summer camp

Autumn update 2022

The Big Return

2022 has been a big year for L&E.  We hadn’t been able to offer any in-person programmes since 2019 and we were desperate to get back to doing what we do best.  It has been tough time for everyone but particularly young people.  Cultural and adventurous experiences have been few and far between these past couple of years and so it was incredibly important that we were able to operate.  This year certainly wasn’t without it’s challenges but with the energy and enthusiasm of both staff and students we were able to successfully navigate a wonderful year!

World Camp UK

World Camp UK at Aysgarth School returned this summer and was a huge success.  Lots of old and new faces connecting from all over the world.  We had over 20 different nationalities from 6 continents all embracing and learning from each other.  A lot of old activities returned as well as some exciting new ones including the Open Minds course and Wilderness experience.  Our older teens were challenged to investigate and interrogate the world around them, challenge themselves creatively and consider new perspectives.  They also experienced an incredible night under the stars on their Wilderness Experience.

All our International students embraced the British culture and improved their English and our local children learnt so much about other cultures.

Soccer Camp

L&E continued the tradition of working with professional football clubs and this summer we were delighted to work with Manchester City.  Tzeachten Under 16 Girls Football Club from British Columbia, Canada were lucky enough to be coached by ex-pro and Manchester City Academy coach Ian Fitzpatrick.  The girls had elite sessions every day plus 2 matches including the Manchester City Under 17 Educational Team at Manchester Regional Arena overlooked by the Etihad Stadium.  The girls enjoyed a tour of the stadium plus a unique opportunity to see the training facilities.

Teen Travel

Teen Travel UK was also back and our tours were a triumph.  We had teens from the US, Canada, France, Thailand, Italy, Spain and UK all gain invaluable life skills and gain a love for the history and beauty of Britain.  Our travellers learnt how to manage a budget, how to negotiate and how to adapt to different situations all whilst making sold friendships along the way.

It was also the first time students were able to combine the Teen Travel and World Camp experiences which made for a unique experience.

2023

Following a successful return we are delighted to announce our 2023 schedule. 

• 25th June – 8th July, 2023: Teen Travel UK Tour, England (14-17), Scotland & Wales
• 9th July – 22nd July, 2023: World Camp UK (8-15), Aysgarth School
• 23rd July – 5th August, 2023: World Camp UK (8-15), Aysgarth School
• 6th August – 19th August, 2023: Teen Travel UK Tour (14-17), England, Scotland & Wales

All experiences are in 2 weeks blocks and our 14 and 15 year olds can combine Teen Travel & World Camps.  All transfers are included between programmes.  

A 15% Deposit is due to confirm the reservation. Payment plans are available.

Limited places

To ensure the highest quality of experience we will be strict on limiting the amount of children from any one non-English speaking country so please be aware that countries such as France, Spain, Germany and Italy will sell out very quickly.

Early Booking Discount

If families make the reservation before 1st December, 2022 they will receive a 10% discount.

UK, Canadian & U.S. Schools

During the past year we have helped many families find a suitable school for an international educational experience.  We have a thorough knowledge of UK Schools and have placed dozens of students since 2009.  Now we have an office in Vancouver we have developed relationships with a few select schools, not just in Canada but also the U.S.  

This is a free service to families who have attended an L&E programme.  We are able to offer a unique service with our personal experience of both student and school which is invaluable and beneficial to all concerned.  Consultancy can be extended to friends and family so please feel free to make referrals.

L&E back on the road

Now that we are able to travel a little more freely again we will be returning to making a few trips throughout the year visiting countries to talk to families about our programmes and services.

• Berlin: 30th October – 1st November
• London: 2nd November
• Dubai: 13th – 16th February
• New York: 15th-16th April

If your children have attended and enjoyed an L&E experience please “Spread the Word”.

Sharing this email, website link, instagram etc all helps.

We are also always happy to add locations and dates to our “Road Trip” so if you have friends and family interested in meeting with us then let us know!

Why a Multicultural Environment is Good for Young People?

What Does Culture Mean?

According to Oxford Dictionary culture is ‘the ideas, customs, and social behaviour of a particular people or society’ and in addition to that – ‘the attitudes and behaviour characteristic of a particular social group’.

Culture in Early Years

Jennie Lindon describes in her article ‘Cultural diversity in the early years’ that by young children developing a sense of their own identity through their family life they can then learn about other cultures out with the family unit. These experiences away from the family are of great importance and help broaden the understanding of other cultures.

https://www.communityplaythings.co.uk/learning-library/articles/cultural-diversity-in-the-early-years

Learning Languages

Learning a second language is easier for a child as their brains are designed to absorb new information unconsciously.  Check out this TED Talk where Patricia Kuhl explains how babies listen to the sounds around them. 

Multicultural Workplaces

Tim Cook, CEO of apple has been clear that he sees diversity as vital to the future of Apple. In 2013, he used an article in the Wall Street Journal to share his belief that “people are more willing to give of themselves when they feel that they selves are being fully recognised and embraced”. In 2015, he said that diversity “is the future of our company”.

https://www.apple.com/diversity/

What a Multicultural Environment Means to L&E

Learn & Experience have a very clear vision. Creating experiences to bring together young people from around the world while keeping to a simple principle: Happy Children Thrive!  L&E offer experiences for young people which include World Camps, Teen Travel and Open Minds and we have been bringing the world’s youth together since 2009.  We firmly believe that being exposed to people from all over the world and from many different backgrounds at a young age is hugely beneficial.  Each one of our programmes is designed to allow young people to have an amazing experience whilst being surrounded by a diverse group of people.  Want to join one of our programmes click HERE to read what we have in store for 2023!

