Written by Jo White – Co-Founder & Co-Director of HBCL
Human Behaviour change is about just that, changing the observable behavioural actions that we humans do or don’t do. Whether it be going for a run, recycling your rubbish, gardening to create a habitat for nature to thrive, giving a loved one a hug at difficult time, or asking children how they think they learn best and making this a reality in their lessons; these are all things we do in the real world.
At Human Behaviour Change for Life we are practical people, we are ‘doers’. Don’t get us wrong, we lovvvvve geeking out on science and theory, but what makes our hearts sing, is seeing stuff getting done, things actually happening, not just being talked about. Like many of you, we go to wonderful conferences and events where we pick-up inspiring ideas and learn about the latest evidence, but we are all too aware that so much of this is lost. This point, was made famous by Ebbinghaus’ Forgetting Curve examining how we can forget up to 70% of new information within 24 hours. Interactive, roll your sleeves up and get practical workshops reinforce learning, through enabling us to actively participate, as that is what humans are designed to do, this engages us in ways that improve memory retention and understanding. In contrast, sitting still and largely silent in a conference or lecture, where information is transmitted while we remain passive so often fails to interrupt the forgetting process and it could be said, facilitates it (take it from one who doodled her way through university lectures just to try and take something in). Freeman found active learning environments result in significantly higher performance than traditional lectures – which I wish he could have mentioned to my teachers way back in the distant past! Then we go back to developing or changing behaviours and possibly turning the good ones into habits.
In the ideal world, when we attend a personal or professional development event, we want to get as much value out of it as possible. We want to learn new things, to remember those new things, and ideally, be able to do those new things after we have left the event, gone home and got on with our lives. To do this we need to be able to get our ‘L-plates’ on and prepare to stall a few times and make a hash of the three-point turn. By having a go at behaviours in real life, with supported and ideally repeated practice in a safe and familiar environment, means we can start to turn those slip ups into successes, and start to turn these into new skills.
This is what we are offering at HBC Fest, we want people to finish the weekend feeling confident enough to practice on their own, but also to know that they a new found support network of trusted people through HBC Fest when they need some help along the way. Traditional conferences or lectures just don’t provide this, and this is something the team at HBCL wanted to address.
It should be noted, we are not anti-tech, as we use varying approaches to spice up a life increasingly lived online (no I won’t start singing the Spice Girls), and see the value of bit of tech to make a conference or learning opportunity more interactive. However, the reality is, people are not really experiencing what is needed and what they need to do next. They are not trying out the behaviours, the practices, not rehearsing them in a safe supportive space where they can trip up literally and metaphorically and get mud on their face. Conferences can feel quite exposing, making one feel like putting on a mask or veneer to offer ones best, most successful self, it can be difficult to be truly authentic. With all this in mind, we thought, how can we marry our desire to help people really get in amongst concepts of behavioural science in a practical applied, authentic and real way? You don’t get more real than nature, more connected than putting the tech to one side and really being present and in the moment with each other in a field! It’s what us humans spent thousands of years doing, and it works!
HBC Fest is a chance to get changemakers together in a safe and supportive environment, where we can all share our experiences through peer learning and activities. Where workshop facilitators are also workshop participants, and workshop participants are behaviour changers, co-creative problem solvers, group supporters, as well as learners. Fest is about doing as well as talking and listening. Being active and experiencing what it feels like to do certain behaviours, to make changes, what thoughts these behavioural actions elicit in ourselves and others. It is a place where changemakers with different backgrounds, experiences and expertise come together to create a fantastic creative melting pot of ideas and solutions that attendees can take away and use in their own lives and to support those they work with to deliver change.
Why did we decide to bring people together from different backgrounds, experience and expertise?
As with so many great ideas, many are routed in nature, we often refer to ourselves as magpies, looking for those shiny pieces of gold and seeking to collect them together (just like in the Detectorists – watch it if you haven’t seen it!). The richness of experience, insight, and opportunity that comes from mixing people with different perspectives together in a co-creative environment is abundant. Not only does it present the great opportunity of being incredibly nosey and peaking over the fence as to what they are getting up to in their world and what can then be used, it can make us see our own situations from a totally new and fresh perspective. So, if you are looking at HBC Fest and wondering is it relevant to you, the answer is yes, particularly if you are a human! Probably also yes if you’re not, but we won’t go there!
Our line-up of wonderful changemakers facilitating workshops and attending this year’s HBC Fest includes, people working in the fields of:
- Human behavioural science in practice
- Human physical and mental health and wellbeing
- Animal welfare, veterinary, behaviour and wellbeing
- Environment, sustainability and conservation
- International development
The opportunity to explore the human condition awaits, from the challenges of being born into a complex world, early experiences, education, how we messy humans live messy lives and how to support ourselves and others through change along the way to deliver the positive world we are all seeking.
What will be covered?
While the content is still evolving and the threads being connected, we have a wonderful line-up of special people who get what HBC Fest is about and will be facilitating some fascinating sessions throughout the weekend.
Your hosts HBCL
So that’s me (Jo, left) and lovely Suz (right) my amazing partner in changemaking! We will guide you through a weekend of insight, connection, and transformation … argh did I really say that! You will see we are a little bit obsessed with the weaving metaphor (that will all become clear in a moment), but we will help you to weave the behaviour change threads together from each workshop, supporting you to explore the bigger picture of human behaviour change, to discover how shared practice and collective learning can spark real-world impact. As ultimately we want you to experience HBC Fest as a living tapestry, where changemakers come together to learn, reflect, and lead change; because when we connect the dots, we create the patterns that shape a better future (enough of the weaving metaphors for a moment – sewing never was my strong point and I feel like I might be constructing a duvet)!
