Our first summer camp - Newbarn, Dorset

This photo is of the summer house at New Barn Field Centre in Dorset, where we will be taking 25 children from 2-9 August for a week of fun-filled action!

New Barn is our longest running camp. In the past it has been used for younger and older children, but is normally used for holidays for younger children. It is an adventurous holiday with a mixture of activities from the sedate (clay moulding) to the adventurous (quad biking). It copes well with children who have a range of abilities, catering both for lively and quieter children.

New Barn's owner, Matthew, is incredibly accommodating and continues to help us arrange the holidays year after year. The centre consists of a series of cottages, a main barn and also includes a wildlife sanctuary and pottery.

The medical team have their own on-site accommodation, with easy access to nearby hospitals. There is a doctor and a nurse on each New Barn holiday. They travel with us on all activities.

As the children who go to New Barn are generally quite young and many may be on treatment, we ensure that the quieter or less energetic children are well catered for. However, for those who are keen to be challenged we put on a few activities to encourage them to try new things. Activities in the past have included: quad biking, archery, pottery, chocolate making, treasure hunts and trips to Paulton's theme park, Splash Down water park, Brownsea Island, Dorset Snowsport centre and Weymouth pavilion.

We'll be taking plenty of photos and videos on the holiday so that you can flow the children on all of their adventures!

Find out a little more about CQ UK...

Probably the best way to find out about Camp Quality UK and the children it helps is by watching the short film below (and in case you wanted to find out even more, there's plenty more videos on our YouTube Channel!)

A word in your ear from our Chair

Any one of us can be struck with personal tragedy at any time. When it is personal, especially for children, it becomes so difficult to cope with.

I am very lucky - I have my health and my family have theirs too. But for thousands every year loved ones have the agony of bad news to deal with.

I am thankful for the opportunity to be the Chair of Camp Quality – I see it as a reward and the charity has done me a favour by entrusting its destiny in my hands for a period of time.

My aim is simple: to provide the platform for us to support thousands more children with cancer over the next 20 years and to increase the number of lives we can touch and support.

Camp Quality has been doing something magical for over 20 years by supporting thousands of families in their time of need and making lots of friends in the process.

I want this blog to be the start of something special – a new dawn in our history and I hope you will be with us for a most exciting journey.

I'm sure you'll be hearing more from me in the near future!

Thanks,

Marc Lawn

Chair, Camp Quality UK

Welcome to "Free To Be You", a new blog from Camp Quality UK!!

Camp Quality UK provides life-changing holidays for children with cancer (and other life-threatening illnesses). We believe that every child has the right to a positive childhood and everything their peer group takes for granted.

On this blog, we aim to bring you all the news on the charity, the works it does and the children it helps. We will also use it as a record of the holidays that we run each year with words, photos, and videos all adding to the experience of the children, their families and anyone else who wants to join in with the fun!

And if the kids are very, very good we'll be letting them write their own posts as well :)

Why "Free To Be You"? Well, through attending Camp Quality holidays children are able to exist in an environment where having the things that they have experienced are considered "normal", where they can discuss their experiences with other children who have gone through similar challenges, and where they are in a positive environment in which self-esteem is increased and they conquer new challenges.

Most importantly though, they have the time of their lives and are free to "be" themselves!

So we hope that you enjoy reading this blog, finding more about the charity and the work it does, and seeing what a major difference to children's lives that thse holiday's make. If you have any sugggestions of what you'd like to see, please let us know.

If you feel like it, click on the purple button on the right-hand side of the blog and donate however much you want to the charity. You know it will be going to a good cause, you'll be able to see the impact it makes through this blog, and you might even get a mention and a thank you from the children on this blog!