Meet people who can shape your journey
Share ideas with experienced people and build relationships that may continue long after the conference.
Sharpening Your Saw Conference 2027
Annual Residential Experience
Sharpen Your Saw.
Step away from the routine.
Refocus. Learn. Connect.
Return sharper.
The idea behind SYSC
Sometimes moving forward means stopping to sharpen.
SYSC creates intentional space away from the routine to sharpen your thinking, reconnect with what matters and return better prepared for the work ahead.
“A dull axe won't cut a tree nearly as effectively as a sharp one.”
Pause with purpose
Sometimes the clearest way forward begins by stepping
away long enough to see differently.
See the experience
This is more than a conference.
Learn.
Speak.
Connect.
Grow.
Experience.
Why attend?
Six days away. Plenty to bring back.
Time away matters when it changes what you carry back with you: new thinking, useful relationships and a clearer sense of how to approach the work.
Build real connections
Move beyond online connections. Shared experiences make room for genuine relationships.
A different room can change how you think.
Learn in a different environment
A change of environment can interrupt familiar patterns and create room for fresh thinking.
Step outside your comfort zone
Ask. Speak. Participate. Introduce yourself. Growth often starts where comfort ends.
Learn practical ideas
Take away useful approaches and perspectives you can apply to the work you already do.
Refocus
Step away from the routine, remember what matters and return with clearer direction.
Find your people
Spend six days around others who are serious about learning, improving and making an impact.
Invest in yourself
Sharpening your skills, thinking and leadership is part of becoming better at the work you do.
Participate
Your voice belongs in the room.
SYSC isn't a conference where you disappear into the audience. Ask questions. Share an idea. Join the conversation. Put yourself in rooms that stretch you.
Being in the room changes the conversation.
Face to face
Learn from people. Not just slides.
Being in the same room creates space for questions, guidance and the conversations that rarely happen through a screen.
- Questions
- Conversation
- Guidance
- Perspective
- Mentorship
- Interaction
The people matter
Some of the best parts happen between the sessions.
Shared meals, unplanned conversations and the friendships formed around them are part of the SYSC experience.
Come for the experience. Leave with people.
Learn together.
Grow together.
Grow together.
Inside SYSC
Don't just read about it. Experience it.
Get a glimpse of the people, learning, energy and shared moments that make SYSC what it is.
The experience doesn't end when the session does.
Culture, conversation, participation and the moments in between become part of what you take home.
What you take back
Six days here.
What goes home with you?
Fresh perspective
See your work and yourself differently.
Practical ideas
Leave with approaches you can actually use.
Stronger connections
Build relationships that can continue beyond the conference.
Renewed focus
Return to the work with greater clarity and energy.
16–21
February 2027
Mensah Sarbah Hall
Annual Residential Conference
You don't just attend SYSC.
You become part of it.
16–21 February 2027
You spend the year doing the work.
Take six days to sharpen
the person doing it.
Join us from 16–21 February 2027 for six days of learning, connection, reflection and growth.
Secure Your Place Mensah Sarbah Hall
FAQ
The essentials.
What is Sharpening Your Saw Conference?
Sharpening Your Saw Conference is an annual residential
conference designed to equip youth workers and members
of the organisation to become more effective in the work
they do.
When is SYSC 2027?
16–21 February 2027.
Where will SYSC 2027 take place?
Mensah Sarbah Hall.
Is SYSC a residential conference?
Yes. Sharpening Your Saw Conference is an annual
residential conference designed to create intentional
space for learning, reflection, connection and growth.
Who is SYSC designed for?
It is designed to equip youth workers and members of the
organisation to become more effective in their work.
What can I expect at SYSC?
Expect learning sessions, conversations, participation,
opportunities to meet people, reflection, networking and
shared experiences.
