Llangollen to host UK's largest women's adventure festival
Gemma Harrison, founder of Camp VC, said: "We're thrilled to bring Camp VC to Llangollen again this year.
"The Welsh landscape provides the perfect backdrop for adventure, and in pursuit of creating an environment that gives women and non-binary people freedom to explore, we've assembled our most impressive lineup of athletes, coaches, and inspirational speakers yet."
The festival offers a wide range of activities including dirt biking, wild swimming, mountain biking, wellness sessions and creative workshops.
Since its founding in 2015, Camp VC has helped more than 3,400 women get on motorbikes—many for the first time—and introduced more than 1,000 to skateboarding.
The event aims to create a supportive environment where women and non-binary people can try new activities without judgment.
BMX champion and Olympian Shanaze Reade, who has won nine world titles and holds two Guinness World Records, will headline the festival.
She will lead BMX sessions and share her journey from Crewe to international success.
Ms Reade said: "Camp VC promises something magical—a place where women can push their limits while feeling completely supported.
"I'm excited to help women discover the thrill of BMX racing in such a beautiful environment."
British motorcycling pioneer Patsy Quick, the first British woman to compete in the Dakar Rally, will also attend.
At 63, she continues to inspire through her Desert Rose racing school and will lead off-road motorcycle workshops.
Leah Tokelove, the UK's most successful female dirt track racer, will run track sessions and technical workshops for attendees.
Wellness sessions will take place throughout the weekend (Image: Camp VC)
In addition to adventure sports, the festival will include wellness sessions led by Ted Talk speaker Lu Featherstone, known to her 104,000 Instagram followers as an 'accidental middle-aged influencer' and menopause mindset expert.
She will be joined by What Laura Loves, who focuses on self-worth, mindset and healing after her recovery from a pulmonary embolism.
Adventure photographer Amy Shore will offer photography workshops to help attendees capture their experiences.
Evening entertainment will feature comedian Kema Bob, along with live music, campfires and community events.
The festival is expected to boost the local economy as visitors explore Llangollen and surrounding attractions.
READ MORE:
Council issue list of roads set to be reverted to 30mph in Flintshire next month
Ms Harrison said: "We've seen wonderful support from the Welsh community in previous years.
"Many of our attendees extend their stays to explore the beautiful surroundings, supporting local businesses and discovering what Wales has to offer."
Camp VC was born out of Ms Harrison's experience teaching friends to ride motorcycles in an east London car park.
It has since grown into the UK's leading women's adventure festival, with events, workshops and classes held throughout the year.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Leader Live
39 minutes ago
- Leader Live
Huw Jones: I was on an emotional rollercoaster ahead of Lions' series triumph
Andy Farrell's men have returned to Sydney intent on becoming the first Lions team to complete a Test whitewash since the 1927 visit to Argentina – an aspiration made possible by Saturday's gripping 29-26 triumph in Melbourne. Jones was destined to miss one of the greatest matches in the tourists' storied history after initially being left out of the starting XV, despite having impressed in the Suncorp Stadium opener. But having been dropped for Garry Ringrose, he was reinstated at outside centre when the Ireland star self-reported a return of the concussion symptoms that had forced him to miss the first Test. 'It was a pretty mental week. I had the initial disappointment of not being in the squad on the Tuesday,' Jones said. 'I had a chat with Andy and I was gutted. I got over that and was ready to get behind the boys. 'And then on Thursday we trained and Garry – to be fair to him – said his head just wasn't right. I think he may have got a knock in the session and went to the doctor. 'That's brave. And pulling yourself out as well. It was at the end of training, I had no idea that he was struggling, 'I chatted to Garry afterwards and he was emotional. Its one of those….you think 'I'll be all right' but if it's bad, it's bad. 'But like people have said, it's just a game. Your head's very important, you only get one brain and all that. 'If he felt the need to say that he was struggling, then fair play to him. I just hope that he gets over it very quickly. The moment that clinched the Series…#Lions2025 — British & Irish Lions (@lionsofficial) July 26, 2025 'I was gutted for him because he deserved to play and I know he would have been unbelievable. Sometimes that's rugby and that's sport. 'So I got a nod after that session. I was ready to step in and luckily I'd run some of the plays on Tuesday, so I was ready to go and got the job done.' Jones played a key part in the Lions' comeback from 18 points down after showing his strength to power over just before half-time, but it was Hugo Keenan's dashing finish with 51 seconds left that ignited the celebrations. Remarkably, Keenan's try was the first time the Lions had led in the second Test. 'What a game. Unbelievable. We made it hard for ourselves, ill-discipline and all that, but came back at the end and Hugo….what a finish. It was a good feeling,' Jones said. 'It's a cliche, but we never stopped believing, even at half-time. Even if we'd been further down, we still had the belief that we'd go on and win.' Farrell has given his squad two days off to celebrate Saturday's achievement with the players being joined by their friends and family. They resume training on Tuesday when the Lions will begin plotting the downfall of the Wallabies for a third-successive weekend. Farrell is scheduled to name his starting XV and bench on Thursday.
