DOSE Fest

DOSE Fest Wellbeing festival built on joy, connection and community
☀️ For 0-99 years
Rooted in the science of DOSE
📅 18 July 2026
📍Chelmsford 👇 Get involved

Sometimes the impact of bringing people together is as simple as helping someone finally find what they’ve been looking ...
17/09/2026

Sometimes the impact of bringing people together is as simple as helping someone finally find what they’ve been looking for.

One attendee told us:
“Having everything in one place helped me access information I had been trying to find online for over a year.”

That’s a big part of what DOSE Fest is about.

There is so much support, knowledge and expertise within our communities, but finding it can be difficult. Information can be scattered across different websites, services and organisations, and people don’t always know what’s available locally or where to begin.
By bringing practitioners, community organisations, wellbeing services, activities and information together in one welcoming space, DOSE Fest gives people the opportunity to explore, ask questions, make connections and discover support that could make a real difference to their lives.

Because preventative health isn’t only about telling people what they should be doing. It’s also about making knowledge and support easier to find and access, and helping people connect with it before they reach crisis point.

This is exactly the kind of impact we want to build on as DOSE continues to grow.
Want to follow the journey and hear about what’s coming next?

Join our mailing list at www.dosefest.co.uk.

What happens when you bring wellbeing, creativity, learning and human connection together in the heart of a community?Ou...
15/09/2026

What happens when you bring wellbeing, creativity, learning and human connection together in the heart of a community?

Our first DOSE Fest gave us an exciting glimpse of what’s possible.

370 people joined us in Chelmsford, alongside 40+ organisations, businesses and community partners, all bringing different opportunities to connect, learn, move, create and explore wellbeing.

And the impact wasn’t just in the numbers attending.

90% of the written reflections we received included at least one positive emotional descriptor, with people telling us they felt happy, calm, inspired, connected, hopeful, supported, relaxed and joyful.

People spoke about meaningful conversations, meeting new people, spending time together as families and feeling welcomed. They discovered new organisations, tried activities for the first time and found support they hadn’t previously known how to access.

Others left intending to make practical changes to their everyday lives, from moving more and spending time outdoors to prioritising self-care, strengthening relationships and joining local groups.

For us, that’s what the first DOSE Fest was really about.

Not simply creating a great day out, but exploring what can happen when we make wellbeing, support and connection more accessible within our communities.
The first festival was just the beginning.

Want to follow what happens next?
Join our mailing list on www.dosefest.co.uk.

We spend years preparing young people for exams, qualifications and careers. But how much time do we spend preparing the...
14/09/2026

We spend years preparing young people for exams, qualifications and careers. But how much time do we spend preparing them for the lifelong work of looking after their own wellbeing?

As an educator, this is something DOSE Fest founder Myra Merchant feels strongly about:

“Health education should not end when we leave school. People of every age deserve opportunities to reflect, learn, communicate, and discover the small, practical actions that can help them live happier, healthier lives.”
And this isn’t only about young people.

At every stage of life, we need opportunities to better understand our physical, mental and emotional wellbeing, recognise what we need, know where to find support and discover the things that genuinely make a difference to us.

It’s one of the reasons DOSE Fest was designed around experiences as much as information.

Rather than simply telling people what might support their wellbeing, we want to give people opportunities to try things, ask questions, make connections and discover what works for them.

Because the more we understand ourselves and our wellbeing, the better equipped we are to take an active role in looking after our health.

And that learning should last a lifetime.

Want to be part of what comes next? Join our mailing list at dosefest.co.uk.

Today is World Su***de Prevention Day.It’s a reminder of something that sits at the heart of DOSE: human connection matt...
10/09/2026

Today is World Su***de Prevention Day.

It’s a reminder of something that sits at the heart of DOSE: human connection matters.

We don’t always know what someone else is carrying. Reaching out, making time to listen, noticing when someone seems different or simply asking “How are you, really?” can create an opportunity for someone to feel heard and less alone.
And you don’t need to have all the answers.

Sometimes being present, listening without judgement and helping someone connect with the right support is enough.

Today, we’re encouraging everyone in our community to do one simple thing:
Check in with someone.

Send the message. Make the call. Have the conversation.

And if you’re struggling yourself, please know that support is available. You don’t have to navigate it alone.

If you or someone you know needs support:

Samaritans: Call 116 123 free, 24 hours a day.
Shout: Text SHOUT to 85258 for free, confidential 24/7 text support.
NHS urgent mental health support: Call 111 and select the mental health option (option 2). In Essex this connects you with local mental health crisis support and is available 24/7.
Immediate danger: Call 999 or go to your nearest A&E.

There’s a LOT that goes on behind the scenes to make DOSE Fest happen, and we’re looking for someone brilliant and organ...
05/09/2026

There’s a LOT that goes on behind the scenes to make DOSE Fest happen, and we’re looking for someone brilliant and organised to join the team and help us keep everything moving.

Our Administration & Festival Support Volunteer will work closely with our Operational Lead and wider team, supporting the communications, information and practical details involved in building towards DOSE Fest 2027.

You could be helping manage enquiries, communicating with vendors and activity providers, keeping information and spreadsheets organised, following up forms and documents, and generally helping us stay on top of all those moving parts.

