Our Story
Hummingbird HOPE
Hummingbird HOPE is a non-profit, family-run organisation rooted in care, contemplation, and community.
Hummingbird Retreat House was founded by Hilary and Hosten Garraway and the top floor of the house is the family home. Hosten grew up in Grenada before moving to London, where he met Hilary, who is from the North of England. More than twenty years later — and with the addition of their children, Hayley and Joshua — they purchased the house in 2016 with the vision of creating a retreat space.
This building has long been a place of prayer and worship and, in Celtic spirituality, would be described as a ‘thin place’ - a sacred place. After extensive renovation, Hummingbird Retreat House will open in Autumn 2026, though the vision itself had been forming long before Hilary and Hosten met.
Their journey included many unexpected twists and turns, including the sad and unexpected death of Hosten. Despite this deep loss, the original vision endures. Hilary, Hayley, and Joshua continue to carry it forward with commitment and dedication.
Hummingbird HOPE is registered in Grenada as a non-profit organisation (No. 228 of 2018–8211). You can read more about the story, the renovation journey, life in Grenada, and updates on our community work on our sister website, hummingbirdhopegrenada.com, where we also post regular blogs.
Our Name
Hummingbirds are frequent visitors to the retreat garden and surrounding area, and they are a meaningful symbol of our retreats and our values.
They are a fitting symbol for retreats because these birds can fly backwards — reminding us of the importance of stepping back from routine life to gain perspective.
They also represent the contemplative life in action: centred, focused, and still, even amid constant movement.
Relative to their size, hummingbirds have the largest hearts of all animals, making them a symbol of compassion and wholehearted living.
As they search for nectar, their long beaks allow them to reach deep into the heart of a flower for the sweetest nourishment. This is an invitation to seek out what is good, to look deeply, and to search deep into each moment for the goodness within.
Hummingbirds are also symbols of balance, reminding us of the importance of harmony in body, mind, and spirit and finding our own balance in life.
In Indigenous American traditions, the hummingbird represents eternity, with wings that move in the shape of an infinity symbol. In South American cultures, including Aztec tradition, the hummingbird symbolises rebirth, resurrection, and new life — a powerful sign of hope.
