Youth Leaders Guide

Dreaming the Impossible is an annual Christian youth gathering for 12-18 year olds from churches and youth organisations everywhere. It is open to all streams, networks and denominations and is run by Vineyard Churches UK & Ireland.

Our gatherings are unashamedly all about Jesus but we try and make everything accessible for those with no or little experience of church or youth groups. These young people are especially welcome to join us.

DTI is about inspiring and equipping young people to love God, love others and change the world. Our heart is that young people would encounter God at DTI and leave our gatherings knowing His love for them in a deeper way, and be ready to live out their faith back home being part of a local church.

Our programme is always rammed but the thing we’re most excited about is seeing what God wants to do over our 5 days together. Every morning and evening we come together as family to worship Jesus, hear some great teaching from the Bible and spend loads of time learning how to pray for each other and hanging out in God’s presence.

Outside of the main meetings there’s load of time for the young people to hang out with their friends and make some new ones.  They can choose to go along to seminars, which cover lots of different topics relating to how young people live out their faith, as well as explore cafés, sports, music, films and other fun activities that are going on late into the evening!

The Group Coordinator (GC) is the responsible youth leader who will act as our point of contact before and during the event and who'll take overall responsibility for the young people in their group at DTI.

Role

As a Group Coordinator, you’re vital to the smooth integration of your church group at DTI. You will be the point of contact between the DTI team and your youth group, both in the run up to, and at, the actual event. 

This means that whoever is nominated to be the GC in the run up to the event, must be a youth leader who will be present onsite during the event and will have overall responsibility for the young people from your church group. 

Booking

Whoever is going to be the GC will need to book a ticket first and tick that they are the Group Coordinator for your church/youth group. 

A unique code will be generated for your group, which must then be distributed out to your youth group to book on. 

By using the unique code to book on, it consolidates the tickets of your group under your church name.

By logging into your account and selecting the ‘My Groups’ section, you’ll be able to monitor the ticket signups to your group and see who has/hasn’t yet booked on.

As a Group Coordinator, you also have special permissions, such as the ability to be able to make block bookings of tickets without having to enter individual delegate details at the time; furthermore, you’ll have access to purchase any power requirements you may require for your camp.

(See ‘How do I organise a Group?’ for more power details.)

One of your responsibilities when booking is to ensure that you have enough youth leaders coming to the event to provide adequate supervision for your young people. DTI requires a minimum of 1 youth leader for every 8 young people under 18.

Group Coordinator Emails and Zoom Call

We will be emailing GCs in the months leading up to DTI so keep an eye out for these as they will have lots of useful details for organising your group.

We will also run a couple of GC Zoom calls in early July to share the programme details and give you an opportunity to ask the team any questions that you may have about bringing your group.

If you have a large group and may be looking to split the GC role to help manage it all, you may have more than one GC listed but YOU MUST email us at hello@dreamingtheimpossible.org to let us know so that we can add the relevant permissions on our system.

If you have any questions at all please don’t hesitate to email us hello@dreamingtheimpossible.org

DTI is an event aimed at young people aged 12-18, or starting one of the following years at school in September 2026 for those born in August:

- England/Wales: Year 8
- Scotland: S2
- Ireland: Year 9
- N Ireland: 2nd Year

If you have young people, age 11 who would like to attend DTI as youth and not attend as part of our 5-11's kids ministry, you are welcome to book them on with a 12-18 ticket. Please be aware that the content in the main meetings will be geared towards 12-18's.

All under 18s must be accompanied by a youth leader who is over 18. Each youth leader can accompany up to 8 young people.

We do not allow adults who are not with a group of young people to come to DTI alone.

Dreaming the Impossible is held at Staffordshire County Showground starting on the 29th July. We’ll gather for our first meeting at approx. 7pm that evening, so it’s best to arrive earlier in the afternoon to get your campsite set up. The site will be open from 12:00.

