Kids Camp threatened by YUSU restructure
The future of Kids Camp is under threat following the loss of the position of Student Development and Charities Officer this year.
A meeting was held on Monday to discuss the future of Kids Camp. Now that it is no longer the job of the Student Activities Officer to manage and run the camp there have been difficulties finding somebody to take on the responsibility due to the potential liability involved; as a result, the future of the entire project remains in doubt.
Kids Camp is a Student Action project that runs for a week at Easter and two separate weeks over the summer holidays, and has done for the past forty years.
The camp is entirely run by University of York students, with the Student Development and Charities Officer co-ordinating the whole operation. The future of the project is under threat after YUSU’s decision to scrap the SDC position in favour of another Welfare Sabbatical for this academic year.
Taking the place of the SDC Officer is Rhianna Kinchin, Student Activities Officer, who is now is charge of RAG, Student Action and all societies. When the Sabbatical position was modified, the decision to remove Kids Camp Co-ordinator from the role was decided upon.
Nick Scarlett, Kids Club Co-ordinator stated that “there’s a reason the SDC had the word ‘development’ in it, and not just ‘charities’.” He went on to say that he thought camp was important because it “gives students an unrivalled opportunity to test themselves in an unfamiliar and challenging environment.”
The children who Kids Camp is run for are deemed as ‘in need of a break’ by their social workers, as all of them suffer some form of abuse at home.
The Camp is considered beneficial for the students involved, as well as the children they look after.
The next Kids Camp is scheduled for Easter next year, so talks with YUSU Trustees and Student Action have begun in earnest and will continue until a suitable replacement is found.
Kinchin commented that “we are currently going through a review of the way Kids Camp is run, which is a process that was inevitable this year whether headed up by an SDC or Student Activities Officer.
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Can I point out that prior to the Community Action/ Volunteering Coordinator post being turned into a hack’s post, the Children’s Camp (formerly known as CAP Camp and YSCA Camp) ran for 2 weeks at Easter and 5 weeks during the summer covering an age range of 5 to 16, taking upwards of 200 children a year and provided volunteering opportunities for about 120 students. Time to take this post out of the hands of the politicians and back into the hands of those that actually care (and do the volunteering). Sabbaticalise Student Volunteering, and while you’re at it, sabbaticalise RAG as well.
Dave, did you ever meet the past three Student Development and Charities Officers? If you had, you’d know that NONE of them could ever be described as ‘campus politicians’ – all three basically ran on the basis of their involvement in Kids Camp. Please don’t belittle their passion and commitment to the project.
“Time to take this post out of the hands of the politicians and back into the hands of those that actually care (and do the volunteering). Sabbaticalise Student Volunteering, and while you’re at it, sabbaticalise RAG as well.”
A very self-contradictory thought. ‘Sabbaticalising’ positions, by definition, makes them political – you are making them elected officers. Surely the better way is for YUSU to commit more resources (specifically staff support) to these areas…
‘Surely the better way is for YUSU to commit more resources (specifically staff support) to these areas’ is the point. By returning the Sabbatical posts to RAG and Student Volunteering means one extra full time post.
I apologise if you feel I have belittled these people but the decline in camp is coincident with the amalgamation of these posts AND the consequent increase in posts for hacks as YUSU has redistributed its funding. My previous phrasing was definitely incorrect!