Keynote and workshop facilitators
Through a keynote talk and hands-on workshop with Krish, you’ll learn how to craft and deliver stories that shift mindsets and spark change. Explore how storytelling builds empathy, overcomes resistance, and drives behaviour. Leave with practical tools to connect more deeply and communicate with purpose. Perfect for changemakers ready to lead through the power of narrative.
As more changemakers turn to models like COM-B, we rarely get the chance to reflect together on how these theories are applied in practice, especially around emotion regulation as a behaviour change technique and a potential driver of change. In this session, Jason Feavers creates space to explore, share, and learn from real-world experiences.
Join Hamish and step into classic ethical dilemmas like the trolley and lifeboat problems – not just to debate them, but to live them. Take on roles, make tough decisions, and see how shifting rules reshape your values and choices. Explore how pressure, perspective, and emotion influence real-world behaviour change. Leave with deeper insight into ethical reasoning, decision-making, and the human side of change.
Drawing on her midwifery experience, Kelda explores how behaviour change happens in emotionally charged, high-stakes settings. This session highlights the role of empathy, trust, and lived experience in enabling change. Reflect on how to create safe, supportive conditions – even in uncertainty. Ideal for those working in care, community, or frontline roles where change is deeply human.
As society evolves, are schools still shaping behaviour in ways that serve future generations?
Drawing on his journey from pupil to headteacher, Pete explores how education influences habits, values, and wellbeing. This session challenges us to rethink schools through a behaviour change lens; supporting inclusion, mental health, and lifelong learning. Join a bold conversation about transforming education to meet today’s behavioural realities.
Step off the treadmill and reflect on your journey – the highs, the setbacks, and the lessons. Play a giant, personalised Snakes & Ladders with Tamzin and Jo to map your life’s twists and turns. Turn reflection into action: identify patterns, build on strengths, and shape your next steps. Leave with deeper self-awareness and renewed motivation for change, because real growth begins when we pause, look back and choose how to move forward.
Changemakers, it’s time to pause and restore. Join Jade to reconnect with nature through guided forest bathing and sensory awareness. Experience the proven benefits of slowing down – reduced stress, improved focus, deeper empathy. Learn simple practices to embed nature connection into daily life and work. Recharge your wellbeing and return ready to lead with clarity and resilience.
Join Sara to discover the ancient craft of spinning – a slow, mindful practice with modern meaning. Learn how transformation begins with raw, tangled fibres, and patience. Reflect on systems, sustainability, and the power of intentional change. Reconnect with your hands, your values, and the deeper threads of life. Leave grounded, calm, and carrying a symbol of change you spun yourself.
In Anna Baatz’s practical workshop, you’ll explore how voice, breath, and body shape our presence and influence. Learn to manage nerves, ditch the freeze or fidget, and speak with clarity and authenticity. Grounded in behavioural science, this session helps you to connect, inspire, and lead change, because when our voice aligns with our mission, people don’t just hear it – they act on it.
Join this honest and powerful workshop led by a frontline social worker who has spent years advocating for children in crisis. From courtrooms to care homes, hear real stories of resilience, compassion, and non-judgemental practice. Explore how to hold space for both vulnerability and hope in the toughest moments. Reflect on how these insights can shape how we engage with others, whatever our role.
And more …
In addition to this we will have wonderful stories of change (information coming soon), amazing food provided by Vegan Revelation, which is a change story in its own right, yoga for a bit of stretchy wellbeing, hopefully some live music (still on the look out if anyone knows someone!) and time just to be in nature with wonderful people.
Can I really call this CPD?
100% can you call this professional development, as this is behaviour change in action – learning, doing, exploring, co-creating to solve messy human problems through actual changes in behaviour. Where a conference might spark an idea or give information to try and do something with … this will give you all of that, and a lot more. It will support the application of ideas and information, with practical tools, activities and expert support ready to hand throughout the weekend not just for a quick Q&A at the end of the session.
Will it be any good for networking?
Yes, but in a very different way, rather than that awkward chat in a packed room with a poor acoustics, trying to start a conversation with an inspiring speaker who looks like they have half an eye on the coffee queue as they are desperate for an energy boost after too much pastry for breakfast! You will be sharing a lived experience over the weekend with fellow changemakers, with endless things to talk about through the workshop experiences, the beautiful venue with nature everywhere, and the amazing thought provoking and inspiring food (what they do with seeds changed my behaviour!). HBC Fest provides a unique opportunity to connect in a truly authentic way that creates opportunities a plenty!
Get your ticket today those days are counting down!
We now only have a few tickets left and are looking to close ticket sales in August, so we can firm-up details and make sure the weekend is as magical as possible. We are a social enterprise, so the sale of these tickets is used to help cover the costs associated with running HBC Fest.
As part of your ticket, bring a tent and pitch up for free! Big Sky Hideaway offers the luxury of camping in ‘secluded’ spots which are cut into their gorgeous meadow. Don’t have a tent? Onsite hire of tents or camping hammocks available. Prefer a few more creature comforts? Limited onsite glamping options available at additional cost.
It is important to us that people have the opportunity to attend if they are really keen, so if you are struggling here’s a little help from your friends (love a bit of Beetles and hopefully we have a few in attendance!). Keen to come, but struggling with the price of the ticket, get in touch and we might be able to offer you one of the discounted tickets, perhaps in exchange for a little help for the HBC Fest team if you are able to … as all hands on deck helps. Contact Abigail at admin@hbcforlife.org or Jo (me) at jo@hbcforlife.org for more information.
So, time for some behavioural action – come join us at HBC Fest 2025!
