Parents

Fancy sporting a fancy new FSC hoodie, sweatshirt or T-shirt on camp this year?

We are excited to launch our new range of t-shirts, sweatshirts and hoodies available from the ethical, sustainable clothing brand Teemill. Prices range from £14 for a kids T-shirt to £40 for an adult hoodie. The price includes free delivery for orders over £50 and free returns.

All proceeds will initially go to the Stores Redevelopment Fund, but if we reach our target, any further proceeds will go to our Camper Support Fund.

You can find the shop at https://forest-school-camps.teemill.com/

We’ve kept the designs basic for now so you can get them in plenty of time for this year’s camping season. Over time, however, we hope to add to our range of products and designs, so don’t forget to check back in regularly. And don’t be selfish…. our friends are loving the designs so do share the link with your family and friends too.

The map below shows the sites used by FSC this year. Click on the arrow top left to see a list of the site names. Note that the locations are approximate.

No child should be unable to camp for financial reasons. FSC offers assistance with camp fees for one camp a year for families who cannot afford to pay the full amount. This may include parents who are students, on benefits or a low income and those whose circumstances change.

In order to apply for fees support, please tick the box on your online application.

Kit Support

FSC can also provide help with equipment such as tents, sleeping bags, waterproofs, etc. If you would like kit support please contact your camp organiser.

Children must be registered with FSC before they can apply to camp with us for the first time. You only need to register each child once, after which we will automatically email the programme of camps and an invitation to apply to camp every year unless you ask us not to. If you do not apply to go to camp for two consecutive years we will suspend you from our mailing list until we hear from you again. There is no charge for registration or for FSC junior membership.

Registration is open for eight weeks each year from 1st September until 31st October and we register children when they are Elves. This means that when registration opens on 1st September 2024 for new children wanting to camp from 2025 we will accept dates of births between 1st September 2016 and 28th February 2019

To register a child, log into your FSC account (or create one if you do not already have one) and then click on “Register a child“. We may not be able to accept all requests to register and we will let you know in January whether your registration has been successful.

For further information, see the FAQ section

Last Updated 21st April 2022

Although the Government has removed its rules on social distancing and mask wearing, we recognise that we need, as a caring organisation, we each have a responsibility to protect the well-being of others within the lodge. We are of course delighted that we can allow camping again and recognise the benefits we all gain from it, but we also need to be mindful that Covid-19 is here to stay and continues to spread.

Attending a camp must be a personal choice; all participants must be aware of the risks of attending and must accept that at the moment camps may be slightly different. Please familiarise yourselves with the protocols below, and come back just before camp to check whether there have been any changes.

FSC can also provide help with equipment, such as tents, sleeping bags, waterproofs etc. You can request equipment when you fill in your camper information form sent by your organiser.

Donating Equipment

FSC can also accept donations of the following equipment if it is clean and in good condition – sleeping bags (not down as they need to be washable), waterproofs, rucksacks and fleeces. To donate, please either take the equipment to Haddenham or contact kit.support@fsc.org.uk who may be able to help you getting it there.

Forest School Camps believes that a child, young person or vulnerable adult should never experience abuse of any kind. We have a responsibility to promote the welfare of all children, young people and vulnerable adults and to keep them safe. We are committed to practise in a way that protects them.

We recognise that:

the welfare of the child/young person or vulnerable adult is paramount;
all children, regardless of age, disability, gender, racial heritage, religious belief, sexual orientation or identity, have the right to equal protection from all types of harm or abuse;
working in partnership with children, young people, their parents, carers and other agencies is essential in promoting young people’s welfare.

If you would like to see our Safeguarding Policy, it is available here.

As you may know, the number of tick bites at camp and the incidence nationally of Lyme Disease are both on the increase.

These documents represent FSC’s provisional response to this problem which will be reviewed during the course of this year.

Top Tips at camp is the guidance staff will be using at camp. For more detail the staff will be referring to the FSC policy document and the Lyme Disease: Signs and Symptoms guidance from Public Health England.

Parents and carers should refer to the Lyme disease information sent to parents & carers before camp, the Post camp letter which will be sent to parents if there are tick bites, and the Letter to give to the GP should a child be bitten.

These documents have been worked on by members of FSC Children’s committee, the medical officer, a vet and several camp chiefs. We are aiming to get the right balance between safety, realistic steps and limiting anxiety.

To pay your camp fees please either click on the link in the email which notified you that your child has a place on camp, or log in to the FSC website by clicking here where you will be shown a list of pending invoices for the year.

All card payments are entirely secure, and fully managed by Stripe.

For any queries, please contact online.payments@fsc.org.uk

Parents and supporters who become Associate Members of FSC receive news of FSC’s activities annually and are eligible to attend weekend camps especially for Associate Members and their families.

Associate Camps allow new campers with no FSC background to get a taster of FSC life and to decide whether camping with FSC is for them. For those who camped with FSC as children, former staff members and active members of staff with small children, they provide a continuing link to camp and an opportunity to introduce their families to FSC camping and to be part of a lodge.

Current Associate Members and FSC staff are all welcome at family camps with or without their children. Current Associate membership or active FSC staff status is required in order to apply for the camps. There is no age limit, upper or lower, and the camps are particularly suitable for very young children who may be camping for the first time.

Supervision of children is the responsibility of the adults who bring them, and there is no organised travel, allowing us to keep the fees to a minimum. Adults and children share in the communal cooking (clan), with food and cooking equipment provided by the camp. There are many of the usual FSC activities like rally, singing around the campfire, games, walks, and whatever the site and our ingenuity can produce.

Note: Becoming an Associate Member or attending a family camp does not give your child any priority on the waiting list to attend any of our main camps.

Subscription Costs

The annual subscription is £10.

Registering as a Member

Please register as a member by clicking on this link and filling in the form. If for some reason you’re unable to use the form, you can also download either a PDF or a Word Document which you can complete and then email or post to us as per the instructions on the form.

New registrations are not processed in January.

For more details, contact Associates at associates@fsc.org.uk

Applying for an Associates Camp

Associates camps get booked up quickly, so don’t delay in applying. Please follow the instructions on the email sent to active Associate members, in particular with respect to the date by which applications should be submitted by to be eligible for the main allocation of camps.

Current Associate members will receive a link to the online application form at the start of the year.

You will be able to see the list of associates camps here from early January.

Children on Associates Camps without a Parent or Guardian

If you wish your child to attend an associates camp without a parent or guardian, then you must complete this form.