The 2026 Programme

Midlife Reimagined is a five-day residential retreat for a small group of participants at Sharpham Estate, Devon.

Over the course of the week, you’ll be invited to:

- reflect on your personal and professional journey so far
- reconnect with what supports and sustains you
- gain greater clarity about your priorities and direction for the years ahead

Participants leave with greater clarity about their priorities and direction.

April 2026 retreat — final two places remaining.

Our Life Story Approach

Midlife Reimagined is developed and facilitated by Alison O’Connor and Karin Diamond, and shaped by more than twenty years of life story practice — supporting people to make sense of their lives and work at key points, and to explore what feels present and important.

The residential is structured across the week through facilitated group conversations, reflective exercises, and individual time, supporting the sharing of perspectives with others, alongside personal time for rest and integration.

Through our life story work — and our own midlife reflections — we’ve seen how midlife brings complex questions about life and work, which benefit from being given time and thoughtful attention. This in-person residential is designed to support that process with clarity and care.

People who join us often work in:

NHS, health, therapy, and social care
Arts, culture, and creative practice
Public sector and local authority settings
Organisational leadership and management roles
Charity and community roles
Education, research, and policy

We support people who may be:

sensing a need for perspective, but rarely having the time or space to do so
carrying increased responsibility in both work and personal life
noticing that familiar ways of working no longer feel sustainable
navigating pressure, initiative fatigue, or burnout
living with uncertainty or transition, whether anticipated or unexpected

The Residential Setting

The week takes place at The Coach House on the internationally recognised Sharpham Trust estate in South Devon. Set within 550 acres of woodland and river paths, the estate offers a peaceful setting away from everyday demands.

Group sessions take place in a light-filled, timber-framed space opening onto a private 18th-century walled garden.

Accommodation

All accommodation is set around the Coach House, creating a secure base for the week.

Each participant has a comfortable private en-suite room, with underfloor heating powered by Sharpham’s biomass boiler and a secure code lock. An accessible en-suite room is also available.

Meals

Meals are absolutely delicious — vegetarian, organic, and made with produce grown on the Sharpham estate wherever possible.

Every meal is cooked exclusively for our group, with care for dietary needs and preferences, including gluten-free and dairy-free options.

£995

Places may be supported through organisational CPD or staff wellbeing provision.

Cost includes private en-suite accommodation, all meals, and the full programme.

Arrive Monday at 3.00pm · Depart Friday at 1pm

Travel to Sharpham is arranged individually.

20–24 April 2026