DenFest 2026 – What a Way to Start the Summer!

Last week we wrapped up the school year with DenFest! Four days of fun, laughter and plenty of opportunities to spend time with young people before everyone disappeared for the summer holidays.

The idea was simple; build a den or put up a tent at home, then join us across the weekend for a programme of events celebrating the start of the summer. It gave us a brilliant chance to keep seeing familiar faces, welcome some new ones, and reconnect with a few young people we hadn’t seen for a while.

We kicked things off by transforming The Garage into a cosy cinema. Bean bags, comfy chairs, hot dogs, popcorn and hot chocolate made for a relaxed evening together and a great start to the weekend.

Saturday morning began with breakfast on Zoom, where we played games, tackled a few quizzes, and, of course, had a look at the impressive dens!

Later that day things became a little more competitive with our Whacky Races evening. Young people and team battled it out in a Blur racing computer tournament then took to our full-size RC car track. There was plenty of friendly rivalry and more than a few dramatic crashes.

Sunday afternoon saw the inevitable water fight. Everyone ended up absolutely soaked, but with the warm weather that wasn’t exactly a problem!

We finished the weekend with one of our favourites; a Mafia Tournament. Complete with costumes, character cards and plenty of dramatic accusations. It was a fantastic way to end DenFest and saw everyone fully embracing the imaginary village of ‘Crooked Falls’ where nothing is quite as it seems!

Looking back, what we’re most thankful for isn’t simply the activities, but the relationships. Events like these create space for conversations that don’t happen easily elsewhere. We loved catching up with young people, meeting parents, chatting with supporters, and continuing to build partnerships with local churches. Those relationships are at the heart of everything we do.

A huge thank you goes to our fantastic volunteer team, who gave their time, energy and enthusiasm throughout the weekend. We simply couldn’t run events like this without you.

We’re also incredibly grateful to Gloddaeth Church and The Lighthouse Community Church for generously hosting some of the events and helping make DenFest possible.

It’s been an amazing way to finish another school year, and we’re already looking forward to everything the new term will bring. Until then, we hope everyone has a fantastic summer!