You don’t need festival experience. We’re looking for someone who is organised, dependable, friendly, confident communicating by email and good at following things through.

It’s a chance to gain genuine experience in administration, communication and event coordination while becoming part of a growing community wellbeing project.

2–4 hours per week | Predominantly remote | Voluntary
With opportunities to get involved in DOSE Fest events and activities.

Interested? Find out more and apply via www.dosefest.co.uk

And if you know someone who would be great at this, please send it their way.

We’re growing the DOSE Fest team!Following the success of our first festival, we’re already building towards DOSE Fest 2...
04/09/2026

We’re growing the DOSE Fest team!

Following the success of our first festival, we’re already building towards DOSE Fest 2027, and we’re looking for a creative, enthusiastic volunteer to help us tell the story along the way.

As our Social Media & Content Creation Volunteer, you’ll help turn our content plans into engaging posts, stories, graphics and short-form content, as well as bringing your own ideas to the mix.

You’ll work alongside the DOSE Fest team and an experienced branding and marketing strategist, gaining hands-on experience while helping us grow a movement focused on happier, healthier and more connected communities.

This could be a great opportunity if you’re a student, graduate, emerging creative, or simply someone who loves social media and wants to build real-world experience and a portfolio of published work.

2–4 hours per week | Predominantly remote | Voluntary
With opportunities to get involved in DOSE Fest events and activities.

Interested? Find out more and apply via www.dosefest.co.uk

Please share with anyone who might be perfect for this.

Lasting wellbeing doesn’t happen in isolation.It grows through connection, shared experiences and people showing up for ...
02/09/2026

Lasting wellbeing doesn’t happen in isolation.

It grows through connection, shared experiences and people showing up for each other.

Support makes it easier.
Community makes it sustainable.

That’s the kind of environment DOSE Fest is creating.

Share this with someone you’d want by your side. 💛

28/08/2026

🙋 VOLUNTEERING DOESN’T JUST
CHANGE SOMEONE ELSE’S LIFE… IT CAN CHANGE
YOURS TOO!

The lovely Sally and Lorraine from Chelmsford CVS
gave up their time on Saturday 18th July to join the
wider Chelmsford community at our inaugural DOSE
Fest in Broomfield.

We were delighted that they brought their volunteering
service beyond the city centre, meeting people who
might not otherwise discover the opportunities and
support available to them.

Volunteering is about giving your time, but it can give
so much back to you too: purpose, confidence, new
skills, friendships, experience and that incredibly
important feeling of belonging to something.

Whether you can offer a few hours occasionally or
would like to make a more regular commitment, there
are opportunities to suit different interests, abilities
and stages of life.

We are incredibly grateful to Sally, Lorraine and the
wider team - not only for being part
of the day, but for their support throughout the process
as we prepared to deliver our very first event. 💜

This is why community events like DOSE Fest matter.
They bring organisations and services out into our
neighbourhoods, helping them connect with people
they may otherwise miss.

🙋 I am curious.... If you could volunteer your time to
support one cause, what would it be?

And if you missed DOSE Fest 2026? Why not sign up
to volunteer at DOSE Fest next year? Watch this
space!




DOSE Fest was created around the belief that people can play an active role in their own wellbeing, especially when they...
26/08/2026

DOSE Fest was created around the belief that people can play an active role in their own wellbeing, especially when they have access to the right support, knowledge and opportunities within their community.

Following the very first DOSE Fest, Cllr Julia Frascona, Deputy Mayor of Chelmsford 2026–2027, shared:

“Your vision of a community-based Festival which helps people to understand that they can have real agency in their own lives and improve their physical and mental wellbeing themselves by engaging with services, organisations, charities and practitioners within their local area has immense potential to make a real difference to the quality of people's lives in Chelmsford.

I was extremely impressed and spoke to many stall holders and members of the public who were also impressed and grateful for all you and your team are doing for the community.”

Thank you, Julia, for joining us on the day and for your support of the vision behind DOSE Fest.

The first festival was just the beginning. Now we want to build on what we started and create even more opportunities for people to connect, learn and take an active role in their wellbeing.

Join our mailing list on our website to follow the next chapter.

25/08/2026

🌟 INSPIRING HOPE IN A CYNICAL WORLD MIGHT JUST BE THE MOST IMPORTANT THING THAT WE DO!

At DOSE Fest, the wonderful Patrick Regan OBE - our keynote speaker and founder of .life - shared an important reminder about where we place our attention.

Our screens and news feeds can leave us feeling overwhelmed by bad news. Once we begin scrolling, negative algorithms can make it feel as though everything around us is going wrong.

Yet, when we lift our eyes and look around our real communities, we often see a very different story. People who are decent and kind. People who care about one another. People who genuinely want the best for their communities.

Patrick told us that he hoped DOSE Fest would be “a stepping stone to something bigger” - and that is exactly our hope too. 💛

DOSE Fest was never created to be just one day. It is the beginning of a wider movement towards happier, healthier and more connected communities, built upon the hope and energy we can create together.

Thank you to for joining us, sharing his wisdom and bringing such an honest and hopeful message to the DOSE Fest stage.

🌟 I am curious.... Where have you seen kindness, hope or community in action recently?

Follow us so you dont miss out on information about DOSE FEst 2027!

Address

Angel Pavilion
Chelmsford
CM17AH

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