L&E Parent Talks About the Importance of a Multicultural Program for her Children

Learn & Experience programmes include World Camps, Open Minds and Teen Travel

The Learn and Experience Podcast

Check out our Podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Play and all the other usual places. We put a spotlight on remarkable young people and explore the world they live in. Subscribe and get your weekly fix of youth related chit chat. 

Ep 17: Simon (17): A Transgender Journey

This month’s episode Sam, Mike and Julie shine a spotlight on 17 year old Simon from Sweden and hear about his transgender journey. (15:30)

We visit 🇳🇿New Zealand, 🇪🇸Spain, 🇩🇪Germany, 🌐The World Wide Web and 🇺🇸America (twice!!) in Around the World in 6 Stories.🌍(00:58)

We learn more about 🇸🇪Sweden in Destination Fact or Fiction. (33:35)

In Language Corner we learn some Swedish (39:12)

What is the L&E Podcast?

The Life Skill Adventure Experts putting a spotlight on remarkable young people and exploring the world they live in.

Join Sam, Mike and Julie with a fast paced, informative and fun show.

Perfect for Teens & Tweens looking to be inspired by other young people and to learn more about the world around them.

We’d love to know what you think about our podcast!  Please rate and review and most importantly subscribe if you haven’t already done so. 

Instagram: @learnandexperience247

Email: podcast@learnandexperience.com

Learn and Experience are The Life Skill Adventure Experts…”creating experiences to bring together young people from different backgrounds and cultures to grow with a sense of adventure, curiosity and empathy.”

2022 Programme Launched

It is with great please that we are able to launch our much anticipated 2022 programme.

Programmes Available in UK & Canada

2022 Dates & Prices

L&E receives prestigious Award

We have been named as Winners of the Go Overseas Community Choice Award 2020…named by the people who matter most — the community (the children and families).

Thank you to all those involved in, what was a very difficult year but one that also had a lot of very special moments. We may not have had camp or travel but we had a lot of fun in other ways…

Highlights:

• Online Language & Life Skill Courses
• Virtual Camp
• L&E Home Launched
• 24 Hours Campfire across 6 continents
• 30 Day Challenge for Save the Children
• New Website
• Global Teen Chats
• Online Dance Classes
• Online Circus Skills
• Online Guitar Classes
• New Podcast

Go Overseas wrote: “We’re thrilled to recognize Learn & Experience as one of the best travel organizations in 2020 through this merit-based award, especially after such a difficult year for our industry.”

Covid-19 Update

World Camps & Teen Travel programs postponed until 2022

It is with disappointment that I have to announce the postponement of our World Camps and Teen Travel programs for the remainder of 2021.

We have been monitoring the situation very closely to give ourselves every opportunity to reopen for 2021.  However, it has become apparent that this will not be possible.  We have taken into consideration considerable relevant advice and have made this decision based on the health and safety of all children and staff and also the global effort to combat Covid-19.

With international travel still very difficult we have decided not to compromise our ethos and values in the short term and therefore, are focussed on coming back stronger in 2022.

We are very excited about the future and are so grateful for the continued support of all our loyal friends and families. It has meant so much to us that we have had so much communication and love hearing everyone’s news. It has been a difficult time for everyone but please be assured that we are planning on offering more programs than ever in 2022 and look forward to sharing these opportunities for your children.

For all those families who have a credit with us this will carried over to our 2022 programs and any discrepancy in price will be discounted. Programs can be switched between World Camps and Teen Travel Tours.

As you will be aware we have been offering lots of different online experiences and events over the past year and will continue to do so.  This service is for no financial gain but we wanted to offer our families something meaningful during this difficult time.  

I wish you all my warmest wishes and hope that you are safe and healthy.

With my Best Wishes,

Sam Ridgway & The L&E Team

(This has been sent as an email to our full mailing list. Please check your junk mail if you have not received it)

Please feel free to email me directly with any questions you may have: sam@learnandexperience.com

2020 L&E Programmes Announced

Learn & Experience inspire & nurture Young Global Leaders (8-16) with our award winning World Camps, Teen Travel & YGL programmes.

“Bringing The World’s Youth Together Since 2009”

Message from Sam Ridgway, Director…

I am delighted to announce the 2020 L&E Programme…

2019 has been an amazing year with so much happening.  We have been incredibly proud of all programmes and are so heartened to hear the wonderful feedback we’ve had.

10 years of L&E has allowed us to evolve to become the unique and trusted provider that we are today.   We have a few changes that we are very excited to tell you about.

L&E World Camps, Young Global Leaders and Teen Travel can be combined in 2020 for a 2, 4 or 6 week summer of a lifetime.

L&E World Camps

Our famous World Camp for 8 -15 year olds will again be offering 2 weeks & a 4 week block.  The camp will continue to have the same emphasis of bringing together children from around the world immersed with Native English speakers as well as experiencing true British Culture  (We will continue to limit the amount of any one nationality to keep the camps balanced). 

