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Blue Light Community North Yorkshire Retreat Oct 2025

For members of the Blue Light Community only please:

You spend your life looking after others - now it’s your turn.
Our award-winning UK charity Mind Over Mountains is offering free Blue Light Walking for Wellbeing Retreats, in partnership with the Blue Light Card Foundation.
Enjoy two days of hiking, mindfulness, and expert mental wellbeing support - time to get outdoors, reflect and feel like yourself again.
Register your interest & receive more info about what is on offer:https://mailchi.mp/mindovermountains/blue-light-card-retreat

 

The first retreat will be this October - Sign up with the link above and we will be in touch soon to share more details about how to get a free place. 

Retreat 1 Summary: Join us to take some time out on the edge of pretty market town Helmsley in the North York Moors for our mental wellbeing retreat - a chance to get some support in a no pressure environment, whilst enjoying some amazing hikes out in nature with a great group of people! This is a beautiful area in the North York Moors National Park, with the moorland, hills and rivers to enjoy.  Step off with two days of hill-walking, mindfulness, and unpressured time to talk with our team of professionals - as part of a friendly group of likeminded people.

Take some time for yourself and reconnect with others in one of the UK's most beautiful natural places. Our professional team of experienced coaches, counsellors and outdoor experts create the perfect opportunity to talk, reflect, and share without pressure or expectation.  We'll help you to experience nature at its most beautiful and benefit from the proven healing power of the outdoors. 

Mind over Mountains prides itself on its evidence-based approach to mental wellbeing support for members of emergency services in the UK. Walking & talking in the outdoors with professional counsellors, coaches & peers provides a safe space for our participants to be open and vulnerable, and realise that they are not alone in their feelings. Participants learn techniques for managing their mental health day-to-day and, statistically, see improved mental wellbeing & reduced anxiety & depression. We have worked with multiple services & teams to date, & are eager to extend our support to others.  

Event Date

Event Details

We couple the weekend retreat with two virtual coaching & mindfulness sessions on Zoom to meet the group beforehand, build confidence, support connection and ease any anxieties.

FRIDAY (arrive from 6pm)

We will meet for tea and coffee whilst we settle in with a welcome brief and meet the team. We will then join for dinner with a chance to share our stories. Our catering facilities are limited, but you can expect hearty and home-cooked plant-based food to fuel up for days of adventure. After dinner we’ll have an introduction to mindfulness to unwind and enjoy the surroundings.

We don't have our walk itineraries finalised just yet - but we will be adding them very soon.

SATURDAY

Approx. 10 miles gentle hiking out in nature on the beautiful North York Moors, leaving from our hostel.

Throughout the walk, we will keep the pace steady with plenty of opportunities for breaks, one on one conversations with our team and mindful moments.

As the sun sets we’ll return to reflect on our day together with tea and cake. An evening session with wellbeing team, will help us to look inwards, re-discover purpose and build inner resilience.

SUNDAY (depart approx. 4.30 pm)

A little less today - approx. 8 miles

We will explore a pretty circular route taking in the nature and stunning views of the North York Moors.

Back at our accommodation we will take a little time for reflection and ‘afternoon tea’ before making our farewells approx. 4.30pm and departing, refreshed, recharged and inspired!

Please note our itinerary is subject to change dependent on weather conditions and other factors. All activities are designed to stretch you within a supportive environment.

Frequently asked questions

We are a walking charity - with walks/hikes which vary in how easy or challenging they are - so we give each of our walks a grading to give you a guide. Do take a look at the section on each walk or retreat listing titled 'Is this the right walk/event for me?' to help you. If you are still unsure please just contact us using the form below and we will get back to you quickly. Our fundraising challenge events do require higher levels of fitness & we are always happy to chat about what's involved.

We recommend our walkers wear walking boots with ankle support, walking shoes or off-road running trainers - the most important thing is having a more rugged sole/grip to prevent slips and potential injuries on rocky, muddy or uneven terrain. This doesn't have to be expensive or high-quality brands at all - Go Outdoors or Mountain Warehouse are generally very good value. 

We do work with a fantastic organisation called KitSquad who can help with providing second-hand kit so please do feel free to contact them with what you need and hopefully they can help.

All the food at our retreats is tasty vegetarian. We do our best to cater for most food intolerances or dietary requirements - we just ask you to let us know when booking your place.  

We love dogs! But unfortunately we only allow essential guide dogs, to ensure a comfortable environment for everyone.

Our walks & retreats are for anyone who would benefit from the opportunity to take some time walking in nature, with likeminded people, and listening support if needed from our coaches & counsellors. Or just a break from the day to day, to reset, reframe, refocus. We are all about mental fitness, wellness, and overall wellbeing. Managing overwhelm, anxiety, stress - or freeing you to make decisions that are feeling a bit much. We create a safe, confidential space to talk openly with no judgement, no pressure, and we enjoy wonderful walks and time in a group in the beautiful outdoors.