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First time? 

If you've never been to Spring Harvest before, you probably know a few things already, beyond that, let us fill in some blanks...

Jump to more info…
» What exactly is Spring Harvest?
» Do I need to book in advance, if so how?
» How do I get to the Resort?
» What do I do when I arrive?
» How does it all kick off?
» I'm still feeling confused…

What exactly is Spring Harvest? 

It's an enormous gathering of Christians of all ages, denominations and backgrounds, which takes place for a 'Week' (5 nights, 6 days), with the same programme repeated several times.

There's a full programme of activities, which includes Bible teaching, seminars, workshops, sports, recreation, debates, Celebrations, plus late-night entertainment. For children, we run programmes for Under fives (3 months–5 years), 5-7s and 8-11s, and for the older ones we run a youth programme for 11-14s called Distinctive and for those aged 15+ called iScape.

» Download a Spring Harvest brochure
» Typical day at Spring Harvest 

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Do I need to book in advance, if so how? 

Yes, because accommodation is limited, unlike with camping events in the summer, you'll need to book in advance, however, it's easy to book your place!

Bookings are handled directly by Butlins (not Spring Harvest), so see our Booking & Info page for more details.

Butlins is a purpose-built holiday Resort with a great range of accommodation and leisure options. You can choose either Self-catering or Half Board (dinner, bed and breakfast) and choose from a range of accommodation from Standard, Silver or Gold standard. There are a range of restaurants at each Resort, plus a small supermarket.

» Find out how to book here
» Find out about Butlins leisure facilities here

How do I get to the Resort? 

• Butlins Minehead is on the north Somerset coast, South West of Bristol, TA24 5SH
  
• Butlins Skegness is on the coastline of Lincolnshire, north of East Anglia, PE25 1NJ
  

» Directions, maps and public transport info at springharvest.org/travel

What do I do when I arrive? 

When you arrive at Butlins, show your Butlins confirmation paperwork at the Main Gate and the friendly Butlins staff and Spring Harvest Stewards will direct you where to park, so you can check in.

Get your wristband: you'll be given a wrist band for everyone in your group. You need to wear these at all times in order to gain access to venues. They might not look very substantial but the wrist bands are waterproof so they can stay on whilst you're in the shower or the pool!

Buy your Programme Planner: at the check-in you'll see a Spring Harvest sales point where you can buy a Programme Planner which contains all the info you'll need on what's on for adults and kids, where to take your kids for their programme, plus the back page includes a map of the Resort - indispensable for first-timers.

Find your accommodation: Redcoats will direct you to your accommodation and Stewards will hand out a copy of our on-site daily news sheet Harvest News. Your accommodation will be fully serviced and ready for you from 4pm, but you may be able to get acess from around 2pm (efficient as they are, it takes a while to clean every single Butlins room on a Spring Harvest changeover week!).

Leave your car in the car park: Once you've unloaded, you'll need to move your car to a car park (there's plenty of room - you probably won't need it for the rest of the week, so enjoy saving some petrol!). As the Resort is so busy, we keep cars out of the way, to avoid any accidents.

How does it all kick-off? 

Restaurants, cafés and shops in the Skyline area will be open on arrival, so you can wander around, get your bearings and have a coffee. Settle in to your accommodation, read Harvest News over a nice cup of tea and a bit of a rest after the journey.

Register your children: if you have children under 11 you'll need to go along and register them. The programme leaders will take some emergency contact details so they can get hold of you during the Week, if there's a problem.

Parents: during the Week, it's a good idea to keep you mobile on a discreet/vibrate setting so you can always be reached, but you won't interrupt a meeting. If you're a parent, please sit in the Parents Area whilst you're in the Big Top. That way you'll see any notices we put up to contact if their child needs to come out of the programme. It's easier for you, and us!

First meeting: the first meeting on the day you arrive is at 6.45pm - the evening Celebration. Your 8-11s, 11-14s and 15+ children and young people will go into their first meeting at the same time. If you're left 'holding the baby', there's no reason to miss out - all the main meetings from the Big Top are broadcast direct to your TV via chalet TV (except in Silver Caravans).
 
If you're in Half Board: you can go for dinner from 4pm (to find the diner, see the map on the back of your Programme Planner). There's a great choice of self-service hot and cold meals, plus veggie options, salads and deliciously large servings of hot desserts!
 
If you're in Self-catering: there are a range of restaurants where you can get pizza, fish and chips, pub food, coffee, snacks and sandwiches and there's an Everydays supermarket for other essentials. Check your map, but they're mainly located in and around the Skyline, in the centre of the Resort.

I'm still feeling confused… 

'Making Sense of Spring Harvest' session: there's so much to do whilst you're here, that it can feel either exhilarating or bewildering for a first-timer! We recommend that you come along to a session we run on the arrival day, called "Making Sense of Spring Harvest". 

These sessions are run twice on arrival day, at approx 5pm and 9.30pm - see the Programme Planner for venue info. We'll explain face to face how to get to grips with the Programme Planner, what's available in a typical day, and answer any questions. 
 
Check the A-Z in your Programme Planner: everything you need to know, from lost property to where to go for prayer is included in the Programme Planner.

If it all seems overwhelming - come on over to the Spring Harvest stand in the Skyline (big, white tent in the middle of the Resort), and we'll answer your questions!