The last evening meeting is on the evening of 2nd August with all our venues closing at 23:00.  We’d love everyone to stay on site and leave the following morning 3rd August.  The site needs vacating by 09:30.

There are several different prices for the event depending on when you book; you can save money by booking in advance. We don't offer any large group discounts as we think it's fairer to offer everyone the opportunity to save money by booking early.

Tickets can be purchased online with the option to pay in full, pay via BACS or through instalments.

Here’s a breakdown of the prices and deadlines for youth and youth leaders:
28 Feb 2026 - £149
31 May 2026 - £159
Final Price - £169

The ticket price includes entry into all the main meetings, seminars, sports, films, activities and any other goings on around the site.

We will provide enough space for your group on the campsite. Electric hook-ups are not included in the ticket price, but we do have a limited number of hook-ups that can be purchased when booking on for DTI. The hook-up fee includes installation, the associated hire of equipment and the cost of power during the event. Please note: those who require electric hook-ups for medical needs will be given priority.

The things you will need to arrange yourself are your transport to and from the event, as well as your camping equipment and your food. There’s a small shop on-site where you can buy essential food items. There is also an Asda, Lidl and Sainsbury's nearby in Stafford if you need to do a larger shop.

There will be a range of food vans and cafés where you can buy drinks and any snacks you fancy that will be open at meal times and after the evening meeting. There will also be merch that you and your young people may wish to purchase.

Holiday insurance isn’t compulsory, but we’re not able to offer refunds after the 30th June 2026 so you may wish to arrange cover in case there is an emergency that means you or your group can’t attend.

Head to the navigation bar at the top of this page and select TICKETS. This will take you through to Solidrock, our ticketing system. You’ll be prompted to register an account (if you haven't already) which you’ll keep for every Dreaming the Impossible event you attend.

Adding Bookings
You can keep booking on more people to your group up until the start of the event. However if DTI sells out, tickets will no longer be added to any group.

Young people can create an account and book a ticket within your group as long as you have shared your group code with them.

Yes, all ticket holders are able to pay either in full via card, or BACs, or in regular installments over a number months via BACs or card.

Please email hello@dreamingtheimpossible.org if you have any questions.

Day tickets will be available to purchase online and at the gate on the day unless the event has sold out. Please check the website and social media to see if day tickets are available to avoid disappointment.

Youth groups are welcome to come along for the day, but must adhere to the safeguarding ratio of 1 youth leader to 8 young people. If you are a young person or a youth leader coming to DTI for the day you will need to be linked to your youth group on-site and your youth group must have adequate ratios (1:8). It is the responsibility of the day ticket holder (or their parent/guardian) to inform the relevant group coordinator that you will be joining them. On arrival all young people/youth leaders joining for the day must be met at the gate by their church’s youth leader or group coordinator. Delegates with a full day ticket can arrive on-site from 09:00 and can remain on-site until 23:00 when the program for the day finishes. Evening ticket holders can arrive from 17:00 and remain on-site until 23:00 when the programme for the day finishes.

Admin

For each ticket holder we will ask for a full name, address and date of birth, emergency contact, and for any medical/ access requirements. We do not need any other information but here are some things we ask you to arrange for yourselves:

DBS for your leaders

Your young people are your responsibility throughout DTI. We maintain a safeguarding policy of 1 leader (who is 18 or above) to 8 young people.

All of your leaders will need DBS certificates. We don’t need to see those but ask that you check them all before departure.

Risk assessment

You may be asked to carry out a risk assessment. This is common for social services if you’re bringing someone in your youth group currently in foster care. We can’t provide a risk assessment for you, but you can find useful guidance in assessing health and safety risks on the HSE website: www.hse.gov.uk

We have provided a copy of the site rules contract that you can use for your young people to sign up to ahead of coming to DTI. These can be found in the appendix at the bottom of the page.

Contact info

The Group Coordinator will be the person we will contact in an emergency. However, we suggest you collate a list of the young people’s emergency contact details and store them somewhere safe so you can contact their parents/carers if needed. It’s wise to keep a printed list of mobile numbers in your group in case your phone battery dies.

