A team of paediatric registrars from hospitals across the East Midlands enjoyed a day of volunteering at Over The Wall Camp at our new forever home in Ockbrook.
The 26 registrars chose to support the charity for their annual staff team–building and wellbeing Away Day.
They cleared and cleaned one of the former school buildings and packed up ‘Seriously Fun Boxes’ of activities for our online progamme, Camp in the Cloud.
Sally McCluskie, Over The Wall Camp’s Clinical and Recruitment Director, explained the difference the team made:
“The registrars were absolutely fantastic. They were enthusiastic, got fully stuck in, and worked incredibly hard.”
Bringing the magic of camp to children at home
Glenn Foster, Assistant Camp Director (Programming), also organised for volunteers to pack Camp in the Cloud activity boxes, ready to post out to families.
“Not all children and families can attend a residential camp, so we bring the magic and mischief of camp to them!
“The volunteers helped pull together the activity materials, games, and goodies that we send to families to do together in the safety of their own home. It’s given them a real insight into our activity programmes and was a big help to us.”
Clinical Volunteers play a critical role at camp
Qualified doctors, nurses, and paramedics play a critical role at Over The Wall Camp residential camps, providing safe and effective care for each child, whilst joining in the mischief and magic of camp.
“Our camps rely on Clinical Volunteers,” explained Sally. “But they can be difficult to recruit as many are already stretched and overworked. By considering volunteering themselves and encouraging other colleagues to get involved, the registrars are helping us build the clinical team we need to run safe, high-quality camps.
“It’s also very important for us to link with local hospitals and to explain how to refer children to our services. Children travel from all over the country to attend our camps, so strong local partnerships are essential to ensure seamless care if a child becomes unwell and needs hospital treatment.”