Behind the Curtain is a place to slow down. Sit by the fire pit with a cup of tea, spend time in the orchard, grow food in the raised beds and share a meal together. Our runner ducks will probably come and say hello.
Behind the Curtain is nestled in Old Station Yard at The Coal House, just outside Durham. Every corner has a job: somewhere to talk, somewhere to sit quietly, somewhere to get your hands in the soil.
The Coal House
Our home base. Warm, private and set up for 1:1 sessions, small groups and a proper brew.
The Orchard
Grounding sessions under the trees, and Events in the Orchard in the emperor tent with its wood stove.
Raised Beds
Seasonal crops we grow together, then pot, preserve or cook. The fire pit sits right beside them.
The Platform
The old railway platform, now a quiet spot to sit, look out and let the day slow down.
The Sauna
An outdoor sauna for warmth, rest and a little time to yourself between sessions.
Baking & cooking
Baking, cooking and preserving what we grow, then sitting down to share the meal together.
What we offer
Ways to come in
Every session is trauma-informed and run by coaches with lived experience. Come once, come weekly, come at your own pace.
Wellness sessions
1:1 and small-group support in a confidential, non-judgemental space. Talk things through with someone who has been there.
Wellbeing coaching, group retreats and Monday Mingles for LGBTQ+ adults facing isolation, poor mental health or identity struggles. New funding from the National Lottery Community Fund has opened the programme to lesbian women.
92%said their mental health and wellbeing improved
LGBTQ+ wellness sessions inside HMP Durham, focused on reflection, accountability and peer connection. They sit alongside existing mental health support.
Gatherings in the orchard, workshops and suppers. Tickets are free unless it says otherwise.
Loading what's on…
Meet the flock
Our runner ducks
They stand tall, poke their beaks into everything and never go anywhere alone. Most visitors are laughing at them within five minutes, and that is usually the moment the day starts to feel easier.
They are also why our logo has three ducks walking in a line. Nobody here walks on their own.
In their words
What people tell us
"I'm not alone."
Inside Out participant
"I feel lighter and more able to move forward."
Inside Out participant
"It opened my mind to my inner feelings."
Inside Out participant
Visit us
Come and find us
Behind the Curtain The Coal House, Old Station Yard Langley Park, Durham DH7 9TL
Tell us about any access needs before you visit and we'll plan around them.
Your first visit can simply be a chat and a cup of tea by the fire pit.
Out and Out – Together is funded by the National Lottery Community Fund.
Pick a time that suits you. Sessions are part of Out and Out – Together, funded by the National Lottery Community Fund, for LGBTQ+ adults, now including lesbian women.
Wellbeing and life coaching for LGBTQ+ people at HMP Durham.
Prison can be one of the loneliest places to be yourself. Inside Out is a space where you don't have to perform, defend or explain. You just have to turn up.
Inside Out is a wellbeing and life-coaching programme delivered by Behind the Curtain CIC in HMP Durham. It is built for LGBTQ+ people who are living with uncertainty, isolation and the weight of everything they are carrying.
We don't lecture. We sit in a circle and talk with people, and that includes being honest about our own difficult chapters. The team has lived experience of the things people face, so nobody is being "fixed" by someone who has never been there.
How we work
Four things we hold to
Honesty first
Change doesn't start with denial or defence. It starts with being able to say where you are right now, out loud, and be met with respect. Everything else is built on that.
Shared vulnerability
When facilitators are open about their own lives, it gives permission for everyone else to be. That is often the moment a room goes quiet and something real begins to move.
Your whole self
You are more than your worst day, your charge or your situation. We make room for family, identity, faith, fear, hope and the people who shaped you, for better and worse.
Practical as well as personal
Hard conversations matter, but so do the basics: where you'll sleep, who you can call, what support is waiting outside. We help people think ahead and connect with services.