Medical or allergy information

Although we have a first aid team onsite, any ongoing medical treatment (such as allergy tablets) can be administered by you, as well as basics like plasters and painkillers. We suggest you note down any allergies or medicines taken in case of emergency. The first aid team would be happy to store any medicine for you in their fridge, if that’s required. Please pop into first aid at the start of the week and let them know about any potential health problems in your group so they can be prepared.

Kit list

Whilst group sizes vary hugely, there are some basics that you almost always need for camping. Please see the kit list in the Appendix at the bottom of the page.

We advise you not to bring any valuables as tents can’t be secured; anything you do bring is entirely at your own risk.

Food and Supplies

There is a small onsite shop for all your essentials including bread, milk and batteries. There is an Asda, Lidl and Sainsbury's in Stafford which is a 10 minute drive away.

If you aren’t able to go offsite and buy food, we have a range of food vans in our food court that will be supplying fast food such as pizzas and burgers throughout DTI.

Alternatively, we are happy for you to order online food deliveries to the showground. Deliveries will be able to come as far as the main gate. They will call you when they arrive  so please give them your name, camping zone and mobile number. When they arrive please be ready to meet them at the main gate as we can’t accept deliveries on your behalf.

Throughout DTI the Group Coordinator, or a nominated leader, needs to be responsible for food safety. This  includes storing food at the correct temperature, probing food to make sure it is thoroughly cooked and ensuring that leftovers are disposed of properly.

We have a camping shop that will be based in The Station which will be selling a range of camping and outdoors equipment including ice packs.

Generators & electrical hook-ups

Unfortunately, we do not allow generators to be brought onto site under any circumstances due to warnings from fire safety authorities about their safety.

We offer a small number of electrical hook-ups for the week for a cost of £200. Priority will go to people with a medical or physical assistance need, such as powering mobility equipment. Electric hook-ups can be purchased by the group coordinator when booking onto DTI.

Main meetings

The main meetings begin on Wednesday evening. Every morning and evening we come together as family to worship Jesus, hear some great teaching from the Bible and spend loads of time learning how to pray for each other and hanging out in God’s presence.

Worship

Worship is a key part of our faith and is central to all that we do at DTI. We gather together as one family to sing and praise God. Worship allows us to draw closer to Jesus and press into a more intimate relationship with him.

Teaching

During each meeting, we make time to look at God’s word together and hear from a speaker who will help us apply what we read in the Bible to the things that are happening in our lives and in the world around us. We try and make the talks fun so that they are easy to listen to and engage with as we want to inspire and equip the young people.

Ministry

During ministry times we ask the Holy Spirit to come and meet with us. We believe that the Holy Spirit is with us always but by asking him to come we ask for him to fall on us and for a fresh anointing of his presence. We believe that in ministry times God can heal us, set us free, and reveal more of himself to us. Susie and the team will talk you and your young people through what is going to happen from the front. Throughout the week in these ministry times there will be a few opportunities for the young people to give their lives to Jesus.

Seminars

Every day we have a jam-packed schedule of seminars. These are focused on a particular topic, covering all sorts of subjects such as praying for people, worship, reading the Bible, mission, being bold, and being set free from pain. Feel free to head along to as many of these as you like and encourage your young people to do the same.

Some groups gather together each morning and look at what seminars are coming up that day. People are often more motivated to go when they know others are going too and it might be that you/some of your leaders can take groups to seminars you think would be of particular interest.

Afternoons & evenings

As well as seminars, there is a tonne of other stuff going on to fill the afternoons and evenings. We have cafés, sports venues, fun activities and a whole range of seminars that you and your young people can attend.

We really encourage you and your young people to get as involved as you can whilst at Dreaming the Impossible. Engage in the worship, take notes during the talks, go along to seminars, make friends and pray for people. If there is anything you are not sure about or think we could do better, then come to the info desk - we would love to know what you think!