English is spoken exclusively conversationally and the L&E World Camp environment will create it’s special magic by offering Adventure, Sport & Creative activities alongside our L&E Extras plus our incredible Evening Activities programme and weekend excursions.

The L&E Extra Programme (12 hour specialist coaching) will continue to be available (1 week maximum each):

• Football School
• Tennis Academy
• Horse Riding
• Young Global Leaders & Life Skills (13-15)
• Performing Arts
• English Language Course

Click for more info about L&E World Camps

Future Plan

L&E Camps have always had an emphasis on cultural understanding and developing personal skills however, we have now decided to emphasise the “Young Global Leaders” aspect.  The YGL & Life Skills Course (see below) will be available for 13-15 year olds but there will still be a YGL focus for the rest of the camp.

As our long term aim is to have L&E World Camps in multiple countries around the world we have decided to keep to one venue in the UK for 2020.  It will mean we will be able keep the quality of provision very high with all our experienced staff in one place.  We are delighted to announce our long term partnership with Aysgarth School will continue and look forward to releasing more details about our new camp in British Columbia, Canada for 2021.

Dates and Locations 2020

Aysgarth School, N. Yorks:

• 5th July – 18th July, 2020 (2 weeks)
• 19th July – 1st August, 2020 (2 weeks)
• 5th July – 1st August, 2020 (4 weeks)

New Locations for 2021

British Columbia, Canada (Coming 2021)

L&E Teen Travel

For 2020 we are excited to offer our Teen Travel programmes to 13 -16 years olds both in Spring and Summer.   There will be 3 styles of trip; Intrepid, Voyager & Adventurer visiting UK, Europe and North America.

L&E Teen Travel gives young people the life skills for their future journey.

The focus is to prepare and inspire young people for any travelling they do in the future. It’s a chance for them to step out into the world and learn life changing and practical skills with the freedom of feeling safe with our experienced guides.

Click for more info about L&E Teen Travel

1. Teen Travel Intrepid

Teen Travel Intrepid Trips are like no other… Teens are in charge of their own experience. Exploring in groups of 5-10 with other teens from across the World.  They will be accompanied by L&E Travel Mentors but THEY are in control of:

• their own Budget
• their own Itinerary
• their own Accommodation
• their own Transport
• their own Food

2. Teen Travel Voyager

Teen Travel Voyager will be a scheduled trip where most elements are pre-planned.  There will still be a focus on allowing teens to think for themselves and make decisions on their itinerary but with a more structured timetable.

3. Teen Travel Adventurer

Teen Travel Adventurer is an adventure activity focussed travel experience with the same ethos as our Voyager programme.

Teen Travel 2020

• European Voyager (10 day): 6th – 15th April

• Canadian Adventurer: 4th – 18th April

• European Voyager (14 days): 19th July – 1st August

• UK Intrepid: 1st August – 15th August

• UK Voyager: 1st August – 15th August

*Other dates may be available upon enquiry

L&E Young Global Leaders

L&E World Camps and Teen Travel are designed to develop Young Leaders.  However, we have a few specialist programmes that go a little deeper into what it means to be a Young Global Leader and how we can improve our skills and understanding

YGL & Life Skills Course at L&E World Camps

The YGL & Life Skills Course is for 13-15 year olds and is offered as a 1 week programme part of a 2 week World Camp.

There is a focus on leadership and teamwork as well as recognising vital life skills including:

The course will also include our amazing overnight Wilderness Experience.

YGL Spark Series

• Social Responsibility
• Passion
• Authenticity
• Resilience
• Knowledge

YGL Spark is a series of speaker & workshop events, which will be held at community venues around the world. The aim is to celebrate and connect the very best thinkers, doers and innovators from the world to share their journey and inspire a new audience. YGL Spark is an opportunity for young people to take to the stage and talk about the issues that matter to them.

L&E will be hosting the YGL Spark Series in different cities around the world.  We will be announcing the 2020 & 2021 schedule very soon. Participating cities so far:

• Helsinki
• Hong Kong
• Washington
• Oslo
• Edinburgh
• Vancouver

If you are interested in the YGL Spark Series coming to your city then please be in touch.

YGL School Workshops

L&E is proud to provide classroom workshops for schools (ages 8-16). Focusing on critical thinking, communication, self-awareness, and empathy building.  Our workshops are presented by our charismatic and professional staff who make our workshops entertaining, engaging and fun while catering to different learning styles.

Click for more info about L&E Young Global Leaders

EARLY BOOKING DISCOUNT

We are offering our loyal customer Early Booking Discounts across all our programmes. 

• 8% Discount if 40% Deposit paid (Coupon: 2020EARLYDEP)

• 15% Discount for Full Payment (Coupon: 2020EARLYFULL)

This will be available until 31st October, 2019. 

Payment will be due upon registration online. Full Refunds will be available up to 1st June, 2020.

*Bank Transfers can be accepted if you contact info@learnexperience.co.uk for an invoice.

*Children who attend a school within the United Kingdom can apply for a 30-100% Scholarship.  We have limited places for British children

There will be no more discounts available after 1st November.

Due to the fact that we now have only one venue we expect fill places very quickly.   We will be offering a strict first-come-first-serve policy so we highly recommend you take advantage of this fantastic offer.