In the room
What people explore in sessions
Family and relationships, including the people who shaped us and the people we miss
Identity, self-acceptance and living authentically
Shame, guilt and the stories we tell about ourselves
Fears about the future, including housing, work and belonging
Role models and the kind of person you want to be
Practical next steps and support beyond the gate
Why it matters
Being heard is where planning begins
Isolation, shame and worry about the future are some of the biggest barriers to wellbeing and to moving forward. For LGBTQ+ people in custody, they are often compounded by the fear of not being safe or accepted. Giving people a place to be heard is not a soft option. It is where steadier, more hopeful planning begins.
38participants so far
78%said they felt better afterwards
84%would come to another session
Our commitment to privacy and dignity
What's said in the circle stays there
Everything shared in our sessions stays confidential within the limits of prison safeguarding policy. What we publish describes themes across our work, never the stories, circumstances or identities of the people we support.
Every station once had a goods yard, where produce, parcels and odds and ends were loaded and sent on their way. Ours is a small shop of things grown, made and rehomed at Behind the Curtain. Every purchase helps keep the community work going.
See your orders, keep your details up to date and tell us what you're interested in. One account for the shop, events and everything else to come.
or
No passwords. We'll only ever use your email for your account, your orders and, if you say yes, our newsletter. Privacy
Nearly there
Tell us a little about you
So we can post things to you, keep you updated on orders and only tell you about the things you care about.
Your account
Hello
How you sign in
There's no password to look after. You can sign in with Google, Apple or a link we email you, and they all open the same account as long as the email matches.
Devices
Signing in keeps you signed in on this device for 30 days.
Your data
You can ask for a copy of everything we hold or have us delete your account. Deleting removes your details and interests; order records are kept for our accounts as the privacy policy explains.
We ask for as little as we can, we keep it only as long as we need to, and we never sell it. This page explains what we hold, why, and what you can do about it.
Last updated 28 October 2026
Who we are
Behind the Curtain CIC (company no. 15000978) is the data controller for the information described here. We are based at The Coal House, Old Station Yard, Langley Park, Durham DH7 9TL. You can reach us about anything on this page at info@behindthecurtaincic.org.
What we collect and why
When you book a session. Your name, an email address or phone number, and anything you choose to tell us in the notes box, such as access needs or what you'd like to talk about. We use this to hold your place and get in touch about it. The legal basis is the steps you've asked us to take before a session (contract). If you include information about your health or identity in the notes, that is sensitive information and we rely on your explicit consent, which you give by ticking the box when you book. You can leave the notes box empty.
When you get a ticket for an event. Your name, email address and how many places you want. We use this to issue your ticket, email it to you and check you in on the day. The legal basis is contract.
When you buy from The Goods Yard. Your name, email address, phone number if you give it, a delivery address if you choose postage, and any note you add. We use this to take payment, pack and send or hand over your order, send your receipt and deal with any refund. The legal basis is contract. If you ask to be told when something is back in stock, we keep your email for that one purpose and delete it once we've told you. If you sign in to see your orders, we email you a one-time link; nothing else is stored for that.
When you create an account. Your name, email, address, phone number if you give it, which things you're interested in, and whether you've said yes to the newsletter (we record when you said yes, so we can show consent). If you sign in with Google or Apple we receive only your email, your name and a verified-email flag from them; we don't see your Google or Apple password or anything else in those accounts. The legal basis is contract for the account itself and consent for the newsletter, which you can withdraw in your account at any time. You can delete your account yourself from the Security tab.
When you pay for a ticket. Card payments are taken by Stripe on their own secure pages. We never see or store your card details. Stripe tells us only that the payment succeeded and the amount paid.
When you send us a message. Your name, your email address or phone number and your message, so we can reply. The legal basis is our legitimate interest in answering people who get in touch.
During sessions and programmes. Our coaches may keep brief notes to support your wellbeing and to report anonymously to funders on how the programme is going. Nothing that identifies you is shared with funders without your written consent.