It’s always wise to plan some time out for yourself and your other group leaders each day. Check in on each other and try and have coffee together to keep a sense of team spirit – whilst it can be exhilarating seeing young people meet with Jesus, it can also be exhausting being surrounded by teenagers for five days!

We want to make sure everyone who comes to DTI gets as much out of the event as possible.

If you have specific requirements which mean you may need some extra help – for example, you may need BSL interpretation of meetings or accessible showers and loos – please let us know by noting this in the additional requirements box on your online booking form, and by getting in touch with us at: hello@dreamingtheimpossible.org

Sensory HQ

We want everyone to enjoy DTI, so we have created the Sensory HQ, to offer just that; a safe, quiet space with a range of sensory activities, for youth and youth leaders to retreat to. There will be a great team who will be hanging out in there to offer support and chat to delegates. This space will be available in the main sessions and in the afternoons and evenings.

Sensory Space - Main Meetings

We want everybody to enjoy the main meeting and engage with what is going on. We have an open sided gazebo at the back of the main venue for those people who are finding a crowded environment a bit too much. There will be sensory activities, ear defenders, soft flooring and a team ready to welcome you. This is a place where you can feel  safe and secure in whilst being able to engage with the main meetings.

Sensory HQ - Afternoons and Evenings

The Sensory HQ is open in the afternoon and evenings for drop in sessions. There will be lots of sensory activities and quiet safe spot for youth and youth leaders to retreat too. The team would love to meet you there. Check out the onsite map to find us. There are also Regulation Stations around the site.

Blue Badge holders 

If you are a Blue Badge holder and will need to use your car once on site, please note this on your booking form and we will provide you with a parking permit.

Access to venues

The main venue and seminar venues have level access. Wheelchair users and visually impaired delegates can enter the main venue five minutes before other delegates. Please ask a member of the host team for access when you arrive at the venue.

Accessible toilets/showers

Accessible toilets and showers are available on site and where possible we will try and ensure that you are camped in a village with close proximity to them.

Induction loops

There are induction loops in place in the Main Venue.

Carer Ticket

If you require a carer ticket please email us at hello@dreamingtheimpossible.org

Dreaming the Impossible is held at Staffordshire County Showground in Stafford.

The address for the showground is:

Staffordshire Showground
Weston Road
Stafford
ST18 0BD

We are unable to provide any transport, so you’ll need to arrange your own travel to and from the event.

Travel by Car

Staffordshire County Showground is situated on the main A518 Stafford to Uttoxeter road, two miles from Stafford and five miles from junction 14 of the M6 motorway. Drivers from either the north or south using the M6 should exit at junction 14 and follow the signs for the County Showground.

Travel by Train

If you are arriving by train the closest station is Stafford Railway Station, approx 4 miles from the showground.

Travel by Bus

The 841 bus going towards Uttoxeter, can be caught from the Shrewsbury Arms Pub, a short walk from the station, and will take you to the showground

Most of our team and delegates will be camping together at Staffordshire Showground, either in caravans or tents. Delegates are very welcome to stay in hotels, hostels, Airbnb's and travel to the showground each day at their own expense.

Camping Zones

The campsite is divided into 4 coloured villages: red, blue, green and yellow. Each youth group will be allocated to one of these villages. Each village has a central marquee or Hub where your Campsite Hosts can be located from 08:00-23:30 each day throughout DTI. The Campsite Hosts are there to ensure you have the best time at DTI, answer any questions you may have and will be on hand to help with setting up your campsite.

We will email out a few weeks before DTI to ask your group how many tents and marquees you plan to bring. There is no limit on the number of tents that you can bring, however we do ask you to be accurate in your calculations so that we can fit everyone on site. Camping is allocated on a regional basis, so where possible youth groups from the same towns and cities will be camped together. If you would like to camp with a youth group from another region we may be able to accommodate this. Please email hello@dreamingtheimpossible.org and we will see if this is an option.

