Stewardship Report

Camp Camp is a five-day retreat for LGBT+ young people aged 14-21 in Cambridgeshire This is a residential programme with a difference: as

well as the usual campfires and team-building

games, we offer a particular focus on health and

wellbeing and creative expression. Young people

have the opportunity to deepen their connection to

a sense of community, learn new skills, and make

lasting friendships.

Building on the success from last year’s Camp Camp,

we engaged young people who had attended

previously and asked for their help in the design of

the next event.

Young people decided on the theme, designed the

logo, offered workshops, and contributed to the

menu planning. They set the ground rules and

determined the format and events of the week.

The theme this year was ‘Root to Rise’, and in line with this theme we explored our roots – where we come from, our

backgrounds, our personal and family histories, and evolved that conversation into an exploration of where we want to

go in our lives, how we can contribute to our communities, and working towards realising our dreams.

A Message from Camp Director, Jess Borthwick

This year’s Camp Camp was an enormously successful event, and once again I am overwhelmed with gratitude for everyone who made this extraordinary project possible. Young people came away refreshed, inspired, encouraged, and supported by a new network of friends and allies. One young person told us that they had “found family for the first time” at Camp Camp. The activities run by the young people who had attended Camp Camp previously were a clear highlight of the week. We watched young people develop their skills and confidence and grow to support others. The culture of community care at Camp Camp is palpable, and time and again we see how making a safe and inclusive environment empowers young people to go above and beyond, stepping outside of their comfort zones, and taking care of one another.

In the months following, attendees have taken their sense of empowerment and community that was built at the residential and sustained lasting friendships, while making significant changes in their lives to take steps towards employment, community involvement, and greater engagement in education. It is a privilege to work with these amazing young leaders, and we are so excited to share stories from the last year with you! A big Camp Camp cheer to all the individuals and organisations who have shared their time, treasure, and talents to raise the funds to make this unique experience accessible to so many young people in Cambridgeshire. On behalf of all the participants who came to Camp Camp this summer, thank you!

I loved how I felt there was zero judgement and I could be exactly who I am

without fearing what people would think of me. My favourite moment was the

last evening we all shared at dinner because I felt included for once and it felt

like home

I had lots of favourite moments but some that stood out to me was

yoga/midnight walk/thinking about and making my root and having a few days

to be truly creative

My favourite thing about Camp Camp is the

community and sense of safety. My favourite

moments are community building happy

moments (like 'High, Low, Grateful') and also

rawer, more personal moments, like the closing

circles

I'm more confident, I'm proud of myself and everyone here. I feel stronger

than I ever have

Before Camp Camp I was really shy and I

didn't talk much - in school I don't talk

much, even to my friends. But here I have

talked a lot and I'm really proud of myself

for that

This has been some of, if not the best days of my life and I will never forget

them

Camp Camp is one of the safest places you can go. You don't have to worry

about what other people think. You can be as raw as you feel comfortable

During my time at Camp Camp I learned to take every opportunity and give everything a go, even if I don't

think I'd like it. I think I gained confidence over the five days at Camp Camp

It's changed my life because I didn't have any friends

or family before, now I feel like I am loved and I am

inspired to do everything

I feel like I've really grown as a person. Camp Camp

always seems to help me reflect on things and pull

myself back together. I also got inspiration to be

creative which is something I've struggled with

Who attended? 17 young people between the ages of 14 and 21 attended. Of these, 11 young people had never attended Camp Camp

before and 6 came back from 2017 to lead and run workshops. This system of mentorship is integral to the way that Camp

Camp empowers youth leaders.

Of the 17 young people who attended, 14 identified as trans or non-binary, and the mix of ages allowed for older members

to act as mentors for the younger people, offering advice and sharing experience.

Three members of staff and one volunteer attended full time, and we also engaged with other members of our community

to provide extra services and therapies including Emotional Freedom Technique (tapping) therapy and yoga.

The Chellington Centre, our home for the week

What did we get up to? Each day started with a morning circle where we reflected on the activities and experiences so far, played games, and set

the tone for the day. Other activities included crafting, yoga, cooking, emotional freedom technique, and hiking, as well

as quiet time for reflection and play. The week concluded with a talent showcase that featured singing, dance, poetry,

music, and storytelling around the campfire.