Quotes and photographs. We only use your words or image on the website or social media with your clear written consent, and quotes are anonymous unless you've agreed to be named.
Who we share it with
We use a small number of trusted services to run the website, and each only receives what it needs to do its job:
Netlify hosts the website and stores bookings, tickets and contact-form messages. Netlify is based in the USA and transfers are covered by the UK's data bridge and standard contractual clauses.
Stripe handles card payments for paid events.
Resend sends booking confirmations and ticket emails.
Google provides sign-in for our team only; visitors never sign in with Google.
We don't sell your information or share it with anyone for marketing. We would only disclose it where the law requires us to, or where someone's safety is at serious risk.
How long we keep it
Booking details: until 12 months after the session, then deleted.
Tickets: until 12 months after the event, then deleted. Records of paid tickets are kept for 6 years for accounting.
Shop orders: 6 years, because they're part of our accounts.
Messages sent through the contact form: up to 12 months after we've dealt with them.
Session notes: in line with our safeguarding policy, and no longer than needed.
Your rights
You can ask us for a copy of the information we hold about you, ask us to correct it, ask us to delete it, or object to how we use it. You can withdraw consent at any time. Email info@behindthecurtaincic.org and we'll respond within a month.
If you're unhappy with how we've handled your information, you can complain to the Information Commissioner's Office at ico.org.uk or on 0303 123 1113. We'd rather you told us first so we can put it right.
Keeping it safe
The website uses HTTPS throughout. Bookings and tickets are stored in a private store that only our team can reach after signing in. Cancellation links use a private code that only you hold.
Children
Our sessions and events are for adults. If we learn that we hold information about someone under 18 without a parent or guardian's involvement, we'll delete it.
Changes
If we change this policy we'll update the date at the top. Big changes will be flagged on the website.
Terms and conditions
The plain-English small print
These terms cover using this website, booking sessions and buying tickets for events. By booking or buying, you're agreeing to them.
Last updated 28 October 2026
About us
Behind the Curtain CIC is a Community Interest Company registered in England, no. 15000978, at The Coal House, Old Station Yard, Langley Park, Durham DH7 9TL. Questions about these terms: info@behindthecurtaincic.org.
What we offer, and what we don't
We offer peer-led, trauma-informed wellbeing support, social gatherings, grounding sessions and events. Our coaches have lived experience; they are not doctors, therapists or crisis services. Nothing on this website or in a session is medical or clinical advice, and it isn't a substitute for it. If you're in immediate danger or need urgent help, call 999, or call the Samaritans free on 116 123 at any time.
Booking a session
Sessions are free to the people they're for, unless a price is clearly shown when you book.
A booking holds a time for you. Ross or a member of the team will be in touch to confirm the details and, for Out and Out – Together, to check the programme is right for you.
If you can't make it, please cancel as early as you can so someone else can have the time. You can cancel from the booking page on the device you booked from, or by replying to your confirmation email.
If we have to cancel, we'll let you know as soon as we can and offer another time.
Event tickets
Prices are shown in pounds sterling and include VAT where it applies. Payment is taken by Stripe when you check out, and your ticket is confirmed once payment succeeds.
Places are held for 30 minutes while you pay. If payment isn't completed in that time, the places go back on sale.
Your ticket is sent by email and has a code and a QR code. Please bring it on your phone or printed. Each ticket admits the number of people shown on it.
Tickets are for personal use and can't be resold.
Refunds. If you tell us at least 48 hours before the event starts, we'll refund your ticket in full to the card you paid with. After that, we can't usually refund, but we'll always try to offer your place to someone else and, if we can, transfer you to another event.
If we cancel or substantially change an event, you can have a full refund or move to another event.
Free tickets can be cancelled at any time. Please do, if you can't come, so the place isn't wasted.
Buying from The Goods Yard
Prices are in pounds sterling. We're not VAT registered, so no VAT is added. Payment is taken by Stripe at checkout and your order is confirmed once payment succeeds; we email you a receipt.
