From festival to a wider vision for preventative health

DOSE Fest began with a simple belief: we need to think differently about how we support people to live happier, healthier lives.

The first DOSE Fest brought hundreds of people together in Chelmsford to explore wellbeing through conversation, movement, creativity, learning and connection.

But for founder Myra Merchant, the festival itself has always been only one part of a much bigger ambition.

Her vision is for preventative health to become something people can access within their everyday lives and communities, long before they reach crisis point.

Prevention starts with understanding ourselves

“We are facing an NHS crisis in the UK and repairing it will take all of us. Prevention begins with helping people understand themselves - their bodies, emotions, relationships, and individual needs - but none of us can thrive in isolation. Human connection is fundamental to our health, and trusted communities are often the best places to find encouragement, knowledge, and early support.”

For Myra, prevention isn't simply about encouraging people to exercise more, eat differently or make healthier choices.

It starts with giving people the knowledge and confidence to understand themselves, recognise what they need and know where they can find support.

And crucially, it recognises that wellbeing doesn't happen in isolation.

The first DOSE Fest was designed to bring that support, knowledge and human connection together in an accessible community setting.

Health education should be lifelong

Myra's background as an educator has also shaped the thinking behind DOSE.

“As an educator, I find it deeply troubling that we prepare young people for exams yet do far too little to prepare them for the lifelong work of looking after their physical, mental and emotional wellbeing. Health education should not end when we leave school. People of every age deserve opportunities to reflect, learn, communicate, and discover the small, practical actions that can help them live happier, healthier lives.”

Knowing how to look after ourselves isn't something we need at one particular age or stage of life.

Our bodies change. Our relationships change. Our responsibilities, circumstances and challenges change too.

Creating opportunities for people of all ages to continue learning about their wellbeing is therefore an important part of the wider vision.

From being told to experiencing it

That philosophy shaped the festival itself.

Rather than creating an event where visitors simply listened to people telling them what was good for them, DOSE Fest was built around participation.

“That is why DOSE Fest combines inspiring conversations with joyful, engaging ‘try it now’ experiences. We are not simply telling people what might support their wellbeing - we are giving them the opportunity to experience it, connect with others, and begin identifying what genuinely works for them. That understanding creates confidence, autonomy, and the ability to take a more active role in our own health.”

Across the festival, people could try activities, meet organisations and practitioners, join conversations and explore different approaches to wellbeing.

The early findings from the DOSE Fest Impact Report suggest this approach had a significant effect and developing what was a carefully curated event for future festivals will be crucial to ensure high quality provision for all. Attendees described feeling happier, calmer, more inspired and more connected. They also identified practical changes they wanted to make after the event, from moving more and spending more time outdoors to joining local groups and strengthening relationships.

DOSE Fest was never intended to be just a festival

For Myra, the next challenge is taking what was learned from the first festival and building something that reaches further.

“But DOSE Fest was never intended to be just a festival. It is the first step in a much bigger ecosystem of preventative healthcare, rooted within communities and extending support beyond GP surgeries and hospitals. The fractures we see across society are symptoms of a much larger problem, and they will not be repaired through smaller, disconnected interventions. We need bold, joined-up solutions and trusted local networks that tackle inequalities at grassroots level before people reach crisis point.”

The inaugural festival was the first live pilot of that wider DOSE Ecosystem, testing what happens when opportunities to connect, move, learn, create and belong are brought together within a community.

The longer-term ambition is to build on that through festivals and other community-based initiatives, creating more accessible opportunities for people to understand their wellbeing, connect with others and find the support they need.

As Myra puts it:

“This is the work I have committed myself to - and I will not stop pushing until better health and support are within everyone’s reach.”

DOSE Fest 2026 may have been our first festival.

But it was never meant to be the end goal. It was the beginning.

Want to follow the journey? Join the DOSE community and sign up to our mailing list to hear about what comes next.