The British Isles United Youth Camp was again held at the Peak Centre in Edale, Derbyshire, England. This year 24 campers came from Ireland, Holland, Germany, Switzerland and the United Kingdom (and not all from the UK were native English speakers). With staff from as far away as Australia, Malawi and Hong Kong, there was a great variety of different languages and cultures.

For several this was their first taste of a United Youth Camp, and reactions were mostly positive, although one or two of the younger campers were not so keen on some of the less familiar or spicier foods.

The highlight of the week was arguably the Segway Safari, where campers and staff tried out the two-wheeled machines around a slalom course, an obstacle course, including steps and a seesaw and finally raced off at top speed (12 miles per hour) across a large field before negotiating a series of small cross-country courses. The day finished with a barbecue and sing-along around a campfire.

Another popular activity was the visit to Ponds Forge swimming pool in Sheffield, which boasts a wave machine and water slides.

In addition to the Segway, many campers experienced at least one activity they had not done before: a more energetic group, including some novice hill-walkers, climbed Kinder Scout, a peak near the Centre; others tried the indoor climbing wall and many succeeded in reaching the top. There was a chance to try archery, and Gbemi, who had never previously held a bow, managed both to score a bullseye and to burst a target balloon.

Other activities included sports and games, sewing a scented cushion, learning circus skills and visiting the spa town of Buxton for its history, but mostly for its shopping!

Almost every day there was a forum, beginning with topics such as the Golden Rule and the Ten Commandments. In breakout sessions small groups covered one of the Commandments and later presented their findings to the whole group. Later in the week the campers or members of staff selected other topics to discuss. Lancy Kachali from Malawi spoke about her upbringing in Africa and how it’s so different from that of the majority of European children. Hannah Ellams spoke about street children and being grateful for the things we have.

On the first Sabbath, the service was linked to Carlow in the Republic of Ireland. On the final Sabbath a choir made up of staff and campers sang “You are Worthy,”and Lancy Kachali sang a Malawian song about repentance.

On the last afternoon, before they began to tidy up for the Sabbath, the campers indulged themselves in a water fight. Shrieks filled the warm air of the valley. It had been a great summer camp, and everyone was sad when the time came to leave.