The 2026 APR Spring retreat will be held at the Sheldon Retreat Centre in Devon from 20th – 22nd March, and will be led by Helen Evans and Demelza Henderson. It will cost £385 per person (single room) or £365 per person for a twin room (for APR members and all bookings made before 31st October 2025), and £395 and £375 respectively thereafter (for non-APR members); all rooms have en-suite facilities, and the price includes all your meals. You can book online here and pay via Paypal, or download a Booking Form here and post it to us with your payment.
Entitled ‘Soaring on Wings like Eagles’, and led by Helen Evans and Demelza Henderson, the weekend offers you rest, poetry reading and, if you want to, creative writing within a framework of simple prayer and silence. Helen writes, ‘What might we learn from birds to help us discern our own way through life? Roosting, nesting, fledging, migrating, soaring – they are a rich source of metaphor and meaning as well as fascinating in their own right. At this Soaring on Wings like Eagles retreat, we’ll look at how birds feature in secular poetry and in the Bible, during a weekend inspired by Isaiah 40:31. It’s all set against the backdrop of Spring birdsong floating across the beautiful grounds of Sheldon Retreat Centre in Devon.’
There will also be the option for one-to-one meetings on request (with Helen about your writing life and/or with Demelza for spiritual accompaniment), alongside free time for private prayer and/or contemplation, and relaxed social time. If the weather is kind, you might even choose to go birdwatching, too. All the activities are optional, so you can take part in a way and at a pace that suits you. And you definitely don’t need any prior knowledge of birds! If you have any questions at all about what we’ll be doing, and whether or not it might be what you’re looking for, please contact Helen at helen@helenevans.co.uk, or take a look at our flyer here!
