Sister Stories RETREAT
THE ENCHANTED GLADE, WEST SUSSEX
27th-29th May 2022
This retreat is now fully booked.
Are you craving a deeply restorative weekend?
Do your body and mind YEARN FOR respite from the pressures of daily life?
Would you like to be held in the magic of ANCIENT WOODLAND and the Circle?
We are delighted to invite you to our first ever Sister Stories retreat at the beautiful Enchanted Glade, deep in the West Sussex countryside. Gather with us for a weekend in the forest, to Circle, to be in Community and to enjoy deep rest. Our time together will be a chance to gather in the flesh, be in nature and relax into a spacious weekend to restore your body and soul.
For those who have been to our events before, you know the ways in which the simple act of being in the company of other women and sharing from the heart, has the power to be deeply healing. Our intention is that you can allow yourself to unfurl, unfold and soften whilst being held by the group. There will be no expectation of our time together, no parts to play, no goals to achieve. Instead we will simply relax into being with the trees, around a crackling fire and under a blanket of stars.
You do not need to have been to any of our previous events to attend - for those of you new to Sister Stories you will be welcomed with open arms.
During our weekend you will experience
The magic of Circle around a roaring fire, connecting you to a compassionate community of women
Wild spa sessions in a beautiful outdoor hot tub nestled in the trees, a plunge pool to refresh you and a wood-fired sauna
Forest bathing in the depths of an ancient woodland at the edge of Ashdown Forest
Time in community and time alone - to reflect, replenish & restore, so you emerge feeling revived, connected and full of newly restored energy.
THE TEAM
Your weekend will be hosted by Gemma Brady, Founder of Sister Stories, with Co-Facilitation from the wonderful Stella McKenna. Food on this retreat will be provided by the effervescent Chamiah Gouldboure, a graduate of the Sister Stories Facilitation programmes and founder of Nourish Me Wild.
Gemma is an award winning documentary maker and founder of Sister Stories. She has dedicated her life to creating spaces for people to tell important stories, be it on film, in writing or in their community. She believes in the healing power of storytelling and the power of the generous acts of both speaking and offering deep listening.
Gemma created Sister Stories as a means of offering women an opportunity to come together to be seen and heard, experiencing an expansive evening of truth telling, healing and transformation. Grounded in the primal and magical tradition of storytelling, Sister Stories events invite women to deepen their sense of connection to the self and one another, experiencing the simple joy of knowing we are all in it together. What started as a simple women’s circle gathering in London has grown to a thriving, supportive movement with hundreds of women learning to facilitate Circles and share them with their communities.
Stella is a coach and facilitator who first trained with Gemma back in 2018, at the very first Sister Stories Facilitation Training. Since then she has gathered friends, colleagues, and strangers in Circles in person, online, in board rooms and in fields. With nature as our closest ally, Stella will support us to gently remember the power of connection, to each other and ourselves through meditation and nature connection practices all amongst the trees.
Chamiah is a Circle holder who pairs hosting women’s circles with her amazing 100% plant based food. Having taken part in both the Circle facilitation and Advanced Facilitation trainings with Gemma, Chamiah has built a thriving in person Circle community in Nottinghamshire. Throughout the weekend she will support our journey with a range of delicious vegan food to leave you feeling nourished inside and out.
JOIN US FROM Friday 27th-sunday 29th may 2022
Arrivals will be from 2pm on Friday afternoon and the day will close at 3pm on Sunday. Throughout the weekend you can expect to enjoy a programme of structured sessions of Circle and self-connection and ample time to spend alone or with other Sisters on the land, relaxing and taking time for yourself in the way that best suits you. There will be no pressure to participate in any sessions we hold; this weekend is entirely for you to show up as you are, in that moment.
How to find The Enchanted Glade
Address: Lower Sheriff Farmhouse, Station Approach, Ardingly, Haywards Heath RH17 6SP, UK
The Closest train stations are Haywards Heath and East Grinstead where you can easily get a 10 minute taxi drive to the location. The 270 bus comes from Brighton and Forest Row and stops very close to the site.
As the Glade is aiming to be as low impact as possible and so we strongly encourage car sharing and public transport as much as possible. If we can help to connect you with someone close by, let us know once you’ve booked.
ACCOMMODATION & PRICING
The Enchanted Glade is a magical location nestled in woodland with beautiful accommodation from Bell Tents to Wagons. They describe the accommodation as ‘rustic’, and they have worked hard to achieve self sufficiency through an off-gird energy system and much of the accommodation and venue lovingly made by hand by the owners - Maria and Lillo. Our group will have sole use of the site, which includes communal meeting spaces as well toilets and showers.
The price of this retreat is on the basis of sharing accommodation with one or two other retreat guests in either a unique tiny house or a bell tent. If you would like to share with a friend then please drop us an email to let us know.
Please note, over winter 2021 the Enchanted Glade moved location to a site very close to where these pictures are taken, so the precise locations you’ll stay will be slightly different but the magical energy will be the same.
We are offering places on the retreat at two price points - £550 for single occupancy in one of the beautiful converted Wagons or horse box, or shared accommodation in a fabulous Bell Tent for £389 per person. Both prices include accommodation, a programme of activities at the retreat, wild spa sessions and all your food and refreshments for the weekend.
Cancellation Policy
The fees for this retreat are non-refundable. If we have to cancel the retreat for any reason then you are entitled to a refund. We are not able to make any exceptions to this no-refund policy, not even for personal emergencies, and for this reason we strongly advise you to take out travel insurance to protect yourself against illness, emergencies and changes in your circumstances.
In the unfortunate event you are unable to attend the retreat you may transfer your retreat place to a friend, subject to our prior approval of your replacement or you can choose to offer your place as a special bursary to a suitable woman selected by us in need of this retreat.