Celebrating 10 years of School Expeditions, Camps International has record numbers of students in their camps in Asia, Africa and Latin America, from all around the world.
(TRAVPR.COM)UNITED KINGDOM - July 26th, 2012 - CAMPS INTERNATIONAL, an award-winning school expedition specialist based in Hampshire has been providing life-changing expeditions for students from all over the UK since 2002. In the last 10 years they have helped send over 7000 young people to volunteer in some of the poorest and remote areas in the world.
Stuart Rees Jones CEO of Camps International says “This year has a special meaning for us. As well as celebrating 10 years of operations, we have a record number of students on 4 week expeditions this summer. For the first time we have over 1000 UK students on school expeditions in Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Borneo and Cambodia.”
Camps International’s Chief Operating Officer Matt Lacey puts the growth down to schools recognising the value of the company’s unique brand of responsible tourism. “Two thirds of our volunteers raise the funds for their trip themselves, no longer relying on Mum and Dad to foot the bill. Fundraising for a Camps International trip gives students the edge over other expedition companies due to their reputation for delivering long term, sustainable projects to communities around the world.”
A large portion of the money raised by students goes directly towards the 100+ projects that benefit the local environment, communities and wildlife around the camps. With over 100 permanent staff in these countries, the employment benefits alone have a huge impact. The company is also very proud of the fact they have never failed to complete a project. As a teacher from Muhaka primary school in Kenya told Anna Doyle, who travelled with Camps International in 2011. ”Many people had come with promises in the past but Camps International were the first ones who had stayed to deliver.” This is something all Camps staff feel very proud of.
Its not just about UK schools, this year Camps International have hosted teams from all over the world says Rees Jones. “Our curriculum based field trips prove very popular with schools in Australia, Malaysia, Vietnam and the Middle East who run the IB curriculum. We have also been hosting schools from much nearer to our camps including the Aga Khan Academy in Mombasa. The fact that we own and run all our own ground operations allows us to offer outstanding educational trips all year round.”
Camps International owns and manages camps in Asia, Africa and Latin America. The camps are set at the heart of local communities and the work undertaken by visiting volunteers benefits these communities in a sustainable way.
Before a camp is established, Camps International agrees and guarantees objectives with the local community to enhance their way of life, protect their environment and conserve the local wildlife. These objectives translate into the projects that pupils on school trips and gap year students will be involved working with.
When school trips and gap year students embark on their expedition, they are not handed over to agents or other organisers. They stay within the Camps International infrastructure at all times as the company runs all its ground operations – the only company of its kind that does.
The camps are all well supported – they are built using both local materials and workforce. Camps International also employ over 150 staff locally to provide around the clock communications, vehicle servicing, food supplies, stores, security and operational support.
As Camps International employs and trains these people who run the camps, they can be relied on. All camps are strategically located near to approved medical facilities and the local staff rehearse medical and emergency procedures.
The accommodation in camp ranges from traditional thatched buildings and longhouses to a simple dome tent or even a hammock in the jungle. The kitchens act as the heart of any camp and the staff work hard to create a great standard of food for most dietary requirements, regardless of power cuts, monsoon rains and supply trucks breaking down.
Working on projects forms the majority of the expedition, but depending on which trip students go on, there are also opportunities for mountain trekking, jungle trekking, scuba courses and wildlife watching.
Volunteers all fund their own expeditions. The whole experience teaches them to be independent, resourceful and opens their eyes to the larger world apart from their own home experience. This is a great boost to either their university or future career application.
Camps International in figures £6,500,000 plus invested 650,000 plus trees planted 130,000 plus acres of wilderness protected 30,000 plus people benefitted 7,000 plus volunteers 200 plus schools travelled 150 plus locally employed staff 30 plus schools built 10 plus tonnes of marine refuse removed
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