Governance

Ian is director of the Campaign for Adventure which promotes achievement through adventure, community and creativity. Ian provides the secretariat to the All Party Parliamentary Group on Adventure and Recreation in Society in UK. Ian is the chairperson for the Trust.

Nicky is a sports writer and broadcaster who contributes to leading outlets in Britain and internationally - including The Guardian, ESPN and the BBC. She attended summer camps throughout her teen years and believes firmly in the positive impact they can have.

Kate is a Director at Mill on the Brue Outdoor Education Centre in Somerset, where she runs year-round programmes, including a six-week Summer Camp which she considers the highlight of the year. Formerly the owner of an English-teaching business in France, Kate saw first-hand the positive impact of the Colonie de Vacances on children. She is passionate about bringing that same opportunity to every child in the UK.

Scott successfully completed our Young Leaders Course in 2020 and since then has worked on 8 summer camps. Scott works as an outdoor educator with a passion for wild camping. We are delighted he has joined the Board of Trustees. Scott will also be joining our Young Leaders course as one of the trainers.

Jacqui was the Member of Parliament for Redditch and the first ever female Home Secretary. Jacqui has a PPE degree from Oxford and a PGCE from Worcester College of Higher Education. Jacqui is Chair of Birmingham Hospital.

Mike was a teacher for 40 years, a City Councillor for 35 years and is currently the Liberal Democrat party’s spokesperson on education, families and young people in the House of Lords. Mike is currently a member of the Youth Unemployment Select Committee.

Malcolm worked with Colony Holidays as a young man, became a very distinguished headteacher in Wiltshire, and has recently been Assistant General Secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders.

Chloe has been active in summer camps as leader and then director, for 25 years, and has been a qualified social worker for 20 years. She is currently a qualified lecturer and teaching Fellow at Birmingham City University where she teaches social work to BSc and MSc students. She is now a summer camps Trustee and the Head of Safeguarding.

Dave is CEO of Christian Residential Network, a membership association which promotes and supports Christian residential ministry across the UK. Dave has over 20 years’ experience in leading and running summer camps, both in a paid and voluntary capacity. He also has experience in the education sector, having previously been an Associate Assistant Head in a secondary school, with responsibility for leading school residentials.

Biog to follow.

Chris has been involved with summer camps since the 1950s and was awarded the MBE in the New Year Honours List 2011 for services to education through summer camps. He had previously been involved in establishing and managing Colony Holidays (est. 1963), a provider of summer camps in the United Kingdom from the 1960s to 1980s, and latterly ATE which continues to provide summer camps across the UK.

Helen trained as a volunteer summer camp leader in 1995, and since then has worked regularly and very successfully as leader and later director of a large number of camps. More recently she became involved in the training of leaders, and has worked on many courses. Outside of summer camps Helen is a trained speech therapist, and a keen exponent of the Forest School movement.

Fran attended summer camps as a child. She enjoyed it so much she came back to work as domestic staff before being old enough to train as a volunteer leader in 2005. She worked regularly for many years before training as an Assistant Director. She now works in theatre-making and design in the North-East, and greatly enjoys continuing her connection with summer camps.