OXFORD & DISTRICT MENCAP

COULD YOU DO SOME
VOLUNTARY WORK THIS SUMMER?
MENCAP HOLIDAYS, HILL END, OXFORD, SUMMER 2008

Week I - Adults I Friday 12th - Saturday 19th July
Week II - Adults II Saturday 19th - Saturday 25th July
Week III - Top Camp week Saturday 19th - Saturday 26th July (up to 8 people with additional care needs)
Week IV - Young People Saturday 9th - Saturday 16th July August
(Arrive 6pm Sat or Fri on the first week, depart 10am Sat each week)

Each year in the glorious Oxfordshire countryside, Oxford Mencap organizes 4 weeks of holidays for adults & young people. Around 8–18 campers aged 10+ yrs attend each week with a similar number of volunteers. The holidays have been running for over 30 years and many campers each year based on the great time they have and the care and support they receive.

Each camp is packed with outings and activities. Last year included country dancing, filming for a day, our own band, the seaside, Thorpe Park, and an outdoor maze to name a few. In the evenings there are visits to the local pub (for older guests!) and singing around the campfire. On the last evening of each week there is a disco and barbecue where everyone gets dressed up, requests their favourite tunes and dances the night away.

The holidays are based at Hill End, an outdoor residential centre, near Oxford. The accommodation includes dormitories, kitchen, dining room & indoor recreational areas. The camp is surrounded by areas of open fields, woods, tennis courts & an outdoor swimming pool.

What do I have to do? Each volunteer is usually allocated a camper for the week. However, sometimes volunteers may look after more than one camper and sometimes we have more than one volunteer per camper (e.g. in the case of behavioural problems). This may sound daunting but don’t worry, we provide training, advice and support. Some campers just want a great companion for the week, others need a bit more support. There is a briefing on the needs of all the campers before their arrival including a half day training session and there a nurse and the camp leaders onsite throughout the week to help. There are daily meetings to provide advice and support throughout the week. You do not have to have done anything like this before.

Mencap holidays provide fun, friendship and new experiences for campers and volunteers alike. Although the holidays do require a lot of energy, patience & hard work, they are also immensely rewarding. We are sure as with all good holidays, have a fantastic set of memories to keep you going for the rest of the year!

We look for people with a can-do attitude, prepared to work as part of a team for the week and who are open to new ideas. Some of our volunteers go on to careers in similar work areas such as psychology or nursing, others just do the holidays for a different of experience. Whatever the reason, the time you volunteer is invaluable for the parents and carers that we provide a break for and the campers that enjoy our holidays so much. The holidays also qualify as part of the Duke of Edinburgh Gold residential project.

For more details and application form contact:, Gill Rogers; gill.rogers@hotmail.co.uk. Or visit www.oxfordmencap.org. Join us Sat June 7th 2006 for our Orientation Day at Hill End, Oxford, 12-4pm - you don’t have to do this to join but it helps! We pick up from Oxford train/bus station. Join us – you’ll be glad you did!

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