BOOK NOW & RECEIVE A DISCOUNT

Be in touch…

If you have any questions about our programmes then please don’t hesitate to be in touch…

Warm Wishes,

Sam Ridgway (Director) & The L&E Team

North Camp 1 Blog 2019

Sunday, 7th July, 2019

Once the parents had left and the children were checked in, everybody met outside. 

The children were drawn in, as if hypnotised, towards the luscious smell of a crackling BBQ. Burgers that would melt in your mouth were complemented by a beautiful green salad. Many of the children had been to the camp before and were hugging and catching up. Many were new and had never been to the camp before, but got involved in the games straight away and were introducing themselves. We always remind the children to look after each other, especially when they’re nervous. BE KIND, BE KIND, BE KIND.

THEN, the games began…

Stuck in the Mud was the most exhausting game. Everybody was sweating and running for water. I am expecting that all of us will be very fit by the end of the week, even the children that pretended to be tagged so that they could hide from running. This was very funny. We also played some new games like “Captain’s Coming” where children pretended to be pirates scrubbing the decks and had to had to get into groups of 2, 3, 4, or 6. British Bulldog was probably the most fun game. The children had to run between a wall of tutors and reach the other side of the field without getting caught. They were very good at this because many children are very very fast, ESPECIALLY Fred. 

After an evening of fun and games, we were rewarded with hot chocolate and marshmallows. YUM. 

Then, the children went to their bedrooms, got ready for bed and started relaxing together. Some of them were doing face masks, some were reading, and some were just laughing together. I really look forward to the rest of the week. 

Click for more photos

Monday, 8th July, 2019

After a night of getting to know each other the kids enjoyed their first breakfast at L&E! There was lots of choice, including good ol’ English crumpets (an English delicacy). 

To get warmed up, we played a big game of dodgeball while listening to fun music. Lots of dance moves were made. 

Then after, the kids could segregate into the Creative, Adventure, and Sport activities. For Creative the kids could make themselves a superhero and do yoga (as taught by the expert Hayley). For Adventure there was den-making! The kids really got into making their stick-dens as homely as possible. One of the dens had a shelf with plants and decorations. Some of the dens had doors… or even toilets! For sport there was ULTIMATE frisbee and rugby. The kids really got stuck into this and were very quick learners. 

Biscuit Time at morning break was very funny. Some of the children (not naming any names) were using very intelligent tactics to get more biscuits than they were allowed, including creating silly diversions. 

In the afternoon, Horse riding started – which was “AWESOME!”. Dexter was as reliant as ever so Valentina was very happy. Blue is a new horse and Carla feels she’ll be able to jump really well.

For the BIG event of the day there were EPIC Ice Breaker Games. A personal highlight was wearing a pair of tights on our heads that was filled with a ball. We then used the hanging ball to knock over cups. We all looked like hilarious anglerfishes (definitely worth a Google by the way). Sam performed an excellent demonstration. 

Afterwards, lots of pictures were taken with volunteers who were wrapped in toilet paper to look like funny mummies. Chubby Bunny was another highlight. This involved children squishing as many marshmallows into their mouth as possible, while saying “chubby bunny”. There was lots of laughing. The record holder of L&E Chubby Bunny squeezed a ridiculous 22 marshmallows in their mouth! However, the funniest faces were pulled in the Chocolate Challenge where volunteers would have to only use their face to move an After Eight Chocolate from their forehead into their mouth. 

The kids have now had their hot chocolate and are in bed, ready for tomorrow!

Click to see more photos

Tuesday, 9th July, 2019

Day two kicked off with a scrumptious combination of eggy bread and baked beans which seemed to go down a treat. That was followed by an intense, yet friendly game of dodgeball which was perfectly accompanied by the soothing voice of Leona Lewis in the background. 

The morning activity of forest art gave the kids the opportunity to get some fresh air and be creative, while the scuba diving allowed the children to try something new. Due to the slightly damp conditions, football was played in the state of the art sports hall facility for our sportier campers. Nobby the chef pulled out all the stops with a lovely chicken curry to round off the morning activities. 

Hockey and camp fire building took place in the afternoon, alongside another thrilling scuba diving session. The kids then enjoyed a panini for the evening meal, before we all gathered round the camp fire for some hearty songs from around the world with some delicious toasted marshmallows. Finally, the day was rounded off with some hot chocolate which ended the evening on a high before bed time.

Click for Day 3 Photos

Wednesday, 10th July, 2019

The sun rose upon the grounds of Aysgarth for the first Wednesday of camp following an overnight rainfall that could only have been summoned by Thor premeditating his upcoming theme night appearance. A uniquely British serving of a platter of various meats and rolls provided the fuel for the high-octane day ahead.

Bucking the age-old L&E dodgeball tradition, we started the morning with a game of musical statues, with shapes being thrown by the campers that frankly defied description. The morning adventure activity was extreme capture the flag, a tactical game which engulfed the campers in physical and mental strategy. In our English lessons the campers were testing their skills of description and communication with various character themed games, before cooperating by following a traditional English recipe and baking a Victoria sponge cake which rumour has it would have earned a Paul Hollywood handshake. Wimbledon fever hit North Yorkshire, as our campers channelled their inner Heather Watson’s and Rafael Nadal’s in a riveting tennis session, whilst the creative stars showed their urban side by producing both indoor and outdoor chalk drawings that would rival Banksy’s finest work.

