Hi Ladies. I'm Hannah and I work for Camps International in the UK.
This thread has come to my attention so I thought it might be helpful for me to shed a bit of light on some of your queries and concerns.
First and foremost, we understand that our expedition opportunities won't be for everyone, for a variety of reasons. It's great to hear that some of you have attended our parents presentations in several schools recently. We make no secret of the fact that we want to recruit travelling students from every school that we visit, but the evening is not designed to deliver a hard sell. More to give you all of the information that you need to decide, as a family, whether the expedition is right for your son or daughter.
We also realise that the cost of our expeditions are a lot of money by anyones standards! However, we are very proud to be industry leaders who deliver expeditions of unrivalled quality. We offer real value for money when you consider the level of infrastructure and support that we have in place for all of our school expeditions. This ranges from our own permanent camp locations, permanent members of in-country staff, qualified expedition leaders to accompany every team, scheduled in-country transport, all food and drinking water - as well as flights and all of the expedition projects and activities - inc. a trek or an open water scuba qualification.
Whilst the fundraising isn't easy, it is achievable and the frequent success stories that we receive from students is testament to this. Of course every family is different - some will agree to meet their son or daughter half way others will rely entirely on fundraising to pay for the trip. These factors are all part of your decision making process and we understand that. We do offer a staggered payment plan for families who are not keen on the Direct Debit option and we also offer flexibility on the initial deposit amount, on a case by case basis. We try and do as much as we possibly can to make these experiences achievable and manageable for everyone who wants to be involved.
Payments that we receive do become non refundable at certain points during the lead up to travel. This is something that should be made clear in every parents presentation, before you sign up. We hope you can understand that, whilst we are profit making, we have strong philanthropic and ethical objectives. We are continuously investing in to our host countries and committing to projects months in advance. These non-refunable points are also in-line with some key planning dates - such as when we book flights for each of our volunteers.
Finally, I would like to re-assure you that our expeditions are far more than just a holiday. All of our projects are long term, sustainable and designed in partnership with deserving rural communities. The input from our volunteers has a huge impact. Whether it's improving school facilities or planting trees in fragile ecological areas. We also create permanent jobs for local people in all of our destinations which is beyond valuable in areas where poverty is high and employment opportunities low.
As well as this there is a huge emphasis on the learning objectives and personal development of your sons or daughters. Starting with the fundraising all the way through to the expedition itself. This is an unforgettable experience which promotes a huge amount of valuable life skills from leadership to teamwork and problem solving. There is also the fantastic element of pushing young people outside of their comfort zones and providing them with a truly eye opening experience, fully immersed in different cultures and traditions. It is a fantastic introduction to travel for most and certainly something that is held in high regard by Universities and employers.
Phew! That was a seriously long response, but I hope this helps in some way to explain the ethos of Camps International and the way in which we operate. If you have any direct queries please don't ever hesitate to contact us on 01425 485390.