The Happiness Retreat
with Dr Vikki Barnes
24 - 26 June 2026
No phones | No presentations | Only presence
A nature based learning and development programme on workplace wellbeing, happiness and culture.
Designed for HR professionals and business leaders
Places limited to a maximum of 24
The Happiness Retreat, aka "HR" (see what we did there?) is a Bioasis collaboration with world renowned happiness expert Dr. Vikki Barnes.
This unique professional development event brings forward-thinking organisations and future leaders into the wild to explore a powerful truth:
Happy people build better teams, stronger cultures and more profitable businesses.
The Happiness Retreat in 45 seconds
The Problem
Business teams are stressed, burnt out and disengaged. This is costing UK companies billions in productivity, strategy and lost working days. Traditional wellbeing initiatives lack depth and strategic ROI.
The Goal
Happy workplaces: by implementing tangible improvements on wellbeing, engagement and leadership capability, as well as strengthening culture and creativity, we can improve performance, resilience, staff retention and profitability. There is a direct ROI when investing in company happiness.
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The Solution
Bring together an expert in organisational happiness and the multiple benefits of nature and adventure. The Happiness Retreat blends guided workshops on the 'Chemistry of Happiness' and 'Flow States and Productivity' with reflective outdoor experiences and adventures, equipping leaders with practical tools and insights to embed sustainable happiness-driven performance back in the workplace.
Dates: 24 - 26 June 2026
Investment: £1,385 + VAT per person
Happiness as a strategic lever in business.
In a world of constant pressure, AI, burnout, performance targets and digital overload, happiness, like nature, has become a strategic business priority, not a nice-to-have. Unhappy teams are literally costing UK businesses billions in lost productivity.
Over the space of 3 days, surrounded by ancient woodland, wildflower meadows, rivers and salt marshes, this unique professional development retreat focuses on organisational culture and happiness. It will show you how to create the conditions for clarity, creativity, connection and happiness in your organisation.
After all, if you increase staff engagement, performance and retention, then everything in business is better.
About Vikki
Dr Vikki Barnes has 15 years experience working as a clinical and organisational psychologist, specialising in positive psychology and happiness in the workplace. She is a keynote speaker and supports organisations in the UK and internationally to build healthy, high-performing cultures.
Vikki champions a wellbeing economy - one that blends the wellbeing of both people and planet. Happy people perform at their best and deliver better outcomes. It’s simply a better way to do business.
Vikki's strategies reach beyond basic, reactive mental health work to put you and your organisation ahead of the curve.
Workplace Happiness ROI
Using preventative initiatives has been shown to result in a ROI of between 300% - 1,200% (Deloitte). By increasing engagement, reducing burnout, boosting morale, supporting resilience, strengthening culture and enhancing wellbeing - workplace happiness has a direct impact on your bottom line.
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Vikki's work and client list:
For the past 7 years, Vikki's consultancy, Positive Wellbeing, has worked with leading organisations, including:
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Virgin
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The Royal Air Force
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The NHS
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Hewlett Packard
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The Met Office
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and many more.​
Who is this retreat for?
The Happiness Retreat is for those wanting to meaningfully tackle issue such as employee engagement, team performance and staff retention.
The programme is designed for those intent on improving company culture, staff welfare and, ultimately, profitability. You may be:
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HR, People & Culture leads
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ESG professionals
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L&D leaders and teams
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Mid-level managers and department heads
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SME owners wanting to prioritise wellbeing, engagement and culture
Whether you’re building resilient teams, embedding sustainability, or rethinking leadership, this retreat will offer you fresh perspective and practical insight.
The Programme
Active, reflective workshops, hands-on
We start, not in a conference room, but with a walk into Holbe Basecamp, deep in The Bioasis.
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This is a deliberate transition, taking us out of our everyday world, over a threshold, and into a slower, more connected way of being. This moment marks the shift: phones away, schedules loosened, senses awakened.
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From here, we’ll settle into life immersed in the beautiful surroundings of The Bioasis. Over the course of three days, we’ll be invited to experience the land not as a backdrop, but as a teacher and mentor.
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Nature connection
​There will be a rich mix of hands-on, nature-based activities, designed to reconnect you with the natural world and reveal its intelligence, usefulness and abundance.
