FAQs

That's an obvious question! Honesty is called for here, since parents must recognise that no organisation can possibly provide an iron-clad guarantee when it comes to safety - and one should be wary of any that do! Accidents can happen, and sadly on rare occasions they do. But, that rational disclaimer aside, Camp XL has policies and procedures in place that we enforce rigorously to ensure everyone is as safe as possible on our camps. Safety not only features in all aspects of our holiday planning, it takes priority over all others!

Risk Assessments
We undertake comprehensive risk assessments on all the activities we run on camp. Whilst these assessments do not aim to completely remove all risks, they serve to highlight all those that may potentially exist, be they small or large. Armed with that, we are then able to tailor our programmes and to implement specific measures to reduce them as far as possible.

Child Protection Policy
Camp XL has adopted a formal Child Protection Policy, based on that recommended by CCPAS, The Churches' Child Protection Advisory Service. Please ask us if you would like to see a copy.

Criminal Records checks
Central to our Child Protection Policy is our insistence that all our prospective leaders on our camps and holidays submit to an enhanced Disclosure & Barring Service (DBS) check. As its name suggests, this will reveal any and all past convictions held by a volunteer, and so is a very useful tool in assessing the suitability of individuals to serve on a Camp XL event. Ultimately, all our volunteers serve at the sole discretion of the our Programme Director. And he, of course, places the interests and safety of children above all else.

That will depend on the camp in which you are interested. Each holiday will make it clear what ages are accepted. Exceptionally, and subject to the express approval of the event leader, we may agree to some flexibility, so do ask us if you fall just outside the advertised age range.

Hopefully that's not a problem, but you will need to discuss this with us in advance! Whether you have particular dietary, physical or social needs we'll do everything we possibly can to accommodate them if you tell us in enough time.

This will vary from case to case, and is usually made clear on the individual camp's web page. Sleeping accommodation is normally in small single-sex dorms holding 4-6 each.

If you are coming on camp with a friend or two then we'll do our very best to sleep you all in the same room if you wish. Just ask us at the time you make your booking.

Our leaders sleep close by, but never in the same dorm!

Camp XL carries public liability insurance which will provide you with compensation if you are injured or your property is damaged on camp under certain situations (full details available by contacting our office). But this cover will not protect your valuables from 'routine' careless loss, theft or accidental damage. Please therefore make sure that any personal items you intend to bring on holiday are covered by your own insurance.

Start by checking your home contents policy, as this will in all likelihood provide some degree of cover for items such as cameras

We expect you to make your own arrangements for getting to camp and back again at the end. Except where clearly indicated otherwise, the cost of this is expressly not included in the price. But, we'll be more than happy to help by arranging to meet you at a nearby railway station, or by putting you in touch with others who may be travelling from your town.

Ask us. We'd like to make the whole holiday experience as XLent as possible!

Unless the camp in which you are interested makes it clear to the contrary, then our fees cover absolutely everything you will need during your time at camp. So, that will include your accommodation, full meals, activities and any equipment/materials you may need for your holiday. Most of our camps run a small kiosk where you can buy tuck, a T Shirt or a book ... so you may wish to stick an extra £10 in your pocket for spending money. But you'll never be asked to pay for anything extra unless it has been made very clear to you before you book.

To be clear, though, our fees do not cover the cost of travel to and from camp (except in certain special cases like our Ski camp which will make this very clear).

As a registered charity, Camp XL never makes a commercial profit on its holiday programmes. In fact, most of our camps are heavily subsidised by generous supporters. Additionally, given that at present we are manned exclusively by Christian volunteers who donate of their time and effort, we are able to set fees for each camp at the bare level necessary to cover costs. This results in our advertised rates providing exceptional value for money.

That said, we appreciate that there will be some families for whom the cost of camp may be prohibitive. If someone you know would love to go on one of our holidays but is unable to do so because of cost considerations, do speak to us.

We enjoy some limited resources that are earmarked for just such cases, and we can put you in touch with other grant-making bodies who may well be able to offer assistance. So, whilst we can't promise to help, we'll at least promise to try!

Yes please! We rely exclusively on volunteers, and if you’re a Christian then we would greatly appreciate help in one or more of the following ways:

Volunteer to help on one of our camps.
No previous experience is necessary, just a desire to serve and help as needed! See here for details.

Help spread the word.
Pass the news on to others! Get in touch with us if you’d like some resources to help you do that.

Donate
We rely on supporters to help fund some of our costs, especially those incurred by our volunteers who are students. We also accept donations specifically earmarked to help subsidise the cost to those who might otherwise not be able to attend. Click here to see how you can help.

That's easy! You'll find a link on each camp's web page that says "Register Now". Click that, and a registration form will appear that you can complete on-screen and then print off. Simply fill this in, enclose a deposit cheque for £30 (£100 in the case of our Ski Camp) and send it off to us at the address you'll see on the same form. You'll hear back from us in a few days to confirm your booking.