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What is a TEENfest weekend?
Our residential weekend events for unaccompanied teenagers with TS aged 14-17 years old.
What is TEENfest?
TEENfest provides a safe, non-judgemental environment where young people can relax, have fun and make friends, without their adults with them!
We keep you busy, with challenges and games, giving you the opportunity to share your TS stories with others and build confidence and independence away from home.
All the venues have been chosen for their open spaces, range of activities and friendly staff. The accommodation is warm and practical but very basic - it is NOT hotel standard! Participants are usually in shared accommodation, offering the chance to form new friendships with others and the bathroom facilities are generally shared. Gender neutral facilities are available.
Please note:
- TEENfest is for ages 14-17 years only and proof of age and diagnosis of TS will be required on booking.
- A small charge of £65 is requested per participant, and includes all accommodation, activities, food and a personalised hoody as a keepsake.
- We want our events to be accessible to all, so if financial constraints are preventing you from applying, please reach out to us.
- If we are oversubscribed, please see Terms and Conditions below for our allocation process.
- Please note we are unable to accept dogs at TICfest, other than fully trained support dogs (please ask for our policy on this if required).
- A needs analysis will be required to ensure safety of Teens and staff before acceptance. This will be sent to all who express an interest in TEENfest.
Catering
Food and drink at our locations vary, but the following is always offered:
- Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
- Water refill stations (reuseable bottles are encouraged)
- Tea/Coffee (reuseable mugs are encouraged)
- Dietary requirements catered for when known in advance
- NUT FREE SITES
Participants are encouraged to bring any “safe foods” and snacks that they may wish to have during the weekend, but facilities for storing/heating may not be available at all sites and guests are asked NOT to eat in their rooms for health and safety reasons.
You will be informed of any restrictions, packing lists and more in your welcome pack.
Travel
Locations have been chosen for their accessible travel options and to ensure inclusivity for all participants across the UK. However, please consider the following when expressing interest:
- No travel is provided by Tourettes Action to get to and from the venue
- Participants need to make their own travel arrangements, and at their own cost
- TA cannot accept any responsibility for suggesting travel
- Maps and travel guidance will be issued to confirmed participants in the Welcome Pack
- Parents/carers MUST stay within 30 minutes and be contactable in case of emergency
- Any accommodation booked by parents/carers is at their own cost
The Green Team
Our Green Team are here to provide a friendly face and will lead social, craft and games style activities throughout the weekend. They are here to ensure you enjoy your time with us.
The team comprises of paid temporary fest workers, who have lived experience of Tourette syndrome, and Tourettes Action permanent members of staff.
- They are all over the age of 18
- Have attended a TICfest, TEENfest or Adult weekend in the past
- Have enhanced DBS checks - reviewed yearly
- Have Basic First Aid and safeguarding certificates
Our team have been recruited for their friendly, supportive attitude, but are not intended to provide personal care, lifting or other intensive support.
The staffing ratio will be 2:1 and each young person will be assigned a “key worker.”
What's on offer for TEENfest 2026?
Youlbury Action and AdventureOxfordshire 19 - 21 July 2026
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Expressions of interest open early January 2026 via the TA newsletter – make sure you’re signed up!
Our previous TEENfest events have been hugely succesful and life-changing for both attendees and their families. One parent wrote to us to say:
‘It was very emotional leaving him at the event. I could see how relaxed he felt just being himself and not trying to supress his tics. It was amazing and overwhelming seeing him with other people his own age. As a parent you just want your child to be happy and he was. These events are a lifeline in more ways than you can ever know. They provide safe fun weekends, friendships, the opportunity to try new things, the chance to be away from family, making decisions on their own. For family members it gives respite but it also gave me hope that he can be accepted into a social setting. I can't thank you enough’.
You can read what our young people take away from their weekend in these amazing blogs:
- TEENfest 2023 by Samuel Boyes
- Charley Matthews talks about her empowering experience at TeenFest, and why her tics volunteered her to do the washing up!
Please note that these events are for unnacompanied teenagers. Staff from Tourettes Action will facilitate the weekend event, and on-site activities will be fully supervised by venue instructors.
TEENfest Terms and Conditions
- TEENfest is open to accept bookings for young people to attend who are aged between 14-17 at the point in time the event takes place only
- Those aged between 14 and 17 are limited to attend one TEENfest, per year, as the demand for these events outstrips supply and we try to make sure that as many young people as possible can benefit from attending each year
- Young people attending must have a TS diagnosis and this must be evidenced by uploading a clinician’s letter/clinic letter on the booking form
- There is a charge of £65 for the young person booked to attend the TEENfest once a place at the event has been confirmed. Once you receive confirmation of your place at the TEENfest event you will be asked to make your payment by the deadline given. If you fail to make your payment you agree to forfeit your young person’s place, and it will be given to another young person
- For transparency places will be allocated to a TEENfest in this order and our word is final:
- Members from the previous year’s waiting list
- First-time participants at a Fest with TS diagnosis
- Members with a TS diagnosis who have attended a Fest previously
- Once the places are allocated, all first-time participants with a confirmed diagnosis of TS who were unsuccessful in gaining a place, will be added to a waiting list. People on this waiting list will then get places first at next year's event following the allocation rules above
- If you are unable to attend the TEENfest you must give Tourettes Action as much notice as possible so that they are able to offer the place to another young person. We will endeavour to provide a full refund to you if we are able to fill the cancelled booking
- There are strictly no pets allowed at any Tourettes Action event or activity with the exception of Guide Dogs. If you are bringing a Guide Dog you must make this clear on the booking form
- All meals are included throughout the weekend. If your young person has specific dietary requirements you must complete the relevant section of the booking form so that the venue can accommodate their needs
- The event will be nut-free, with all snacks and meals prepared without nuts or nut products. We also ask for young people not to bring nuts or nut products to the venue
- All activities are included throughout the weekend. Our objective is to make sure that there are a range of activities provided to meet the expectations of all young people attending. Some activities may be more challenging or extreme than others, it will be your responsibility to select activities that are appropriate to your young person
- Accommodation is included throughout the weekend. Each young person will be allocated a room which they will share with two or more other young people. Please note that the room may not have en-suite facilities, and your young person may have to share a bathroom with other young people. It is highly unlikely that changes to accommodation will be made once they have been allocated
- Your young person agrees to listen and to do as instructed by members of Tourettes Action staff and staff who work for the venue that the TEENfest is being held at. This is for their safety and the safety of others
- At TEENfest parents agree (by checking the box on the booking form) that the Tourettes Action team will have responsibility for their young person for the duration of the event
- Parents must agree to be within 30 minutes of the venue for the entirety of the weekend, therefore if they are needed at any point, they can be back at the venue within 30 minutes
- Upon hearing a fire alarm young people will follow instructions given to them by venue staff or Tourettes Acton staff. If staff are not present during an alarm young people will make their way to the fire assembly point (details of which are provided upon arrival)
- Tourettes Action and the venue has fully risk assessed the weekend and made sure that appropriate controls are in place for everyone’s safety
- If car parking is available at the venue, neither the venue or Tourettes Action accept any responsibility for any loss or damage to your vehicle
- All personal belongings are the responsibility of those that bring them to the event. Neither the venue or Tourettes Action can be held responsible for any loss or damage to personal items
- Alcohol may not be brought to or consumed at the venue
- Drugs are not permitted at the venue
- Smoking and vaping are not permitted at the venue
For more information, please contact our Events Manager Amanda Patterson on Amanda@tourettes-action.org.uk
