Blog
Kids Camp Update
Kids' Camp is a week-long residential project, run by YUSU, which gives disadvantaged children and young carers the chance to be kids again in a safe and supportive environment. For volunteers, it gives them a much needed break from the ‘bubble’ that can be associated with University, giving them the chance to interact with the local community and take on the responsibility of acting as a role model to local children. The camp is held in high regard by York's social workers and the families that they support, and is a unique and extremely valuable opportunity for a Student Union to offer its students.
Following a Trustee Board meeting last night, I'm pleased to say that we're on track to make a detailed proposal to the next Trustee Board meeting (5th May) on how we will run the residential Kids' Camp in Summer 2010.
The Trustee Board seemed happy with the progress made so far on putting this Summer's Kids Camp together. We have now received useful consultation responses from the 'City of York Safeguarding Children Board', the University's 'Community and Volunteering Unit' and YUSU's Heath and Safety Worker, and the Board will be sending me feedback on these shortly.
Next Tuesday, the Kids Camp Working Group will meet to give feedback on these consultation documents and also to make some important decisions on how Kids Camp might develop. Suggestions for developing Kids Camp have come jointly from the Trustees, the professional consultation and from the group of volunteers who I met in November to pool our thoughts on the value of Camp and how the process and experience could be improved.
I'm also excited to announce that Maria (YUSU Student Development Facilitator) and I have been working with Kate Harper from the University's Community and Volunteering Unit to nominate some of our volunteers for the Higher York Volunteering Awards.
It's great to be involved in putting together one of YUSU's longest standing and most unique projects, and to be able to work to keep this fantastic opportunty open to our students, but the most valuable thing for me is being able to see elements of this project grow. I hope that this year's Kids' Camp will focus more on the volunteers' self development; running more activities at the camp venue itself, such as treasure hunts and group games, will enable the volunteers to plan activities that will give the kids real experience of working with and interacting with others. Ideas such as these will be discussed by the Working Group next week.
Maria and I have written a comprehensive document giving a lot of background to Camp and how it works, so please send me a quick email (r.kinchin@yusu.org) if you would like to know more about the project.
I'll keep you updated on our progress!
Rhianna