Over the weekend of 27 – 29 October, youth organisation Woodcraft Folk hosted a Camps for All event at Biblins Youth Campsite in the beautiful Wye Valley.
Participants aged 10 – 15 and came from across the country from Leeds, London, Oxford, Banbury, Aberystwyth and Cheltenham to attend the event. The group was made up of experienced Woodcraft Folk members who attend a local group as well as new members of the organisation, for some of which, this was their first experience camping with Woodcraft Folk. The group stayed in the Burrow and on Sunday, the rain held off long enough for the group to eat lunch with the roof open thanks to the buildings retractable roof features!
Over the weekend the young people took part in a canoe journey down the river, a walk through the beautiful ancient forest, bushcraft activities, exploring caves close to the site, campfires, games and making new friends.
The autumn weather brought some rain so the group also got to enjoy some downtime to play card games, board games and drawing games together. It may have been a bit wet but it was a good time for friendships to be formed.
The bushcraft sessions were led by Stuart, an experienced Bushcraft Leader who is also part of the Woodcraft Folk Bushcraft Team. Stuart supported the group to make catapults using intricate knife skills and knot tying. Some of the group also used fire strikers to light small fires and make hot chocolate using a Ghillie Kettle.
“I was really proud of my catapult because it took me a long time to get the bark off of the wood to make the handle” – participant age 10.
The weekend was supported by Woodcraft Folk’s Programme Manager and volunteers from across the South West Region.
Camps for All heads to its final location in 2023 this November at Woodcraft Folk’s Lockerbrook Farm Residential Centre. Due to popular demand, a number of 2024 dates are also already available to book for Camps for All. Find out more and book onto upcoming camps here.