All the while, throughout both morning and afternoon we had a special off-site adventure activity of canoeing, with campers breathing in the full magnificence of the Yorkshire countryside from an unusual waterborne viewpoint.

After a classic burger and salad lunch, the afternoon got underway, and my word what an afternoon it was. Our creative option was a one stop trip to Karoakeville, with a relaxed and familiar sing song session that everybody got really involved in. The on-site adventurers went scavenger hunting, solving a combination of riddles and anagrams to find an avengers themed solution. The basketball participants had the honour of being mentored by a former North Wales champion, and the level of skill shown in the session resembled Dylan Hughes in full flight.

To conclude another action-packed day, campers further embezzled themselves into tomorrows theme night spirit by watching The Avengers. Movie night provided a calm end to the third day of what has been a brilliant start to our 2019 L&E adventure, and post hot chocolate the campers snuggled in bed looking forward to the exciting possibilities ahead tomorrow.

Click for Day 4 Photos

Thursday, 11th July, 2019

The day began with everyone excited to start the 5^th day of camp! After an early night following movie night, we were raring to go for theme night! But before that, all the days exciting activities needed to take place! Morning began with a scrumptious breakfast of scrambled eggs to help fuel the first decision of the day – Bench ball, Water polo and the chance to make some gorgeous chocolate truffles! 

Bench ball was tremendous fun, being the goalie is boring though! You’re not allowed to move and have to stay on the bench! The kids just want to run around! The kids got to test out their baking skills as well, by making chocolate truffles! They ended up being really nice and fluffy, with exciting toppings like coconut and chocolate sprinkles. Water polo was great too, the kids pushed Jack and Connor in the pool, but it was such a success that we decided to do it again in the afternoon! 

The afternoon began with a yummy roast dinner. It gave the kids an opportunity to try some traditional British food. Honestly, it’s the best!! Badminton provided the kids the chance to test out their racket skills, with Emma, who used to compete competitively, providing her excellent expertise. Excitingly, with the sun shining, the opportunity for the first waterslide of camp! It was so so much fun and everyone got really really wet, and a little bit soapy too! Everyone needed a shower after…

As an alternative to Badminton, there was also the first L&E Strictly Come Dancing lesson! This involved Sophie teaching a Cha Cha Cha, Waltz and Samba to some keen dancers, who had loads of sass and style. Paul and Simon were the star pair, having a Cha Cha worthy of a 10/10! 

All throughout the day, Sam was taking people climbing! It’s a bit scary hanging off a rope that high, but it’s incredible fun.

After a dinner of chicken pasta, we got to participate in theme night, all the tutors were dressed as their favourite Avenger – Jack got painted all purple, he was Thanos, the bad guy of the evening. After competing challenges testing our strength, speed and mind, we proved we were better than the Avengers, and got to throw water balloons at Thanos (purple Jack). After this, a big water fight broke out, a silly end to another fantastic day at L&E!

Click for Day 5 Photos

Click for Horse Riding Photos

Friday, 12th July, 2019

Life is not about the amount of breathes you take, it’s the moments that take your breath away, this was the belief the L&E campers had throughout the day. With the end of the week lingering, the anticipation for the L&E Oscars evening was at fever pitch. The only thing holding back the excitement was the fear of missing out on capturing the grand prize of star camper.

Dodgeball in the morning was naturally not met with any boredom even if it was the fifth session of the week, dodgeball enthusiasm shows no sign of decreasing at this rate with these happy campers. An extreme and very safe adventure activity of tree climbing was only ventured by only the very elite campers.  Creating a better Oscars presented by names such as Chris Rock and Jimmy Kimmel is no easy fetch, thankfully our most creative campers were on hand to create an event with more ambiance than a candlelit dinner. France is known for wine, cheese and weird cricket rules; therefore, it was a shock to see the enjoyment and satisfaction from an interesting game of French cricket.

Another week, another chef, but dinner will never be the same without chef Nobby’s famous curry and charming wit. 

In the Afternoon, the campers evolved into Alastair and Johnny Brownlee, when everyone participated in a well scheduled triathlon, even though nobody has heard of the Yorkshire heroes. This tiering event was a perfect assist to the main event of the night, all the camp needed was a dashing host, stepped up Sam Ridgway.

With many awards being handed to the most deserving nominee, the only thing left to do was to hand out the star camper award. Deservedly Morten welcomed the award with open arms, while the audience were animated with raucous applause.

Click for Day 6 Photos

Saturday 13th & Sunday 14th

What a lovely weekend we’ve had! Trips to York, Lightwater Valley Theme Park and a trip around the Dales villages.

It all happened over an extraordinary English weekend of sport where the very traditional game of Cricket World Cup Final was being held plus The British Grand Prix and The Wimbledon Final.  England became cricket World Champions for the first time in history – a memorable experience for the the children who watched.

We ended Sunday evening with a lovely BBQ sat in the sunshine.

We’re incredibly excited for the week ahead…the Young Global Leaders Course and the Football School starts on Monday!

Click for weekend Photos

Monday, 15th July, 2019

We launched into week two with some eggs on toast and hunger games dodgeball. 

For creative, there was Strictly Come Dancing with Sophie (samba, cha-cha-cha, and more) in the morning. Slowly, but surely the L&E camp is becoming more flamboyant. ULTIMATE frisbee was repeated (due to previous popularity). The most compelling activity (the adventure one) was Campfire Cooking. This was led by the expert fire-maker Jack. Little chocolate-chip cakes were cooked in oranges that we heaved into the fire (that had a chair burning at its centre). I felt epic. 

