A day where real work happens and your team feel human again.
A day for your team to sit round a fire, be surrounded by nature, walk along a winding river, share locally grown organic food and get real work done in a cosy flint barn.
In the heart of the Sussex countryside, near Lewes, with space for up to 20.
Who is this for?
Designed specifically for leaders and companies already prioritising their people wholeheartedly. Whether it is four day weeks, working from home, shared parental leave, sabbatical allowances, you understand the value of investing in your team.
Curated to work across a wide variety of teams, a founder and their whole company, a leadership team or a department within a wider organisation. ‘The Gathering’ is the antidote to forced fun, cheesy team building or a boozy night out. It represents a real place that connects people, brings them into the present moment and inspires their work.
“Authenticity was the word of the day. A space where people showed up as themselves and created genuine connection.”
Victoria K, Director of Marketing, Plus Accounting
The shift
Your commitment to create a work life balance for your team, has made their work more focussed, efficient and practical. The unintended consequence can be a loss of social rituals and intentional time spent together.
Those are the moments where honest conversations happen, people are seen as human beings and understand each other beyond the screens. This is what truly creates the environment to be a successful team.
Technology that we use daily promises connection, yet in truth we are experiencing a world where loneliness has become epidemic for many. The businesses who build future success will be those who understand the need for their team to slow down, share stories and experience analogue moments together, providing a real sense of belonging.
“I arrived a little disconnected and left feeling part of something special.”
Rebecca W, Framework Executive, Advice Cloud
The Day
Built on the experience of hosting 200+ gatherings, focussed on helping people to feel human again. Fully hosted and guided by me, Joel. A carefully designed plan, that can flex and flow with the needs of the people attending.
A call to discover more about your team, where they are and what they need, how that interacts with the needs of your business.
Before the day
Arriving as people, no labels, a shared breakfast, cuppa and a hug or a high five.
Welcome
Slow down, arrive and settle in. Round a fire, sharing stories, without being too serious. A space that gives even those most resistant team members belief in this way of gathering.
Landing
The work you need to do, coming from a place of clear thinking, listening and empathy. Led by your team or be guided by one of my trusted collaborators for your specific needs.
Morning session
A shared table, a luxury that is lost in busy offices and remote working. Food sourced locally and prepared with love. All requirements catered for.
Lunch
Time to move. Time to digest. Being side by side brings new conversations, listening to the sounds of nature around us, avoiding sheep poo, changing perspectives.
A walk
To continue the depth of work your team requires led by you, a trusted collaborator of mine or a moment to replenish through soulful practices such as yoga, sauna or breathwork.
Afternoon session
Back round the fire. A deep breath. Shared reflections and noted shifts from this intentional time together. A warm goodbye.
The close
Reminders of the day, the shifts, the impact and guidance for leaders on how to bring ‘The Gathering’ into everyday work.
After the day
“Joel has a wonderful ability to curate a warm and welcoming space where everyone feels comfortable."
Toni Finnimore, Founder, The Social Society
A seasonal rhythm
Helping leaders to connect their traditional quarterly meetings, with the rhythms of the natural world around us. My approach embraces being in nature, allowing it to inspire your team, enabling changed perspectives, creative thinking and open communication.
Not only do the four seasons dictate the food you will eat, the route you will walk, the colours of the trees around you. They allow a different emphasis, story and narrative for your team each time they come together. Winter gatherings allow time to pause and reflect, those teams continuing this regular time together, can use spring to focus on planning, summer for growth and autumn can be used to focus on letting things go.
One team’s story
Advice Cloud are a ‘4 Day Week Gold Employer’ and in the ‘UK’s Best Workplaces 2026’. The team are fully remote and spread across the country. Previously, the team would gather in person each quarter, with the focus being on the strategy and targets and reported that the social, connecting elements felt tagged on afterwards.
As with any new approach, there was some initial scepticism.
"I had worries about whether the team would get into the spirit of it. But everything felt so accessible, natural and authentic. We could take it seriously, laugh at ourselves and not feel disingenuous at all." Advice Cloud Team Member
The effect was felt instantly during the team led morning strategy session.
"I raised a couple of views about ways of working that were met positively. I'd been concerned they would be seen as negative." Rebecca W, Framework Executive
The intentional time together created a desire for further connection.
“I don't usually enjoy evening socials, but afterwards I was actually looking forward to hanging out some more” Advice Cloud Team Member
There was a lasting impact in the weeks after time spent round the fire.
"Communicating over Teams felt easier, because I wasn't reading messages with the default feeling of stress or things being wrong." Advice Cloud Team Member
The most convincing evidence for the true impact of ‘The Gathering’ is that Advice Cloud will be returning to the flint barn in spring for their next seasonal get together.
“There are difficult conversations to be had at the moment, however, during our time at ‘The Gathering’ they were definitely being approached with a real sense of honesty and love.”
Chris Farthing, Founder, Advice Cloud
Why me?
I spent 13 years building a £3 million business, with a team of 100. The majority of that team were field based, bringing them together in creative ways to make them feel part of something was the part of my job I took pride in the most.
During that time, I gave everything and lost a sense of myself. I was masking stress, feeling isolated and disconnected from those I loved. Something had to change. That thing was me. Learning to understand myself, put my needs first. From annual retreats, to weekly saunas, to cold water dipping I found my way back to feeling human again.
I have been gathering people all my life to bring joy through a shared experience. In my 20’s it was for fun, ski trips, hosting friends for dinner and house parties.
After exiting my business, I founded Brighton IceBreakers, allowing men to connect with nature, themselves, and those around them, creating belonging over the past 4 years.
I also created a community for busy founders by building ‘Your Away Day’, curated for them to put their human experience at the heart of a day’s work, creating a safe trusted space for real conversations and support.
150+ Founders. 250+ Men. 200+ Gatherings.
Bringing people together is what I have always done. Returning to feeling human again is what I have learnt to do. Combining this lived experience to help other people, is my passion. Now I do this for teams through ‘The Gathering’ a day with me as the host and guide, to support those leaders who are genuinely committed to their people.
“Joel created an environment of trust where we could be open and vulnerable without fear of judgement.”
Michaël Maarek, Founder of Grenadia & Linkaway
