From 26 to 30^th September 2016, trainers of the Chic & Craft project attended to an intensive training in the day center for people with mental illness run by INTRAS in the town of Toro. During these five days we had a great opportunity to learn and practice the most important points of the pilot course that is just about to start.

The Chic & Craft working group has selected and developed 53 upcycled products to be done by the five groups of users or clients in Spain, Slovenia, Germany, Greece and Lithuania during six months (until spring 2017) in the therapeutic and labour workshops that the organizations working in this project run in the above mentioned countries.

As explained in previous articles, we want to implement an innovative methodology based on peer learning to empower our clients and enhance the autonomy and responsibility of the people living with severe and prolonged mental illness. We have created small “tailor-made” groups amongst each national group composed by 2-4 people with special abilities on sewing or interest in the initiative to play the role of teaching assistant. They will help to organize each training session and will support their mates during the training course. To facilitate them to assume this role, we have created 50 exercises to train transversal abilities needed to support the professionals, as for instance motivation, communication, team work, self-esteem, leadership or concentration. Once per week the tailor-made groups will attend this extra training.

This training the trainers’ event has been really successful and we expect that it is only the beginning of a great pilot course that really makes a difference in the life of the people we work for.