In the afternoon the artsy kids did some graffiti (wash off – we’re not delinquents I swear). For the more sporty children there was volleyball. This was Very popular. Sardines (a curious form of hide and seek) took place in the L&E building, which was followed by SUMO WRESTLING. 

The Young Global Leaders course started today! We did a lot of teambuilding activities (including detangling ourselves in groups, passing along a hoop while holding hands in a circle and “Two Truths and a Lie”. There was discussion about other global leaders and what it means to be a good one. The kids were also presented with the power of planning the night’s evening activity.

Football camp also started today which, as I heard, went very smoothly. Regarding technicality, dribbling was the centre of attention. The camp tutors leading it (Matt and James) made it known that they were really impressed by energy and commitment that their group had. There was also a fun, competitive game at the end.

Monday FUNDAY was this evening’s activity (as planned mostly by the Young Global Leaders). I may be slightly biased, but this was an really really legendary evening.  There was apple bobbing followed by finding a Malteser in flour. The outcome of this decision was soggy, flower-covered children who looked like small Santas. A binbag fashion show also took place (photos will be on Facebook). The outfits were FABULOUS, but the catwalks were even better. An L&E Egg-drop was the big finale of Monday FUNDAY. We all chanted “scrambled eggs, scrambled eggs”. This was a nice circle ending to the beginning of the day with the eggs on toast. EGGCELENT :,) 

Click for Day 9 photos

Tuesday, 16th July, 2019

As the campers rose on a sunny 52nd birthday of Will Ferrell they enjoyed a classic English breakfast of bacon, eggs and toast.  After filling themselves up and running back upstairs to brush their teeth, they pattered down to the sports hall to play the traditional L&E morning warm-up… dodgeball.  All the kids followed the five rules of dodgeball… dodge, duck, dip, dive and dodge and the standard of dodgeball in everyone (staff included) has improved massively since the start of last week.

The morning activities chosen were basketball, den building and papier mâché. In basketball, after doing a few testing drills, the participants were then separated into 4 teams; Dumplings, Team 3, NBA and Ragamuffins.  After a round robin tournament, they then played semi-finals and ended with a final of the dumplings verses the Ragamuffins ending in a sudden death penalty shoot out which lived up to the exciting billing, with the Ragamuffins just edging the contest.  Our adventure team ventured off to the woods to build dens.  The creativity and survival instincts of the campers was inspiring, and they made seriously impressive dens in the amount of time that they had to work with.  Finally our creators made some papier mâché sculptures which rivalled the 7 wonders of the world!

After a delightful traditional roast beef dinner and ice cream, the campers were treated to an impressive range of activities; a final instalment of this weeks campfire cooking where we made the biggest fire yet and today made chocolate muffins with white chocolate chips. This, like yesterday, went down like a house on fire. Our keen sportspeople took on a joint task of rounders and it’s american friend, baseball.  Everyone hit a home run with this activity and caught, hit and threw with great aplomb.  Finally our budding Picassos went to the art room to design and create props and posters for our upcoming theme night; ‘The Greatest Showman’.   

The day ended with the weekly L&E campfire, which showcased the immense talent of all the campers. Many of the campers got up to perform, highlights included some impressive quick rapping, impressions of the staff by campers and even a series of ‘opera offs’.  Ending with the delicious melted marshmallows and hot chocolate, the campers snuggled up in bed, chatting about  the excitement that tomorrow may bring. 

Click for Day 10 Photos

Wednesday, 17th July 2019

Today camp rose yet again with the sun shining, which surely promised joy and happiness for yet another wonderful day at L&E. Breakfast this morning was a treat, with Beans and Sausages on the menu, Connor loved them so much he had 4! The choice for activities was equally exciting with Water Polo, Tree climbing and old style poster making on the cards. 

For those who did Water Polo, they were given expert coaching by Jack. It was such great fun that the kids were given a chance to do it again in the afternoon. Tree climbing was fantastic fun too, it’s exhilarating getting up to those heights, and it’s so exciting that we’re allowed to do it too! The Poster making was cool too, the kids learned how to use a tea bag to make the poster looked old fashioned! Some were so good that they’ll be used for our Greatest Showman theme night tomorrow!

Lunch was delicious as usual, everyone was treated to Hunter’s chicken and little mini roast potatoes. It was so so so good! The Hunter’s chicken was really tangy while the potatoes were super herby. For dessert, we had a chocolate muffin with a whipped cream filling, which was superb too. 

After lunch, along with the aforementioned Water polo, we also were offered the option to do either Tennis or the chance to make our own dream catchers! Tennis was cool to do – with Wimbledon having happened last weekend it was fun to recreate the Finals!! The quality of the tennis match between Andrea, Paul, Connor and Emma L was so high that we had to call in Caroline Flack to inform which couple was announced the winner. Making dream catchers were awesome too, Hayley taught us how to transform a few twigs of wood into a really cool dream catcher. On top of this, Sam was running trips backwards and forwards to a lake to do some Kayaking. This was super cool too, although falling in the water was really cold!!! 

