Open Campfire
We are an online campfire community where people connect as peers. No labels, no fixing, no pressure.
Whether you’re feeling overwhelmed, disconnected, or simply in need of human company to share good or bad news, there is a place for you here.
Our volunteer Firekeepers welcome you to sit by the fire, share if you want to, or just listen.
Struggling with life?
We hear you.
This is peer support shaped by lived experience — simple, real, and human.
Not therapy. No labels. Just people.
Feeling lonely?
We are here with you.
what is OpenCampfire?
A new community offering free, online campfires for everyone. We are an informal space to connect, share and be human together. Different to therapy, without labels or institutional barriers. We offer hope & connection via peer support.
How much does it cost?
Peer support should be accessible to everyone who needs it. Traditional therapy is not suitable for lots of us. So, it will always be free to join an OpenCampfire. Optional future memberships will help support our work.
Who is it for?
OpenCampfire welcomes people of all ages, genders and from all around the world. We believe we can learn the most from people with diverse backgrounds. We expect everyone to follow our community principles.
What is the plan for OpenCampfire?
Our goal is to have a 24/7 online campfire accessible to anyone who needs it, hosted by volunteer Firekeepers. We will provide training for our peers to host other regular campfires too, meeting around certain topics e.g. addiction, trauma, art, sport.
Therapy harmful not helpful?
ChatGPT better than chat with the gp?
Mainstream therapy can often feel unhelpful and inaccessible. Lots of people are frustrated with the mental health system, and the medical model can be a harmful way of dealing with difference, disability and distress.
Lacking the right support, some of us are turning to AI chatbots – finding it more helpful than professionals.
Community & Peer Support
Luckily, there’s another option. Our lived experience (alongside academic research) has shown that intentional peer support is one of the best and easily accessible ways to help us feel connection to others, find the support we need and move forward with our lives.
Our online campfires recreate the peer support that nature encouraged us to seek, restoring the wisdom of connection that modern life is slowly losing. We know this could help a huge number of people. So that’s why we’ve created OpenCampfire.
Discover more…
Find out more about OpenCampfire on our ‘About’ page
“Hi, I’m Eleanor! I created OpenCampfire from my own experience of searching for meaningful ways to connect with people. I’ve found peer support and online communities invaluable in my own life. I’ve seen how powerful it can be when people are simply given the space to connect, listen and share their experiences. I want to create more of those spaces, accessible to anyone who needs it. That idea became OpenCampfire.”