal mantra/affirmation card which can be pinned up or carried with us as an inspiring reminder of our commitment to ourselves.  

Sign up for all four sessions to enjoy the full course journey. All the materials included. A small and intimate group, with a maximum of eight people per session.  

Meditation  

Jagdeep fell into meditation and discovered valuable strategies that helped her feel positive and comfortable in her own skin. She has been meditating for 20 years; she is a cognitive hypnotherapist and Solution, Focussed Practitioner.  

Jagdeep will be offering two types of Meditation, they will be taking place weekly on Tuesday and Wednesday evenings at Brentford and Isleworth Quaker Meeting House, TW7 5AZ.  

Mindfulness Meditation   

Start date 28/09/21  

Time: 7pm – 8:45pm  

Free in person MBCT approved 10-week meditation sessions with ongoing online practice sessions (MBCT - Mindfulness based cognitive therapy as approved by the NHS).  

These sessions will start with simple meditations that are perfect for beginners and more experienced meditators alike.   

• You will learn Buddhist Meditation – the Art of Loving Kindness.
• You will learn mindfulness meditation techniques that support bringing awareness back to the present moment through focussing on the breath and body.  
• By the end of the session, you will know how to use the 3-stage breathing technique in your daily life a strategy that supports us to manage daily challenges.  
• At the end of each session, you will receive recordings of the meditations for home practice.  

Meditation group to align the body, mind and spirit  

Start date: 29/09/21  

Time: 7pm – 8:30pm  

Do I need to know how to meditate?  

No, both beginners and experienced meditators are welcome, you’ll be guided through the whole process.  

• Meditation is proven to support reducing stress, anxiety and depression, each day we wash our bodies, meditation clears the mind supporting us in being able to deal with life’s challenges with more grace and ease.  
• Over a period of 10 weeks, we will work with the elements, and your own personal belief systems, to bring harmony and create concrete strategies to support you in coping with these difficult times, difficult situations and emotions.  
• There will also be an opportunity to try therapeutic/meditative visualisations - to clear belief systems that are no longer useful to you.  

Head to www.mindshine.co.uk to find a link for a free Loving kindness meditation under the courses and workshops heading. 

For more information, questions and to book onto the course and individual sessions please contact Jagdeep: 

07988054509  

[email protected]