Transforming Lives

The Cart Shed

What is The Cart Shed?

The Cart Shed is a mental health charity that transforms lives. We work with adults and young people from the age of 8 experiencing mental health difficulties, those who have emotional imbalances in their lives, or those that are finding life or school challenging. Our mission is to provide tailored therapeutic support in a natural and non-clinical setting to help people heal, find friendship and a future.

Based in beautiful woodlands on a working farm in north Herefordshire, we use enriching and engaging woodland activities such as woodcraft, willow craft and horticulture to empower people to be self-directed in their recovery journey and to work towards self-managing their mental and physical health in a sustainable way.

Young Cart Shed’s focus enables children, young people and their families to develop positive relationships with school, reduce family conflict, feel happier and more connected with their peers and gain the skills to ask for adaptations and accommodations where appropriate.

Sessions are run by tutors, occupational therapists and mental health practitioners. Our tutors have a wide range of relevant experience and qualifications, including teaching, and all our clinical staff are professionally qualified, experienced practitioners.

'Whereas before I had to pretend that everything was ok, here I could just open up. I wasn’t afraid to admit that I needed help in certain areas – it was like having a weight taken off my shoulders. For one day I could come here and reveal the truth about what was happening to me.'

Tammy, November 2020

Our service delivery is trauma informed and neuro-affirming and is based on the principles and core values of Occupational Therapy - it is person-centred and holistic, responsive to individual needs, and draws upon the therapeutic use of activity. The interventions we provide are predominantly activity and group-based and aim to build confidence, skills and knowledge.

What we offer

We offer a range of different types of courses and sessions throughout the year, which you can join by completing a referral form, or by having someone complete one on your behalf. We then offer a Taster Day or for a Taster Visit (in the case of some of our young people’s provision). This is a one-off session which provides you with the opportunity to see if our service and environment is right for you and provides us with the opportunity to assess whether or not we can meet your needs, and if we can, which provision would be a good fit for you. Courses run for one day per week for a set number of weeks.

Please be aware that courses and sessions are held outdoors in a woodland setting throughout the year in all types of weather, so dressing with that in mind, particularly during the colder and wetter months, is really important. The terrain is uneven and can become muddy and slippery in wet weather. Access to our woodland sites is over rough ground and our toilets are composting toilets which are accessed via several steps. If you have poor mobility, poor balance or struggle with steps, then our environment might not be right for you.

How do I join a course?

'Everyone is treated as an individual, with dignity and respect and allowed the opportunity to just be themselves without any expectations of what can be achieved. A hugely liberating and fulfilling experience.'

Cart Shed Participant

We currently operate Monday - Thursday. Sessions start at 10am and finish at 3pm on Mondays and Wednesdays, and at 2pm on Tuesdays and Thursdays. At the moment we do not offer any sessions in the evenings, at weekends or off-site.

Refreshments are available throughout the day, and a hot lunch of vegetable soup and sausages is freshly prepared on site each session. We ask for a donation of £3 towards the cost of this if you are able, or of course, you can bring your own packed lunch.

We offer free transport in one of our minibuses from designated pick-up points in Hereford, Leominster and Kington. We are sorry, but we cannot undertake pick-ups or drop off in any other places, including to/from your home.

To join one of our courses you can either apply directly to us by filling in a self-referral form or you can be referred by your GP or another professional supporting you. Many courses are fully funded or you can opt to pay what you can.

If you would like to join a course, or if you are a family member or friend of someone who would like to join a course, please click on the link below. If you are unable to access the online referral form please contact us.

Make a Referral

If you would like to know more about the security of our online forms please click here: https://www.formassembly.com/security/

Transport is available from Hereford, Leominster and Kington.

'The Cart Shed is an amazing place to be. It immediately helps you to relax which I think is due to the environment and the caring nature of the people who run it'

Cart Shed Participant

Our Funders