Young people who had attended Camp Camp before shared their interests by leading workshops on the following:

Sign language

Queer-friendly sexual health

T-shirt design and alteration

Dungeons and Dragons

Music

Rounders

The Communitree

A defining feature of this year’s Camp Camp was a stunning community art piece that we made together. As our theme

was ‘Root to Rise’, it seemed fitting to create an image of a giant tree that represented our community.

When participants entered the space on the first day, they were greeted by a huge 9x12’ canvas, with the faint outline of a tree sketched onto it. They were encouraged to work together to fill it in, in three sections:

The roots: Our backgrounds Young people chose a root to work with, which represented where they have come from, their experiences leading up to that moment, everything that made them who they are. Some chose to represent their lives very literally, offering some stunning drawing skills to the canvas, and others chose to work more figuratively. They moved beyond traditional media and used tissue paper, felt, paint, and sequins to illustrate their journeys.

- The trunk: Our strengths In a particularly moving circle, the group took turns to describe the strengths that they perceived in each member of the group. We noted these down, and these words and phrases were written up the sides of the trunk of the tree – representing the ways in which our strengths have helped us to grow. We then had a fabulous time getting our hands (and faces!) dirty, dipping our hands in paint and creating a beautiful rainbow of handprints up the trunk of the tree.

- The branches: Our dreams Each participant chose a branch, and on it they represented their hopes and dreams for the future – illustrated beautifully in a variety of media.

On the last day, everyone wrote messages for the other participants on sticky notes, reflecting their character and offering compliments and kind reflections on their time together. These notes came together to form the ‘leaves’ on the branches of the tree.

In the gaps left over, we created pride flags made from tissue papers to represent the beautiful diversity in our community – and recognising that the LGBT+ community is so much more than a rainbow. Young people also created origami cranes out of felt and decorated the canvas with them – symbolising hope and freedom. We hope to display our ‘Communitree’ publicly, so the whole community can share our beauty, our struggles, and our dreams – and most importantly, how we are stronger together.

Yoga and meditation

Joining hands to create the 'Communitree'

Food, glorious food! Food is enormously important at Camp Camp! The menu is vegetarian and

we cook everything from scratch, involving the young people in every step

of the cooking process. They go home with a cookbook that includes all of

the recipes they made (including some bonus ones!) to impress their family

and friends. Some young people have told us that the recipes they have

learned at Camp Camp have quickly become family favourites at home.

Financing

Each participant paid a nominal fee of £20 to attend to indicate their

dedication and commitment. All other costs were subsidised by The Kite

Trust. It costs the charity approximately £500 for each young person to

attend the residential.

This year, we were generously supported by:

Children In Need

The Arts Council

Awards For All

Our Fairy Godparents scheme provides an opportunity for businesses, local community members, and donors can sign up

to contribute to the experience by sponsoring a young person in order to make it possible for them to attend. This is a

tangible way for community members to demonstrate their commitment to LGBT+ youth, and it makes an enormous

difference to the lives of young people in our community. This year, we were grateful to receive funding from:

Cambridge University Press

Chris Stening

Your People Potential

Liz Morris

Patrick O’Malley

James Fordham

Ridgeons

Closing thoughts

Camp Camp: Root to Rise was another wonderful experience. Everything we loved

about the first event was magnified, and strengthened by the engagement and

leadership from young people. Our goals from last year included creating a young

mentorship programme, involving young people in the design and delivery of the

project, and fostering inter-generational relationships between young people. This

year, we are proud to be celebrating the success of each of these goals.

The young people who attended are already making evident the positive effects of

Camp Camp in their lives – they are volunteering, offering their time and expertise

back to The Kite Trust and to other organisations, they are finding new pathways into

employment and building careers, and they are ‘stepping up’ as leaders of the next

generation.

Plans for the next event are well underway, and we are working alongside young

people to strengthen and integrate the leadership opportunities available so that they

can take these skills into the workplace and beyond. It is a privilege to accompany

these young people on their journeys, and we are so excited to see where Camp Camp

will take us next.

Chefs hard at work