Our session leaders are experienced SEND professionals, and our camps aim to give every child the opportunity to spend quality time in nature. We aim to give as many children as we can a wonderful experience that they will remember for the rest of their lives.

Available Dates:

19th-22nd August (7-16 years)

Our four day programmes generally run as follows:

• Monday (10am-3pm): Meeting with the children at Treacle Valley for some fun outdoor games, and some sensory activities to switch on our senses and learn about some of the creatures we might find in the outdoors. Lunch is our special bannock bread, cooked by the children over the campfire!
• Tuesday (10am-3pm): Exploring the woods and taking part part in environmental activities and games, with some creative and artistic activities thrown in as the day goes on. Today is pancake day, don’t miss the spectacle of Rich attempting to toss a pancake without either burning it or flipping it into the fire.
• Wednesday/Thursday (5pm-midday, overnight camp): What an experience! Sunset games, fireside storytelling, a walk in the woods at night, marshmallows, breakfast around the campfire. For many children this is their first experience of camping and being away from home and they are always so excited and happy to join us. Children are accommodated in our giant bell tents and will only need minimal camping equipment – a sleeping bag and a torch – everything else is provided.

The format for young people aged 11-16 is similar but the activities are more mature and have a bushcraft/conservation focus. We generally include activities such as firefighting, knife and axe work and tracking with this age group.

The full programme costs £120 per child for the full four days. We can offer sibling discounts if you are booking places for more than one child. Our holiday clubs run at a small loss each year and we do not currently receive any external funding to provide them, but we want to be able to offer these experiences to as many children as possible. We understand that times are tough for lots of families, so if you would like your child to join our Treacle Valley Adventures but cost is an issue, then please let us know and although we can’t promise we will see what we can do.

For more information, please contact Rich at rich@taleblazers.org.uk or to book a place please complete the Microsoft Form below.

We have also ‘twinned’ our new toilet with a toilet in Nepal through Tearfund’s Toilet Twinning scheme, so a Nepali village has also benefitted from the installation of our loo! Rich and Elaine have a soft spot for Nepal, having spent some time out there in the early 2000s, so we loved to be able to support this brilliant scheme.

Mental Health Benefits

• Stress relief: Crafting can be a great way to relax and de-stress. The repetitive nature of many crafts can help to calm the mind and body.
• Improved mood: Engaging in creative activities can boost the production of endorphins, the body’s natural feel-good chemicals. This can help to improve mood and reduce anxiety.
• Increased self-esteem: Completing a craft project can give you a sense of accomplishment and boost your self-esteem.
• Cognitive stimulation: Crafting can help to keep the mind sharp and improve cognitive function.

Physical Health Benefits

• Improved hand-eye coordination: Many crafts require fine motor skills, which can help to improve hand-eye coordination.
• Reduced pain: Crafting can be a distraction from pain and can help to reduce its intensity.
• Improved sleep: Engaging in relaxing activities like crafting can help to improve sleep quality.
• Strengthened social bonds: Crafting can be a great way to socialise and connect with others.

Additional Benefits

• Creativity: Crafting can help you to tap into your creativity and explore new ideas.
• Productivity: Crafting can help you to be more productive by providing a focus and outlet for your energy.
• Mindfulness: Crafting can help you to be more mindful and present in the moment.
• Sense of community: There are many crafting communities online and in person where you can connect with other people who share your interests.

Why not come along to a Taleblazers session and try some of our crafting activities for yourself? 

The big task of the day was the tarp line and Karl and I arrived early to get the rope in place. We harvested some saplings from the newly-levelled car park area and the team got to work sharpening these into points to use as stakes. Chris meanwhile was salvaging some boards to build a raised fire pit, removing old nails and screws and working with Hollie to cut them to size. It was an amazing team effort with everyone chipping in and showing the children how to use the knives!

The results are fantastic, I can’t believe that this overgrown patch of woodland has become such a wonderful space in such a short space of time and I am so grateful to everyone for all their efforts.

This year’s programme will take place from Monday 18th to Thursday 21st December (10am-2pm). The programme is most suited to children aged 7-11 years although we will accept children with siblings in this age group. We have differentiated activities run by experienced SEN practitioners. Places are free to children who are eligible for free school meals (through means-tested benefits), Ukrainian refugees and home educated children – if your child is not in one of these groups there are paid places available via Eventbrite – see here: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/healthy-holidays-christmas-week-haf-tickets-759602761307

To sign up, please complete the form below or visit the sign-up page at https://forms.office.com/e/kUzCt4DQd3.

The workshop is for all ages and experience levels and will feature a range of fun games and exercises that explore how we can create exciting art and theatre in response to a particular place. In this case, we will be exploring the spirit of Treacle Valley woods.

The workshop is part of the celebrations for Doorstep Arts’ upcoming show, The Inheritance – a new play created by Doorstep Youth Theatre taking place at Kent’s Cavern in July and supported by the Heritage Lottery Fund.

Please meet in the woods at the usual place from 6.30pm and we will have hot drinks and a campfire to welcome you. If you haven’t been to an Earthworks session before, please drop Rich an email at rich@taleblazers.org.uk and we will arrange to meet you at the campsite car park. We expect the evening to end at around 8pm.

Our lovely team also busied themselves in clearing a pathway between two big tress so that we could move the slackline into a better location. It now has a lovely long run and when the children came back from Tim’s session they loved bouncing and balancing along it!

Thanks to everyone who came, it was a lovely fun morning! Our next Earthworks event is on the evening of Tuesday July 4th when Doorstep Arts will be putting on a special session for us.

The festival was a great success as families gathered around to make their mark on history and join in the festivities. Everyone enjoyed making their contribution to the mosaic and the festival was a success, with lots of people learning about Cullompton’s Roman history through talks, pottery making, walks, demonstrations and crafts, hosted by Creative Cullompton. The festival celebrated not only Roman Cullompton, but the recent archeological digs at the Hill Fort. 

It was amazing to see everyone’s individual contributions come together to create a beautiful tree!

It’s not every day that you get to make your own piece of history.