Camp isn’t just about play and having fun. We encourage campers to become the hero of their own stories and realise their incredible talents and abilities. We do this using the principles of Therapeutic Recreation (TR), a four-part model that ensures that our campers receive lasting psychosocial benefits from their time with us at camp, as well as having a great experience.
The TR model
TR success stories
Therapeutic Recreation is designed to have a lasting impact on campers. The children and young people leave camp with improved confidence, increased sense of independence, improved self-esteem and increased resilience.
Facing fears
“I was really nervous to go up the climbing wall. All the volunteers and children were cheering me on because I was really struggling. At the time I only had use of one of my arms. I fell and I kept falling and gave up.
But at the end, the instructors said they had time for two or three more people to give it another try. I was too scared at first, but everyone managed to convince me to give it another try. When I did it, I made it ¾ of the way up, everyone was cheering me on and clapping for me. So it just shows, even though I didn’t do the best out of my group I did the best out of my ability. They were all so proud of me, which made me proud of myself. I didn’t think I’d be able to do the climbing at all, but I didn’t give up–I persevered and it made me more resilient.”
Discovering independence
“Camp was the first time I’d been away from Mum and Dad for a long period of time. I learned at camp that I can look after myself and that I’ll be ok even if I’m not with Mum and Dad. I feel confident about going away again as I’ve already done it, so there’s nothing to be scared of now!”
Celebrating achievements
“I’m not sure I can really describe what this weekend has meant to us. To see my child here, enjoying so many things, laughing, taking pride in being able to hit a target in archery, sharing their love of art with everyone.
To achieve so much in the short amount of time we have been here is testament to what efforts have been made to put on a great camp.”
A family shares their joy after watching their child benefit from the principles of TR at one of our Family Camps!
