Camp BRAVE was a success!

Last weekend, Aruma’s Children’s Services team hosted the first Camp BRAVE to celebrate Child Protection Week. They hope to make this an annual event as it is a great way to show our support for Child Protection Week and engage in the critical message they have to share. 

“This year’s Child Protection Week theme was ‘every conversation matters,’ and what better way to have a conversation than around the campfire or camp-like setting? Our passionate team recognises we are in a special position where we can provide events that are not only fun and inviting but also educational and engaging,” said Children’s Service Manager, Ashleigh Watkins. 

Aruma offers Children’s Services in the Gold Coast, Logan, Ipswich, Townsville, and Cairns. All sites got involved by hosting their own Camp BRAVE activities at the same time and connecting virtually to say hello and play virtual BINGO. Roughly 40 young people and 30 staff participated in Camp BRAVE across the state. 

“It’s a great opportunity for our young people to build connections and positive memories. For many, it was also a chance to experience those classic camp moments they’d never had before. I’m sure many very special core memories were made at our events,” continued Ashleigh. 

All attendees were split into camp groups where they completed traditional camp activities with a little education and a lot of fun sprinkled in. From setting up the campsite and building tents to learning about the responsible way to gather and light a fire for marshmallow roasting and damper cooking, there were smiles galore. 

The sites finished the day with stories and general camp education around the fire. 

When asked what they liked about the day, the attendees said: 

• “I can’t wait for the next Camp so we can sleep in our tents!” 

• “At first I didn’t like the damper, but when I tried it and cooked it, I loved it with butter and syrup!” 

• “Camp BRAVE is cool! I liked using the computer to say hello to other camps.” 

“I’d like to thank our Executive General Manager for Children’s Services, Birgitte Carmody, as well as the rest of the Aruma Children’s Services team for making moments like this possible for our Aruma Kids,” said Ashleigh. 

We want to say a big congrats to the team on such a fantastic event.