Young Pagans took part in a Youth Interfaith retreat in July. The Pagan Federation is keen to develop Youth involvement in our work as we feel it is important that young Pagans have a voice that matters in steering the future of the Pagan Federation. We would love to hear from young Pagans (aged 16 to 35) to begin building a team that can ensure all areas of our work reflect the views of young Pagans. If you feel that may be something for you, please contact Mike Stygal (Belief and Education officer) at belief-edu@paganfederation.co.uk
Sapphire and Drystan have written a report on their experiences at the retreat.
Youth Interfaith retreat 2026
Sapphire and Drystan
Myself and Drystan were invited to represent pagan youth at the 2026 Interfaith Youth Retreat at the ASHA centre.
This was an eye-opening experience and I learnt so much about other religions and faith communities. The first thing that struck me when I arrived was how beautiful the ASHA centre was. The centre was run by a lovely lady called Zerbanoo. She was so welcoming, and the whole place had such a good atmosphere.
Once we had settled in and unpacked, everyone at the retreat met together to introduce ourselves and learn some more about the weekend’s events. That night ended with people talking and playing word games together, and this set up the vibe for the rest of the weekend. I personally believe this was very important to start with, as we were then all comfortable with each other, and could easily have open conversations.
Each day we had different group activities, where we had discussions about our beliefs, and learned about the similarities and differences in our faiths. We also had people from different faith communities come to talk about specific topics, which would prompt us to speak about our opinions on that topic. This was a valuable opportunity to learn and ask questions about others’ beliefs, and make connections with people walking other paths to our own. As pagans, we were able to clear up some misconceptions and educate people not only about our specific practices and beliefs, but also explore various other beliefs that fall under the pagan umbrella. My favourite moment during the retreat was the meal times. The food was delicious, and we were encouraged to sit with different people for each meal. This was a good time for us to all get to know each other better, and ask any questions we didn’t have time to ask each other during the main talks. It definitely felt like a close community during those meals, and throughout the whole weekend. I’m grateful for the opportunity to attend this, it has highlighted the importance of making connections, not just within our own pagan community but also within the other diverse groups around us.
https://ashacentre.org/