When you arrive, your Campsite Hosts will welcome you and show you exactly where to camp on your village. They will help to ensure that your camping area meets fire safety regulations, and that your youth group has everything that they need throughout the week.

Do not worry! We have partnered with an external company, Nine Yards Bell Tents, who offer glamping tents for hire.

You can choose between a furnished and unfurnished tent.
Furnished: Real beds with winter tog duvets, 2 pillows per person, and throws for extra warmth. Each tent also includes matting throughout, a solar lantern, a small table, a full length mirror, coat hangers, a clothes drying rack, and a wastepaper basket, all designed for your comfort.

Unfurnished: Just matting on the floor, so make sure to bring your own bedding!

Your tent will be pitched on the campsite your church is allocated to. When you receive your booking confirmation, please reply with the name of your church group so they know where your tent will need to go.

If this sounds ideal to you, you can find out more information on their website.

All delegates may arrive from 12:00 on Wednesday 29th July 2026. We will be unable to let any youth groups onto the site before this time due to final safety checks and site preparations. Any groups arriving before this time will be directed towards the carpark and will be unable to access any of the sites facilities.

You are welcome to bring additional team to get your campsite setup as we appreciate this can take a while!

When you arrive, you can drive your car or minibus to your campsite but you will need to unload your vehicle and return it to one of the car parks immediately. After the first day, vehicles will not be permitted on site unless permission has been granted by the stewarding team at the gates. Please be aware that it is a working showground, so some areas of the site are not accessible by larger vehicles such as coaches or vans. If you are arriving by coach, you must notify us in advance so we can make sure your camping area is accessible for you.

Onsite Deliveries

Our recommended marquee supplier is Marquee Hire West Midlands & Birmingham. Please email them at countymarquees@hotmail.co.uk for any enquiries you may have.

Yes! We have a Cook's ticket that will be available for youth groups, that will enable an adult to come on site to help with cooking and shopping for your group.  We offer a full week Cook's ticket, or day tickets depending on which is easier for your group.

The Cook's ticket will give them access to the site and the main evening meeting each day. If you would like a link to this ticket please email us at hello@dreamingtheimpossible.org

If you are a small group (less than 20) and you think facilitating cooking for your group could be a barrier, we have good news for you.

Scripture Union provide a camping village where you will camp with up to 200 other DTI attendees but it's also where all the cooking is done for you. You must still provide all your camping gear but they will provide you with 3 meals a day, taking some of the stress out of bringing a youth group along.

There are only 200 total spots available so be sure to check it out and book on quickly!

You can find out more details, purchase tickets and contact them with any questions you may have by visiting this link.

Pastoral Support

Equip

We believe that everyone gets to play, and that God empowers all of us to pray for each other and so we want to do our very best to empower the young people and youth leaders to pray for each other. To help facilitate this and make sure it is a safe environment for everyone we have an Equip team. Our Equip team is made up of people with experience in praying for people and they are there to support you and your youth group to pray. They are mainly in the main meetings but also pop along to some seminars. They will walk around during the main meetings making sure everyone is alright and may occasionally offer suggestions. They will be identifiable by their badges which say ‘Equip’ on them.

Chat Room

We have a brilliant team of people who are on hand to chat during the afternoons and evenings. We point people towards the Chat Room if there’s anything - big or small - that they’d like to discuss with someone who is outside of their situation. We offer prayer but this is not a counselling service. It is run alongside our Connect team (detailed below) who will step in if there is an issue that requires professional and/or ongoing support.

Connect

Sometimes information is disclosed in the Chat Room or during a ministry time that requires us to take more serious action. Our Connect team is made up of professional counsellors, social workers, teachers and other professionals that are knowledgeable in safeguarding procedures. They are there to support anyone onsite but mainly to make sure the correct action is taken to ensure that the young person is taken care of when they leave the event, whether that is by you or by your local services. The Connect team will liaise with you as the group leader of any young person they are in contact with.

