FAQs

Mindfulness Mindfulness

1. What exactly is meant by mindfulness?
There are many definitions of Mindfulness and it means many things to many people. The definition we like to use comes from one of our participants and we think it sums it up nicely.

"MINDFULNESS IS A TOOL THAT CAN BE USED TO IMPROVE MENTAL HEALTH. IT IS A WAY TO LOOK AFTER YOURSELF MIND AND BODY, TO BE IN THE MOMENT AND BE KIND TO YOURSELF AND OTHER PEOPLE."

2. What evidence is there of the benefits mindfulness might bring to someone like me?

There is a whole body of clinical research about the benefits of Mindfulness (Oxford and Harvard Universities included). These are just some of the proven benefits:

Mindfulness helps to ease anxiety and depression

Mindfulness is recommended by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) as a way to prevent depression in people who have had 3 or more bouts of depression in the past.

Mindfulness reduces stress and improves mental resilience (Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction Programme is specifically aimed at this.)
Mindfulness improves our focus and efficiency – we are less distracted.
Mindfulness hard wires your brain to be calm and less reactive.
Mindfulness improves our sleep.
Mindfulness improves the quality of our relationships.
Mindfulness helps us feel happy and more fulfilled.
Mindfulness improves our physical health, including managing chronic pain, the immune system and in dealing with substance misuse
Mindfulness make you more self-compassionate and kinder to others.

3. What do you need to participate in mindfulness?
Nothing – just bring an open mind and something to sit on

The Courses

4. Where will courses be delivered?
Courses of differing lengths and times will be delivered at different venues (mainly in Sunderland), on-line or could be held at your employer’s or organisation’s premises.

5. Who delivers the courses?
These are always delivered by one of the three teachers, Joe, Andrew and Liz, in The Little Company of Calm but from time to time we may partner with other similar organisations e.g. MIND, Ashbrooke Yoga

6. How is your on-line offer delivered?
Most of our sessions and courses can be delivered on Zoom. We realise that there are a number of reasons why people cannot attend in person and that you may want the option to attend either face to face or on line. We also offer weekly meditations on-line through our “Streams of Calm” membership. Contact us to find out more.

7. What do I wear to attend a course?
Whatever you feel comfortable in. For mindful movement, something loose that allows movement would be good. If you are online you may be in your pyjamas!

8. How do we pay for a course?
Payments can be made by bank transfer, (Nat West Business Banking Tranquillity through Mindfulness CIC (that’s our registered name) sort code 556111 account number 75267276, via Ticketsource but if this is not possible you can pay by cheque or cash.

9. What if I cannot afford a course but would benefit from it?

We realise that not everyone can afford our courses or activities. We want Mindfulness to be open to everyone regardless of their ability to pay and will accept a donation of any amount. Simply, contact us at hello@tlcoc.co.uk and we would be happy to help.

The Company

10. Why was The Little Company of Calm set up?
The Little Company of Calm was set up to deliver affordable Mindfulness activities, mainly in the Sunderland area. The three teachers who set up the Company are all passionate about the benefits of Mindfulness and saw that there was a gap for Mindfulness delivery by accredited teachers in the Sunderland area.

11. When was The Little Company of Calm set up?
January 2019.

12. Who are the founders?
The founders are the three mindfulness teachers, Joe Glancy, Andrew Carton and Liz McEvoy. The founders have been practising and benefitting from Mindfulness for over 9 years each and have been teaching for over 6 years

13. What qualifications do the teachers have to allow them to teach mindfulness?
Joe – Certificate of Readiness to Teach Mindfulness Based Interventions and Courses – Centre for Mindfulness Research and Practice at Bangor University.

Teacher Training Level 2

Andrew – Foundation Course in Teaching MBCT – Oxford Mindfulness Centre, University of Oxford.
Teaching Training Level 2 – Bangor University.

Liz - Post Graduate Certificate of Education for general education plus foundation level Mindfulness.

14. Who else works at the Company?
We are so lucky and feel grateful to have a fantastic band of volunteer workers who
help us with our finances, social media and developing as a company. If you are
interested in volunteering, just drop us an email at hello@tlcoc.co.uk

15. Who else do you work with?
Partnership working is key to improving better mental health and we work with many partners including Sunderland Carers’ Centre, Back on the Map, Creative Minds, local schools, Media savvy, Betsy Jenny Counselling café, Sunderland City Council, Darlington Council, the third sector in Sunderland, the Sunderland Bangladeshi International Centre and of course the community here in Sunderland and on-line.