STV News
an hour ago
- STV News
Russell warns Lions want to ‘finish on a high' with a series whitewash
Finn Russell insists the British and Irish Lions have arrived in Sydney for the final week of their Australia tour intent on completing a series whitewash over the Wallabies. The rivals delivered an all-time classic in the second Test at Melbourne Cricket Ground but it was Andy Farrell's men who held their nerve to emerge 29-26 winners. Now they are chasing the 100 per cent record Down Under that Farrell set as a pre-tour target – an achievement that has not been managed since the 1927 visit to Argentina. Russell, who started the celebrations wearing a chocolate garland given to some of the players by Sione Tuipulotu, views the looming Sydney Olympic Park showdown as a must win occasion. 'Everyone here has been gunning for this for their whole career. To get to the Lions is one thing and then to get a series win is another,' the Scotland fly-half said. 'This is my third tour and I've not won one so it's special to get this, bringing four nations together to be a family for five, six weeks. 'So to get the series is amazing, but the job's still not done yet. We need to go and try and finish it off. Even though we've got the series, we want to finish on a high. Everyone wants to play in that game.' Russell has been a key figure in the Lions' first series triumph since 2013, forging an influential half-back partnership with Jamison Gibson Park that has been among the tourists' greatest strengths. On current form the best fly-half in the game, the 32-year-old is finally getting the accolades that his talent deserves after piloting Bath to Gallagher Premiership, Challenge Cup and Premier Cup success in the recent club season. 'I've learned another style of rugby at Bath. It's a different style that's about getting control back because of the backs that we have to launch,' he said. 'It's changed the way I look at the game a little bit. On Saturday, we had a couple of calls on their 10 metre line and I'm looking at kick plays rather than launching straight away. 'I'm loving my rugby right now. Some of the boys might say it's the most confident I've been and it's my best rugby, which might be true, it might not. 'I've not won much in my career so to have won the titles at Bath and now this, it's amazing, it's so special.' Get all the latest news from around the country Follow STV News Scan the QR code on your mobile device for all the latest news from around the country
Daily Mirror
an hour ago
- Daily Mirror
Anthony Joshua drops retirement bombshell with 'final' message
The British star - who is hoping to return before the end of the year - has not fought since suffering a brutal defeat to Daniel Dubois last year Anthony Joshua has hinted that 2025 could be his final year as a professional boxer. The British boxing star has not fought since last September and is set to return to the ring before the end of the year. Joshua suffered an agonising knockout defeat to Daniel Dubois at Wembley Stadium. It looked likely that the pair would face off in an immediate rematch, but 'AJ' suffered some minor injuries in the initial encounter which meant he needed more time to recover. The 35-year-old has recently undergone a successful operation on his elbow amid talks of a potential return to the ring over the next few months. There has been plenty of talk as to who Joshua's opponent will be, but as of yet, nothing has been officially confirmed. While there are still many intriguing match-ups for the Brit, Joshua has sensationally admitted that this year could be his last as a boxer. The two-time heavyweight world champion paid tribute to his promotional team Matchroom Boxing - who have managed him since his professional debut in 2013 - on Friday night, stating that his 'last punch' will be thrown this year. "Shout to Matchroom Boxing for all you have done for me and continue to do for me," Joshua wrote. "Long may you reign supreme and keep giving fighters opportunities to become champions and make boxing great. 12 years ago, I signed with you and 12 years later I will throw my last punch with you. "Royalty and loyalty is a perfect match for the great good. A toast to another 100 years of Matchroom Boxing And to finish on this… If I could start from scratch, I wouldn't change s***." Joshua's comments come just weeks after his promoter, Eddie Hearn, revealed that his star client is targeting two fights with Tyson Fury before calling it a day at the end of 2026. Speaking on the Ariel Helwani Show, he said: " Dillian Whyte was probably the frontrunner, to be honest with you. Now it looks like he's going to fight Moses - so that was a curveball. Jared Anderson's been mentioned, obviously Deontay Wilder's back soon. I think AJ would have been out the ring just over a year by the time he steps back into the ring. He will be coming off surgery, I don't think (Tyson) Fury's going to be ready to fight around that time anyway. But I expect it to be someone to gear him up for a really big fight in 2026. And probably, 2026 will be his last year in the sport." He added: "It's probably three fights away. For me, if I'm advising AJ, we're back this year, we have two Tyson Fury fights, what else is there to do? Maybe fight a Daniel Dubois, but for me once AJ fights Tyson Fury, he's kind of done it all. I'd love him to have another crack at Daniel Dubois and I'd love him to have another crack at Usyk but you just keep going on and on and on. Now, if we get to next year and he's still firing on all cylinders then 2026 won't be his last year. But for me, something feels right about coming back this year, beating Tyson Fury twice and then sailing off into the sunset." When is Anthony Joshua's next fight? Joshua is expected to make his return to the ring before the end of the year. Eddie Hearn has recently revealed that 'AJ' is now looking to move on with his career after continuously calling for a fight with Fury, but still hopes to one day settle the score with the 'Gypsy King' before calling it a day. In an interview with Sky Sports, when asked about the future of Joshua, Hearn replied: "Yeah, good, he had that operation recently... that elbow surgery, which went very well. You will see him return in October, November or December. We're looking for that opponent in the top ten. Deontay Wilder I think fights next week.
