Guide Camp

[MoanyMum12]

To think that £40 is a ridiculous amount of money for Guide camp?!
Two nights in a tent for £40...

I actually think thats cheap!

My DSs have attended camps as YL helpers, mostly they've been told not to pay but sometimes I've just received the same invite as the scouts so have automatically just paid, I can afford to and it all goes to support the work that they do. If I was struggling though then I guess DSs probably wouldn't have been able to go and help without subsidy.

I would expect a place for an adult helper to be subsidised by the cost per child, so the child cost is slightly higher but the adult cost is £20 or similar. I understand that it can be difficult to balance the need for helpers while still not making it unaffordable for low income parents to pay for their child to attend though. If a parent is willing to help but can't afford the extra cost then I would hope that the group could try to accommodate that. It's important to realise that the leaders are volunteers and are doing their best, and that there is no profit to be made.

{But these leaders have never been welcoming}
Sadly as volunteer organisations it can happen and can be tricky to get them moved.

We try to keep costs as low as possible but not afraid to spend if necessary, just don't tell the treasurer!.

That’s very cheap. We went on a camping trip last summer and I only paid about £60 for everyone.

Really . I pay my babysitter £40 for one evening.

Yes £40 very reasonable. Dont forget there maybe minimum hire costs per night for venue. Eg our local holiday houses have a £75 or £125 minimal overnight cost. So if a small group the cost per girl can be high.
But you are right as a parent helper you should not have to pay. The adults costs should be shared among the girls attending. So expect your daughters cost to rise.
The leader should not make you feel guilty for not attending.
I would talk to the District Commissioner for the area. Maybe you could start another Guide unit.

DD recently went on a school residential for 1 night - for £67!

Your £40 for 2 nights is cheap!

And yes, if adult helpers don’t pay then the cost for everyone else rises. Quite probably meaning less can take part.

£20 a night for camping, food and activities is a good price.

She said if I come I have to pay, but if I don't come they won't have enough adults and will cancel the camp. It feels like blackmail to me.

Cub leader here: I think you are being treated very unfairly by the guide leader. Emotional blackmail is not a good way to persuade someone to do something. The guide leader has overstepped the mark here, and I would take this to the overall group leader. I doubt very much that the guides’ accounts can’t absorb the cost of having you at camp (particularly as leaders don’t usually actually do the climbing/archery etc) , or that you are the only parent who could possibly go. The guides are short handed - they need to ask around all the parents and offer to help with dbs checks (these are free or cheap for volunteers), not home in on an individual.

I think look at another group if your dd is up for it. The leader’s response to you was not great.

Think your post should have said how can they entertain, feed and provide accomodation for my daughter for only £40 for 2 nights and not get paid themselves.
The leaders give up an enormous amount of their own time for our children unpaid, not only for the weekend but in the prep leading up to it. Suggest you stick a gift in for the leaders in her bag and be grateful your child can have this wonderful opportunity.

And yes, if adult helpers don’t pay then the cost for everyone else rises. Quite probably meaning less can take part

I don’t think adult helpers should have to pay - except possibly for their food. After all, they are giving up their time free of charge, I don’t think they should be out of pocket as well.

I’ve spoken to the leader and said that although DD would like to go and I can pay for her, I can’t also afford to pay £40 for myself. Rather than offering for me not to pay she just guilted me by saying that if I don’t come then they won’t have enough adults for the camp!

Problem solved, camp won’t go ahead and you won’t have to pay anything.

It’s a shame you are being blackmailed about it though, sounds like finding a new group is the right thing to do.

I have never come across a guiding organisation that charges adult helpers to attend. I am an occasional helper for my mums brownie unit because I have my DBS check and have been a rainbow leader in the past. The usual ethos is that volunteers shouldn't be charged to volunteer. That being said while I was a student I was asked to pay that years census. I had to tell them I couldn't afford it and would have to leave. They were able to get a grant to pay it for us. I would contact your local HQ and say that you are happy to help with guides but that this particular unit has charges that you can't afford and could they find you another until where you could afford to volunteer. This highlights what they're doing in case someone is able to have a word.

Wow...
Your reply to her should be
'I am still able to go but unfortunately I cannot pay £80. (£40x2) If you want me to help I can. However, I am unable to pay for myself.'

The guide leader is out of order BTW.

She said if I come I have to pay, but if I don't come they won't have enough adults and will cancel the camp. It feels like blackmail to me

my answer to that would be "oh well"

bloody ridiculous - I'm a cub leader and would never do that!

find another group OP - they sound awful

"What a shame. Shall I tell DD that there's no camp that weekend then?"

She said if I come I have to pay, but if I don't come they won't have enough adults and will cancel the camp. It feels like blackmail to me

Did she say what the cost will need to be if all of the adult volunteers are exempt from charges?

Like INeedAHolidayNow I am involved in Scouting rather than guiding, but, as part of the Group Exec I would be incredibly cross with any section Leader saying that to a parent who was DBS checked and willing to give up a weekend to support the Group.
Longer Term, the Group needs to fundraise to find a way to build up funds so adults arn't having to pay for themselves, but for this camp they need to shift money about to make sure it isn't cancelled for this. It is a ridiculous way for the Leaders to be approaching it.

I know it isn't always financially viable to have no contribution from Leaders - much as I think this is the ideal - as it pushes the cost to each of the youngsters out of reach to many, however, that is why the Group as a whole needs to look at increasing it's income - be that fundraising, writing to grants, increasing subs or starting to Gift Aid or however that might be done, so there is also a healthy reserve to dip in to so they aren't threatening to cancel things at short notice.

I would say something like, 'According to the other leaders I've spoken to about this, it is customary to include the cost of the volunteers in the overall cost of the trip. Maybe look into doing it that way next time? I'm sorry to disappoint, but I didn't realise you intended all the people volunteering their time to also volunteer their money. I would have told you I didn't have the money straight away, had you asked upfront. It's a great shame that you'll need to cancel the camp as a result, but sadly I cannot magic the cost of my attendance at the camp out of thin air any more than you can. Shall I tell DD the camp is cancelled?'

Then find a new group. They sound a bit CF-ish.

The suggestion that the unit needs to do some fundraising so they have enough spare to cover this sort of cost is spot on.