16. What safeguarding provisions and policies does the company have in place?
The Company sees it as a priority to protect vulnerable people and has its own Safeguarding Policy in place which is reviewed annually. If you would like a copy of our policy, send us an email to hello@tlcoc.co.uk.

All teachers have been DBS checked and these are renewed every 2 years.

17. What health and safety and first aid provisions do you have in place?
Health and Safety is important to us and we take our responsibilities seriously. We have a Health and Safety Policy which is reviewed every year and we undertake risk assessments before the delivery of all courses. Liz and 1 of our volunteers are qualified First Aiders (FAA Level 3 Award in Emergency First Aid at Work (RQF).

18. What about equality?
Mindfulness truly is for everyone. Everyone, no matter what background, is welcome at our Company and we do our utmost to make our services and courses accessible and equal to all. We have an Equality Policy which is reviewed every year. If you would like a copy, just email us at hello@tlcoc.co.uk

19. How are you funded?
We are funded through income from our courses and sessions, funded project work and also through contracts with employers and organisations.

We would like to thank and acknowledge Sunderland City Council, Together for Children, Sunderland Bangladeshi International Centre, The North East BIC, Persimmons and Arnold Clark Community Fund for supporting us to deliver Mindfulness.

FAQs

Mindfulness Mindfulness 1. What exactly is meant by mindfulness? There are many definitions of Mindfulness and it means many things to many people. The definition we like to use comes from one of our participants and we think it sums it up nicely.

"MINDFULNESS IS A TOOL THAT CAN BE USED TO IMPROVE MENTAL HEALTH. IT IS A WAY TO LOOK AFTER YOURSELF MIND AND BODY, TO BE IN THE MOMENT AND BE KIND TO YOURSELF AND OTHER PEOPLE."

2. What evidence is there of the benefits mindfulness might bring to someone like me?

There is a whole body of clinical research about the benefits of Mindfulness (Oxford and Harvard Universities included). These are just some of the proven benefits:

Mindfulness helps to ease anxiety and depression

​

Mindfulness is recommended by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) as a way to prevent depression in people who have had 3 or more bouts of depression in the past.

​​​

Mindfulness reduces stress and improves mental resilience (Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction Programme is specifically aimed at this.)

Mindfulness improves our focus and efficiency – we are less distracted.

Mindfulness hard wires your brain to be calm and less reactive.

Mindfulness improves our sleep.

Mindfulness improves the quality of our relationships.

Mindfulness helps us feel happy and more fulfilled.

Mindfulness improves our physical health, including managing chronic pain, the immune system and in dealing with substance misuse

Mindfulness make you more self-compassionate and kinder to others.

​

9. What if I cannot afford a course but would benefit from it?

We realise that not everyone can afford our courses or activities. We want Mindfulness to be open to everyone regardless of their ability to pay and will accept a donation of any amount. Simply, contact us at hello@tlcoc.co.uk and we would be happy to help.

Teacher Training Level 2

Andrew – Foundation Course in Teaching MBCT – Oxford Mindfulness Centre, University of Oxford. Teaching Training Level 2 – Bangor University.

​

16. What safeguarding provisions and policies does the company have in place? The Company sees it as a priority to protect vulnerable people and has its own Safeguarding Policy in place which is reviewed annually. If you would like a copy of our policy, send us an email to hello@tlcoc.co.uk.

We would like to thank and acknowledge Sunderland City Council, Together for Children, Sunderland Bangladeshi International Centre, The North East BIC, Persimmons and Arnold Clark Community Fund for supporting us to deliver Mindfulness.

​

Mindfulness Mindfulness

1. What exactly is meant by mindfulness?
There are many definitions of Mindfulness and it means many things to many people. The definition we like to use comes from one of our participants and we think it sums it up nicely.

Andrew – Foundation Course in Teaching MBCT – Oxford Mindfulness Centre, University of Oxford.
Teaching Training Level 2 – Bangor University.

16. What safeguarding provisions and policies does the company have in place?
The Company sees it as a priority to protect vulnerable people and has its own Safeguarding Policy in place which is reviewed annually. If you would like a copy of our policy, send us an email to hello@tlcoc.co.uk.