Adventure and resilience
We will be undertaking canoeing adventures along The Bioasis estuary, bushcraft sessions, catapult building, seed-bombing and hands-on conservation work. These experiences aren’t about performance or competition, they’re about participation, curiosity and rediscovering how working with nature, rather than against it, is good for business and people.
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Happiness, leadership and wellbeing workshops
At the heart of the retreat are two immersive workshops (see below), led by Vikki, thoughtfully woven into the rhythm of the weekend. These sessions create space for reflection, conversation and fresh perspective on happiness, leadership and wellbeing. There'll be no slides, stages or corporate language.
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Connection and reflection
Between structured moments, there will be plenty of room to simply be. Chill zones scattered across the site invite rest, informal connection and quiet reflection. Evenings will be spent around the firepit, where conversations deepen and ideas flow without pressure or agenda.
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And, of course, it wouldn’t be The Bioasis without some simple pleasures, like Devon cream teas, enjoyed slowly, in good company, and surrounded by nature.
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Want to join us?
Workshop 1:
The Chemistry of High Performance
Understand how dopamine, oxytocin, serotonin and endorphins shape motivation, trust, focus and burnout.
This workshop will explore how teams and organisations can deliberately design environments that support healthier nervous systems, stronger cultures and more sustainable performance.
Workshop 2:
Flow States & the Future of Productivity
Flow is not about working harder, it’s about removing the barriers that prevent people from doing their best work.
This session will explore how organisations can create the conditions for deep focus, creativity and high quality output in an always on, distraction heavy world.
Implementation & Follow Up
Key to this programme delivering significant ROI in your business is the implementation after you return to the office. We want this business retreat to supercharge happiness in your organisation, so the following is also included within the package price:
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'Free Happiness'
A copy of Vikki's book on the science and tools of happiness.
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A specialist, tailored 1:1 consultation with Vikki
A private consultation after the retreat with Vikki to help you implement your happiness plan in your organisation. (Worth £325)
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Post-retreat group call
A post-retreat group call as a wrap up and reconnect provides an opportunity to share wins and further build the community
Not another conference.
Not another wellness retreat.
​This is something completely different. This is Learning and Development, but not like anything you've experienced before.
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No conference rooms. No PowerPoint decks. No hotel buffets, generic icebreakers or tacky team-building games.
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Just a purposeful step into the unfamiliar. A wild, off-grid, immersive adventure that is designed to take you out of your everyday world and into a different way of thinking. It's a nature based 'festival of happiness'.
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Stress and burnout are costing UK businesses billions
According to HSE, the UK's workforce is more stressed than ever before - costing more than £22bn annually. Companies that tackle this, properly - not just with a sticking plaster - have lower staff turnover, better productivity, improved culture and a more engaged workforce. Those that don't... struggle.
When work is relentless, it's common to want “out.”
The Happiness Retreat is your way out: Out of the Office. Out of the same old routines. Out of the box thinking. Out in nature
Why the colab with The Bioasis?
The Bioasis emerged from 20+ years of ethical adventure tourism, taking more than 8,000 people away on overseas expeditions.
Designing impactful, adventurous experiences that push comfort zones and personal growth comes naturally to us. A collaboration with Vikki, combining the science and psychology of happiness, with the personal development benefits of adventure was a organisational happiness match made in Devon.
The Bioasis is a wild landscape, wonderful at sparking ideas, connection and innovation. Hidden within 1200 acres of ancient woodland, wildflower meadows and salt marshes, Bioasis basecamps offers a rare chance to step away from daily life and immerse yourself in nature, adventure and the opportunity for reflection and growth.
Our off-grid, solar-powered basecamps and immersive programmes create transformational experiences for businesses, helping teams reconnect, rethink and regenerate.
Come join us, away from the noise, away from the inbox, away from the boardroom, and away from the weekly schedule. We offer time and space to think. We promise you, you won't be disappointed.
"My number one, without fail, go-to mental health strategy, is just nature"
Dr Vikki Barnes
Digital detox and space to think
The Happiness Retreat is intentionally designed to disconnect you from digital noise and reconnect you with people, nature and yourself.
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Come and join us for:
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Deep nature immersion, guided reflection and forest meditation
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Outcome focused workshops
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Movement, stillness and a shared adventure
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Time and space to think differently; about leadership, life and work
Why? Because real insight and strategic thought doesn’t happen in meeting rooms. It happens when we close the laptop, when the nervous system settles, when the mind slows and when the body and mind feel safe.
