From Diocese of Sourozh

St Seraphim of Sarov Summer Camp

The Diocese of Sourozh has organised summer camps for its children since its earliest days, most recently in mid-Wales and on the North Norfolk coast, and from this year in Gloucestershire. The camp is dedicated to Saint Seraphim of Sarov and is organised and operated by the Parish of St Nicholas, Oxford. The camp is open to Orthodox children of all national backgrounds and any Orthodox jurisdiction. Our campers come from across the UK, with a small proportion traveling from abroad, and represent a wide variety of national backgrounds and Orthodox jurisdictions.

2008 - Moving to Pastures New (and there won't be any cows)

Following the sale of our usual campsite in Burnham Deepdale in 2007, the camp was forced to look for alternative locations.

This was found at Yates Farm, Malswick, near Newent, Gloucestershire, GL18 1HE, a former farm near the Forest of Dean, which is being converted into a Christian youth activity centre. The site is well-equipped for camping, but has the added luxury of on-site lavatories and showers!

The dates of the camp are: Monday 28th July to Friday 8th August 2008.

The cost is £225, excluding travel, which, for those who want this, will be by train from Paddington Station in London to Gloucester and thence by coach.

As before, there are bursaries available for clergy children and other families in need. Please Anna Platt for details.

2008 Camp application forms now available

You can download the camp information and provisional travel schedule.

To book a place for your child/ren, please download the application form.

Please ensure that you fill all the parts of the form, including the travel arrangements form, confidential health record and sign the consent for emergency medical treatment section on page 1.

Photos from last year's camp are now on-line! Find them and the host of others from previous years on the participant-run camp photo gallery web site...

The Camp Experience

The camp is led by a team of clergy, adult organisers and youth leaders, and focuses on the experience of Orthodox life in community. A wide variety of activities is included in the traditional 'camp experience': daily services in the camp chapel, sport, arts-and-crafts, hikes in the countryside, drama sketches, musical events and dances, the annual 'theme day', campfires and sing-a-longs, Orthodox education, trips to nearby villages, visits from diocesan and visiting clergy, tent prizes, storytelling—and a host of other activities.

Camp Photographs

The camp has its own web site, www.kamp.org.uk, which is run by campers and camp leaders, and which includes extensive galleries of photographs from past years.

A Camper's Account

There is no better way to express the experience of St Seraphim's Summer Camp than through a camper's own words. The following account was written by a camper, and was previously published in the Diocesean Cathedral newsletter:

FOR THE FOURTH year running, I went to the diocesan children's camp in north Norfolk. As always I had a fantastic time. There was a wide range of activities, including team games, trips to nearby places (Wells and Walsingham), going to the beach and a treasure hunt.

The children all sleep under canvas. Every tent chooses a name, this year my tent was called 'Muffin'. Over the two weeks there is a competition between the tents to get as many points as possible. Points are awarded for tidying tents, winning competitions and generally being useful. This year our tent made it to third place.

Every day there is morning and evening prayers, and at the weekend Vespers on Saturday followed by the Liturgy on Sunday. We also have lessons every day [...]. We had a Panikhida for the first anniversary of Bishop Anthony's death and a Moleben for the camp feast of St Seraphim in the chapel dedicated to him in Walsingham.

After dinner we have other activities, and my two favourite have to be camp fire and discos. We all sit round the camp fire, snuggled into blankets if you want to, and sing songs, tell ghost stories and jokes. Later on we drink hot chocolate and toast marshmallows.

Every year on camp there is a theme day where each tent has to dress up according to the theme and prepare a short sketch, which is judged. This year the theme was 'underwater'. 'Muffin' came first with a sketch about 'The Turtle who had no Shell'.

To make the camp run smoothly there are six leaders who organise the activities, prepare entertainments, judge how tidy the tents are, and during the camp version of 'Blind Date' had everyone in stitches. [...]

This camp is an excellent opportunity to meet new friends and see old ones. I would recommend it to anyone who is thinking of coming. See you next year!"

If you have any questions or would like to receive the forms by post, you can

• Send an to Anna Platt
• Telephone Anna Platt on (01865) 768 748 for details.