LIFEbeat Residentials
We run weekend, summer and autumn residentials predominantly for young people from London, Bristol and the South West. LIFEbeat camps offer a unique opportunity for young people aged 14–18 to express themselves creatively, discover new ideas, be inspired and learn from others. Most importantly they can be themselves.
Participants walk away with new confidence, communication skills, friends for life, and a belief in their own ability to lead and make a difference. We achieve this by creating a safe environment for participants to take creative risks, under the mentorship of a passionate team of trained adult facilitators.
LIFEbeat from GANI NAYLOR on Vimeo.
2025 Applications
Apply as a Young Person
Applications will open in early 2025.
Apply as a Peer Mentor
Applications will open in early 2025. Please note that Peer Mentors must be someone who has attended a LIFEbeat residential as a young person and are now aged 19-20. Read more about the Peer Mentor Policy and Role Description here.
What happens at LIFEbeat residentials?
LIFEbeat’s signature residential camps bring together 50 young people aged 14-18 with a group of peer mentors and 25 staff and volunteers for an intensive 8-day programme.
Each day follows a timetable with a choice of creative workshops, plenary sessions and evening community events where the whole group comes together for activities and inspiration through theatre, open mic, campfires, storytelling and much more…
Building Creative Communities
Hover over the boxes below to find out more about how we build our creative communities.
Youth Leadership
Youth Leadership
Developing Youth Leadership is a core strand of LIFEbeat’s work. Camps are facilitated to help young people gain confidence. The final day of our summer residential camp is a Youth Led Day, where young people are supported to run the camp and plan and deliver workshops on topics of their choice. Youth-led discussion workshops have included issues of consent, personal safety, LGBTQ, racism, love and obsession, mental health and education.
Camp Goals
Camp Goals
– To expand your creativity
– To learn from those different from yourself
– To explore your inner life: thoughts, feelings, imagination
– To set personal goals and learn how to achieve them
– To have fun!
Peer Mentors
Peer Mentors
LIFEbeat offers opportunities for young people aged 19-20 who have attended one of our camps as a young person, to put their leadership skills into practice by returning to camp as a Peer Mentor. Peer Mentors provide valuable support and guidance to the young people attending, and take lead roles in hosting youth-led discussion workshops each day.
Since 2021, 27 young people aged 19-20 have returned to camps as Peer Mentors!
Hear From Young People & Guardians
At the end of the programme, participants are asked to describe their experience in 3 words. These are the words that were most frequently used to describe LIFEbeat camps.
LIFEbeat is an Approved Activity Provider for the Duke of Edinburgh Gold Award. Attending one of our camps fulfils the residential requirement for the Gold Award.
