In the May half term holiday we took two groups of young people down to the Jurassic Coast for their Coastal Camps, the second of three camps in their Adventure Programme. Since joining YAT in January 2026 I’ve seen the fun, challenges and development to be had at the single day Activity Days and Pathway Days, but as a new Programme Manager it was my first experience of a full residential camp, and what an experience it was!
Adventurous activities were packed in from the minute we arrived until just before we left; rock climbing, stand-up paddleboarding, kayaking, raft building, coasteering, and plenty of team games and challenges saw us through an action packed few days.
Having heard all the team talk about the camps, I was looking forward to witnessing it all first hand. The whole experience gave me such an understanding of the importance of our work and the power of the outdoors to grow young people’s confidence and resilience. I watched in admiration as incredibly nervous young people ended up climbing and giving abseiling a go, pushing themselves with the support of their team mates and leaders. In coasteering I saw young people grow into leaders, encouraging those less confident than themselves, and demonstrating kindness and compassion for others.
As with all our camps, there is a dedicated session in the evening to reflect on the day; thinking about what went well, highlighting each other’s achievements, and considering any insights to take forward. It can be a challenge to think deeply late in the evening after such a busy day, but I was blown away with the level of maturity, reflection and insight shown by our young people.
It was such an amazing experience, and I can’t wait for my next YAT camp adventures, supporting those at the very start of their Adventure Programme journey at our Mountain Camps, and seeing even more growth in these young people from Coastal Camp at the next step of their YAT journey; Forest Camps in the summer.
Finally I can’t talk about camps without mentioning our fantastic volunteers. The enthusiasm, empathy, and energy shown by these amazing people was incredible to witness. We are so lucky to have such brilliant volunteers who give up their time to come and help our young people, so thank you, you’ve really inspired me!