This evening kicked off with a delicious meal of Pasta. We were given 3 choices, Spaghetti Carbonara, a Cheesy bake or Green Pesto Pasta! On top of this, we were given some yummy garlic bread! All this set the scene for watching the Greatest Showman ahead of tomorrow’s theme night. The soundtrack is so so good, we were all singing along!

We’d also like to give a mention to the Young Global Campers, who tonight are out camping. Unfortunately for them, it’s raining tonight, the first time it has done since arriving to camp. Despite this, let’s all hope it’s a fantastic experience for them – and they learn some valuable skills from it all.

To finish today’s blog, we unfortunately said goodbye to Zara today. Zara has added to everyone’s time at camp and really impressed all the tutors here. She was a fantastic student and she will be missed by all her peers, let’s hope we see her again next year!

Click for Wednesday’s photos

Thursday, 18th July 2019

Sierra’s L&E Journey

“I quickly realised how inclusive the camp was”

Over the past 10 years we have had hundreds of children come to spend their summers with us and with each child comes a story, this is Sierra’s story.  Sierra is from Kentucky in the USA and first came to L&E at the age of 14 in 2014.  Her grandmother Denise made the trip up north to drop Sierra off at camp as she lives in London and Sierra spends her summers there.  After being bullied and picked on at school Denise wanted her granddaughter to grow up knowing that she didn’t need to “conform” and feel the need to try and “fit in”.  Sierra describes how nervous she was about coming to camp as she thought she would be an outsider being the only American.  She very quickly realised how inclusive the camp was and how her nationality or background didn’t matter.  Sierra later described the best part of L&E was the way in which she was able to interact with everyone regardless of age, gender or background.

“learn the art of travel in a safe and supportive environment”

The following year, as well as coming back to camp for 2 weeks Sierra, along with 5 other teenagers from across Europe booked onto the Teen Travel UK trip.  Teen Travel is a unique programme for 15 & 16 year olds which allows teenagers to learn the art of travel in a safe and supportive environment.  Sierra describes Teen Travel as “helping her with real life problems” and although she learns a lot from her parents about how to budget and organise transportation it isn’t the same as “experiencing it for yourself”.  Living and travelling with others is all about compromise and Sierra found this to be a big part of the trip.  Knowing that what one person wanted wasn’t the only thing that mattered and it was the whole group that needed to agree – “teamwork makes the dreamwork!”  Furthermore, being accountable and learning valuable practical skills translated into Sierra having the ability to navigate the international journey to camp each year.

“the L&E experience has been a game changer for Sierra”

Speaking about the overall effects L&E had on Sierra, she expressed that the experiences she gained from the multiple programmes she attended prepared her for college largely due to being exposed to people from different cultural and religious backgrounds.  Without these experiences she felt that her transition to college would have been “difficult”.

We asked Denise to try and sum up how she felt L&E had effected her granddaughter…“the L&E experience has been a game changer for Sierra.  She owns and rocks her self-confidence with ease and grace.  That confidence is no longer predicated on the “if they like me”; it is now firmly rooted in the “I will be fine if they don’t”.  Her view of the world and its infinite possibility is tremendously expansive.  She clearly understands that living life is about the journey, as the destination is just a marker at a point in time and ever changing.”

“an absolute pleasure playing a part in Sierra’s journey”

Sierra is currently undertaking an undergraduate course at the University of Kentucky in Animal Science and Technology and her goal is to become a veterinarian, and if you ask her grandmother she will describe this as her “destiny”.

It has been an absolute pleasure playing a part in Sierra’s journey and we wish her all the very best for the future and hope to see her back at L&E one day…perhaps wearing an orange polo shirt!

Full Testimonial from Sierra’s Grandmother

Sierra’s summer experiences with L&E made a tremendous impact on her self-esteem and sense of being.  Meeting, mixing, and bonding with young people from all over the world helped her to establish a real sense of belonging and an understanding of the privilege and responsibility that comes with being a citizen of the world.

L&E creates a microcosm that consistently exemplifies what real community is.  In this space, the young people are able flourish without judgement or ridicule or constraining social norms.  Kind consideration for one another is the underlying vibe or mantra.

With this as a foundation for her summer experiences, Sierra has been able to fully explore what being the best version of self looks like, feels like, and sounds like.  Her experiences with the extra activity (horse riding) helped her “find” her true passion.  The encouragement from the instructors and the opportunities she had to bond with the horses simply sealed her destiny.  Sierra will work with animals – full stop.

Before going to L&E she was being bullied and picked on at school.  The decision to send her to L&E was purely predicated on the fact that we did not want her to grow up feeling like she needed to conform or “be like” just so she could “fit it”.

When we arrived day-1 of her first year; I was helping her unpack and group of girls popped around the corner asking her name and where she was from.  Sierra froze and said nothing, so I did all the introductions.  I remember thinking “come on Sie get out there” and then I just left the room.  Within 5 minutes, she and the entire group came bouncing down the stairs and she was on her way.

As it turns out, her experiences with L&E have been gateway experiences.  Every summer when she returned from camp, she was more confident and secure and capable with a very grounded sense ofwho she is and what she wants from life.

As a part of teem travel, her self-awareness expanded even more.  Teen travel is a truly unique experience because it deems them fully accountable for what happens next.  It becomes a good experience only if they work to make if a good experience – as a team they plan, organise, budget, etc.  The fact that they are responsible for every single aspect of the allows them to make very adult decisions being fully accountable for the outcome.  The practical skills learned as a part of Teen Travel meant that we were more confident in her ability to navigate the international journey to camp every year.