First Aid 

We have a first aid team who are on call 24/7 in case of emergency. They are a mix of doctors, nurses and first aid trained professionals.

Any ongoing medical treatment (such as allergy tablets) can be administered by you, as well as basics like plasters and painkillers. We suggest you note down any allergies or medicines taken in case of emergency.

Diarrhoea and Vomiting

If any of your young people are showing signs of diarrhoea or vomiting, we ask that you leave them in their tents and call for the first aid team to come to you to reduce the risk of it spreading.

Safety

At the gate

The showground’s main gate is staffed by our own team, who take care to ensure those under 18 remain on site unless accompanied by an adult, as well as ensuring those arriving on site during the week do so legitimately. The team also ensures traffic moves safely around site on arrival and departure days, and keep a watchful eye on the car parks.

In an emergency

We will provide First Aid cover on site. And, of course, we make sure all sporting activities are carefully supervised with appropriate safety equipment - we complete full risk assessments for every area of DTI.

Safeguarding

We have a dedicated Safeguarding Coordinator on site, whose role is to be available for advice, both for young people, their supervising adults and event servers. All our team are trained on and asked to adhere to the VCUKI Safeguarding Policy. In addition, every team member must provide a reference of their suitability to serve from their church leader.

Phone charging

Phone charging points can be found in some of the café venues on site and will be available when the cafés are open. You just need to bring a USB charger along with you and you’ll be able to plug in and keep your phone alive!

Ice pack exchange

You can swap your warm ice packs for frozen ones onsite each day – check the programme for time slots in the mornings and afternoons. Swaps are free or you can buy new ones.

Getting cash

We suggest you and your young people bring some cash with you. There are no cash points on site. The closest cash points are a short drive away at Asda.

Toilets & showers

We provide significantly more than the required minimum of toilets and showers for the number of people camping onsite but if you want to shower at peak times, you may have to wait. We suggest showering in the afternoon or evening to help keep queuing to a minimum. We have a cleaning crew working throughout the day to keep things nice but depending on the weather, there may be a bit of mud. If you spot any problems with showers or toilets, please report them to the site team using the QR codes on display.

Photographers & Videographers 

We have photographers and videographers wandering around taking pictures and video for future publicity. They will be wearing an ‘Photographer’ or ‘Media’ badge for identification. Please be assured that any video shot during ministry times will be handled with the greatest sensitivity in order to respect everyone’s privacy. By attending DTI, delegates agree that their image may be captured and used by DTI and VCUKI. This may be in photographs or other digital media and may be used for promotional materials or other information which we produce.

Delegates can opt out of this by speaking to the photographer or asking us to remove their image by emailing the DTI media team during or after the event at hello@dreamingtheimpossible.org. You can also inform your Campsite hosts who will pass on your request.

Yes! There is a great Dream Kid’s programme setup for our  0-11s.  In the morning there will be a session for the 0-4's and a group for the 5-11's. Please note the Kids programme is only for Youth Leaders children and team children. If you are a team member wanting to serve and book your children on, please email hello@dreamingtheimpossible.org to discuss which teams would be the best fit for you to serve alongside looking after your kids.

In 0-4's there will be loads of space to worship, learn Bible stories, do some craft and play games each morning.

In 5-11's there will be a jam packed morning of worship, teaching, ministry, games, and craft.

Check in opens at 10:45 and the session will run from 11:00-13:00.

There will be an evening session for 5-11’s. Check in will open at 18:45 and the session will run until 21:00.

Baby Bathing

Baby bathing will be available each evening and we’ll provide baths and warm water. Please see the programme/site map for more details.

Sunday 2nd August is a full day, with all the usual meetings, seminars, cafes and evening entertainment. The venues will close at 23.00pm. We’d love everyone to stay on site and leave the following morning, 3rd August. Please make sure you’re all packed up and on your way by 9:30am.