“Thank you Vikki, for coming and looking after us all here on Necker Island and for looking after people in England as well. You’ve given them a lot of comfort, it’s been wonderful to have you”
Sir Richard Branson
Happy people create the best cultures
Actionable Ideas and Insight
for a happy workplace culture
For 3 days and 2 nights, and using nature as our classroom, Vikki will help us explore how happiness and wellbeing are fundamental pillars in a successful modern business, influencing:
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Leadership and human-centred leadership
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Productivity and performance
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Burnout and burnout prevention
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Engagement and team morale
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Workplace wellbeing strategies
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Leadership resilience and adaptability
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Strong company culture and purpose
You’ll leave with insight, inspiration and actionable ideas to take back into your organisation.
"You're recharging your mind, you're strengthening your team and you're boosting your performance, all through the restorative power of nature" Dr Vikki Barnes
Questions (and answers)
What are the dates? Wednesday 24th June - ​Friday 26th June 2026
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How much does it cost? £1,385 per person (plus VAT)
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Places available: Places are limited at 24 max.
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Who will be leading it? You’ll be under the watchful eye of our Bioasis experienced outdoor facilitators, wild guides and coaches, who will provide professional insights and support throughout, ensuring a safe and enriching experience for all. Vikki will be delivering workshops and reflections at different points throughout the weekend.
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Where is the Bioasis? In a secret location in South Devon.
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What are the fitness expectations? This is an active retreat, but there is no requirement for previous outdoor/adventure experience. We'll undertake a variety of walks ranging from 4 - 10 kms, covering a mix of terrain such as woodland and estuary trails. There are a few hills. We will also head out in canoes (sharing the paddling) - full instruction will be given. The conservation work involves the use of hand tools to clear scrub and invasive species.​
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What's included?
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All activities and technical equipment
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Rustic glamping accommodation (read more about our basecamps)
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All food from lunch on day 1 to lunch on day 3
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Unlimited tea, coffee and hot drinks
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A selection of cold drinks at meal times​
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A copy of Vikki's book: Free Happiness
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1:1 post retreat consultation with Vikki to help implement your happiness plan (worth £325). ​
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Experienced Bioasis wild guides and facilitators
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Free Parking
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Comprehensive pre-arrival information
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Full safety back up, risk assessments, evac plans
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Still got a question? Give us a call on 01392 984878 or email us missioncontrol@thebioasis.com​​​
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Where nature, people and performance converge
A new model for wellbeing, leadership and profit
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This retreat sits at the intersection of nature, wellbeing and organisational performance.
By reconnecting people with the natural world, we reconnect them with purpose, perspective and possibility. When people feel happy, connected and purposeful, businesses become more innovative, resilient and successful. This retreat is your opportunity to explore how nurturing happiness and wellbeing at work can drive:
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increased productivity and innovation
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stronger leadership and decision-making,
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Higher employee engagement and retention
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A healthier, more sustainable organisational culture
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Long-term, purpose-led profitability
How To Book
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Dates: Wednesday 24th June - ​Friday 26th June 2026
Investment: £1,385 per person (plus VAT)
Guarantee your place:
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Complete Booking Form
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​Pay £200 (+VAT) deposit online
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Get excited
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Got a Question?
Prefer to chat with one of the team?
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Call us: 01392 984878
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​Book an online call: Click Here​​​​​​
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Reserve for 72 hours:
Need a little time to check a few things? No problem!
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Complete the form below
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We'll hold your space for 72 hrs, giving you time to think and check the dates.
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You get an email reminder in 48 hrs time.
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Want to go ahead? Fantastic. If not, no worries, your place will auto cancel and we'll still be friends. ​​​​
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Keep me posted:
Can't make a date, but want to be kept up to speed with similar events? Maybe you can't commit just now. No worries.
Let us know what you're interested in and we'll keep you up to speed.
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No obligation. No hard sell. ​We promise.
General Information, kit lists, menus & more
If you need more information at this stage, before being able to commit, then you can find details of what to bring, how to find us, safety information, policies, food and allergy provision, first aid and emergencies, code of conduct and lots more via the link below.