The L&E experience has been a game changer for Sierra.  She owns and rocks her self-confidence with ease and grace.  That confidence is no longer predicated on the “if they like me”; it is now firmly rooted in the “I will be fine if they don’t”.  Her view of the world and its infinite possibility is tremendously expansive.  She clearly understands that living life is about the journey, as the destination is just a marker at a point in time and ever changing.

I can never in 1,000 years thank the L&E team enough.

Denise BB, October 2018

Full Interview with Sierra

1: How did you feel about coming to camp before you arrived?

When I first found out I was going to L&E I was excited because I knew it was going to be a great experience but when I arrived there I became very nervous and overwhelmed by the amount of people that were there. Since I was from America and many of the people there were from Europe, I thought that I would be an outcast.

2: How did you feel after camp was finished?

After my 2 weeks of being at camp was over I was very sad. I had so much fun meeting people, participating in activities and games and going horseback riding. When my time at camp was over that’s when I realized how close I had become with the campers and tutors, it felt like I was leaving my second family. 

3: What’s the best thing about camp?

The best part of L&E would have to be how involved the camp is. Most camps I have been to, you would find a small group of people you connected with and stay with them the entire time. With this camp all the activities and games were made to have everyone involved. Here I was able to interact with all people of different age groups and ethnicities and still have fun.

4: What did you learn on Teen Travel?

Teen Travel taught me how to live with others and how to compromise. I’m used to living with family members but had never stayed with people I had just met. I noticed how many times everyone had disagreements over what we wanted to do and what we felt we should spend our money on. Being in these situations made me realize that what I wanted wasn’t the only thing that mattered and that it is important to learn how to work well with others. Teamwork makes the dream work.

5: What would you say to someone who was thinking about doing TT but was undecided?

I would tell them that they should give it a try because it will help them with real life problems. Where I’m from my school never taught me how to budget and find my own transportation and accommodations. The little bit that I did know about these things came from what my parents told me but it’s not the same as experiencing it for yourself. Along with learning all these things you also get the chance to adventure out, meet new people, travel to new places and have fun while doing it. 

6: Any other thoughts about L&E?

I believe L&E is a great place for everyone. I was a very introverted person and L&E helped me step out of my comfort zone and get used to meeting and being around a lot of different people. 

7: What effect did L&E have on you?

In my opinion I believe that L&E has prepared me for college. If it wasn’t for the camp and teen travel I would not have been exposed to being around and living with multiple people from different cultural backgrounds and religions. Without L&E I feel like my transition into college would have been very difficult.

Little/Cool Sam’s L&E Working Journey

I have to tell you a quick story…Sam B has worked with us for the last 9 years and has been a key component of why our camps are so successful.  He is loved by everyone – staff/parents and most importantly, the kids.  He has always been known as “Little Sam” to differentiate from myself (who is ever so slightly taller!!)  However, in my eyes he will always be “Cool Sam”.  The main being reason back in 2012 we had a magical theme night where, inevitably I found myself hidden under a sheet in the front hall while the children searched high and low for me.  A few children rushed up near me (not knowing I was under the sheet) declaring that they’d received a clue from Sam.  One child exclaimed “Do you mean Boss Sam or Cool Sam!!??”……  My ego was crushed for a few moments but, to be fair I definitely can’t compete on the coolness factor with our beloved Little Sam.  Here’s his story in his own words…. SR

I was very happy to have the chance to write about my experiences working with L&E over the years. I’ve been working with L&E since it began almost 10 years ago now! So I’ve had many great summers at camp and seen the impact the camp has on kids as they return year after year. I came to my first camp when I was only 19 years old and at that stage the camp was still working out what it would become in the years to come. We had some really great kids that first year, although we almost had as many staff as kids that year, which did make the staff vs camp dodgeball quite easy! As has always been the case year on year, the kids that are attracted to this camp are always great fun. An amazing aspect of camp is that each week is a completely new experience. While you may have the same size camp, in the same place, with the same staff, the camp will still feel unique, as what makes a camp is the kids and each week is made up of a new, totally unique set of characters, whose mix of personalities make the camp what it is.

I came to work at  L&E   through my family, both my two sisters and my father worked that first year and many of our friends have worked at the camp over those 10 years. The camp has always had a very intimate, family feel to it and that is something that I think was fostered in those early camps. At that stage there was roughly a 2:1 child to staff ratio and it really did feel like one big family. That ideal has largely remained at  L&E through the years and is what makes this camp so special. Despite that,  L&E  has grown every year I have been there and has added new locations and experiences to the original North Camp, such as the new South Camp and teen travel.  It would be so difficult to pick a favorite memory from my years at  L&E, however I think perhaps the most rewarding part of my time at  L&E has been to see so many children grow up over the years. I’ve seen many kids come for their first camp as little 8 year olds, very shy and unsure of how their week is going to work out, and then return for the next 6 years, making life long friends and growing up into really great people. There would be too many kids to name, but a particular highlight has been to see the likes of Tom and Baptiste, who were once kids on the camp, return as staff and be such great tutors. Apart from making me feel old ? that just highlights that the camp has an impact for kids beyond the week they spend with us over the summer. It has been an eventful first 10 years for  L&E  and I hope that the next 10 years will be the same ? SB

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