Village Camps

The camp is located amidst rolling green meadows and wooded countryside on the campus of the magnificent Queen Ethelburga’s College, a short drive from York and about 2 hours from Manchester International Airport. The College offers exceptional on-site leisure and sports facilities, superior apartments and an interesting choice of healthy and freshly prepared meals. Campers are accommodated in a secure and easy-to-control complex of comfortable, well-designed apartments for up to 5 students, all with state-of-the-art en-suite facilities and a practical work area.

The impressive sports and leisure facilities used by Village Camps are all grouped close to the accommodation or are set in the extensive grounds that surround the campus buildings. There is a large air-conditioned Sports Hall with space for indoor basketball, football and cricket. Outside are brand new grass pitches that have been levelled and re-drained with a mix of real and synthetic grass. This spacious, professionally-designed grass playing area is modelled on the new surface at Wembley Stadium in London. The new playing area remains in great condition even in adverse weather. Village Camps has the use of practice areas for all sports including rugby, field hockey and cricket. Our highly rated Football Camp now enjoys extensive practice areas, adaptable 5 & 7 a-side pitches as well as full size pitches for competitive games.

The superb 25-metre indoor heated swimming pool and the outdoor hard-surface tennis and basketball courts are used as additional facilities for the Village Camps afternoon leisure programmes. Right outside the accommodation block is the popular ‘Village Green’ where campers can relax, mix and play ball sports. Around the campus are many attractive outdoor areas, including flower gardens, the impressive ‘Horse Fountain’ and the stunning walled ‘Secret Garden’, available for camp meetings and the popular weekly BBQ. The Muggles’ Indoor Games Centre has a great choice of state-of-the-art computer games, traditional board games and a host of spectacular options for campers to enjoy.

The typical Village Camps day is divided into four main activity periods with two sessions in the morning and two sessions in the afternoon. Campers are assigned to groups according to their choice of programme and then by age and/or skill levels. On weekday mornings all campers join the speciality camp that is chosen in advance.

During the first and second afternoon activity periods, campers in the English Language, Creative Arts, Adventure & Activity and Football programmes join together and choose from a wide selection of activities. In all other programmes – Basketball, Performing Arts, Riding, Golf and Leadership, campers remain in their speciality camp during the first of the two afternoon sessions. Then they join the rest of the camp, choosing their activity from the exciting range available for the remaining session of the afternoon (see below).

The Junior Camp days are individually organised just for 7 to 9 year-olds.

All the activities are organised and supervised (at an average ratio of 1:6) by a carefully selected group of dedicated, experienced counsellors who are fun, friendly, caring and there to ensure that every camper has a great time.

Village Camps students are seated together in the modern dining area in their age-groups or activity groups. The fresh food, prepared in the state-of-the-art, hygienic kitchens, is presented self-service style, allowing campers to choose from the daily selection. Healthy appetites are well catered for! Breakfast is usually continental style with a hot English breakfast once or twice a week and a typical American-style hot brunch on Sundays. At each of the daily main meals there is a choice from the fresh salad bar and from three different hot meals, one of which is vegetarian. Fresh fruit and cold drinks are available at every meal. All special diets can be catered for provided that we have written advance notice.

The busy evenings are full of challenging games and spectacular events but with available time for quiet relaxation breaks. Some activities are ‘all-camp’ for everyone but others are organised specifically for each of the three different age-groups. Typical events are likely to include:

 TEAM BIG NIGHT – Fast moving competitive games, sports and fun team competitions
 INTERNATIONAL NIGHT – campers are divided into country groups and work together to prepare and serve traditional dishes to the whole camp. Afterwards each group presents a sketch, act, song or dance, typical of their country as part of a colourful and fun all-camp spectacular show.
 LAST NIGHT PROM PARTY AND AWARD PRESENTATION – with the presentation of camper-awards followed by a farewell disco-style Prom.