Stock is set aside for you for 30 minutes while you pay. If payment isn't completed in that time, it goes back on the shelf.
Collection. We'll email you when your order is ready at The Coal House. Please collect within 14 days; if you can't, let us know and we'll hold it.
Postage. UK only, at the price shown at checkout. We aim to post within three working days and will email you when it's gone, with a tracking number where there is one.
Changed your mind? For most items you can cancel for a full refund within 14 days of receiving them, as long as they come back to us unused and as sold. This doesn't apply to perishable food, personalised items or sealed goods that have been opened. Return postage is yours unless the item was faulty or wrong.
Faulty or wrong? Tell us within 30 days and we'll refund or replace it, including the cost of returning it.
Homemade produce is made in a kitchen that handles nuts, gluten, dairy and eggs. Ingredients and allergens are listed on the item; ask us if you're unsure.
Refunds go back to the card you paid with and can take 5–10 days to show.
Being at Behind the Curtain
We're a safe space. Everyone who visits agrees to treat other people with respect, keep what's shared in sessions confidential, and follow reasonable requests from the team, including around the fire pit, the stove, the ducks and the orchard. We may ask anyone who puts others at risk, or who's under the influence of drugs or alcohol, to leave, without a refund.
Please tell us about any access needs or allergies before you visit. Food we share may contain allergens; ask the team if you're unsure.
Confidentiality and safeguarding
What you tell us stays with us, with one exception: if we believe you or someone else is at serious risk of harm, we may need to share information with the relevant services. We'd tell you if we could.
Using the website
The words, photographs, logo and design of this site belong to Behind the Curtain CIC. You're welcome to share links. Please don't copy or reuse content without asking. We do our best to keep the site accurate and running, but we can't promise it will always be available or error-free.
Our liability
We don't exclude or limit our liability for death or personal injury caused by our negligence, for fraud, or for anything else the law says we can't exclude. Beyond that, our liability to you in connection with a booking or ticket is limited to the amount you paid for it.
Changes and the law
We may update these terms from time to time; the version on this page when you book or buy is the one that applies. These terms are governed by the law of England and Wales.
Cookies
Cookies, and what we ask first
The site works without any tracking. We only switch on Google Analytics if you say yes to it, and there's no advertising and nothing that follows you around the internet.
Last updated 28 October 2026
What the site stores on your device
The website keeps a small amount of information in your browser so the booking page works. None of it is sent to anyone else, and none of it identifies you to us on its own:
btc-my-bookings – a private code for each session you've booked, so you can see and cancel your bookings from the same device. Kept until you clear your browser data or cancel.
btc-basket – what's in your Goods Yard basket and any discount code you've typed, so it's still there if you come back. Kept until you check out or clear your browser data.
btc-customer – only after you sign in to see your orders. A private token that lasts 30 days, or until you sign out.
btc-admin – only on our team's devices after they sign in. It's cleared when the browser tab closes.
These are strictly necessary for the site to work, so they don't need your consent.
Google Analytics (only if you say yes)
If you accept, Google Analytics 4 sets cookies (_ga and _ga_…, lasting up to 2 years) so we can see how many people visit, which pages they read and roughly where they came from. IP addresses are anonymised and we don't use advertising features. Your choice is stored as btc-consent. . Google's own policy: policies.google.com/privacy.
Other services
If you buy a ticket, Stripe's checkout page sets its own cookies to run the payment securely and prevent fraud; see Stripe's privacy policy. Fonts are loaded from Google Fonts, which doesn't set cookies.
Clearing it
You can remove anything the site has stored by clearing site data for behindthecurtaincic.org in your browser settings. The only thing you'll lose is the ability to see your bookings from that device; you can still cancel by replying to your confirmation email.
We'd like to use Google Analytics to see which parts of the site people find useful. It sets cookies, so it only happens if you say yes. About cookies
