Christchurch Children's Holiday Camps Trust

Christchurch Children's Holiday Camps Trust (CCHCT) is a registered charity (CC21553) that has been providing for children in need since 1976. We ask Principals, DPs, SENCO leaders, Guidance Counsellors and Public Health Nurses to nominate children they consider will benefit from a camp in order to:

help them towards overcoming family trauma

provide them and their family with a much needed break

develop social skills

have an experience apart from a highly dependent sibling

have an experience after serious illness or death of a family member

assist in overcoming a stressful situation

gain coping and resilience skills

have some positive life experiences to move forward with

We achieve our mission by raising funds through an annual fund raising campaign. All possible sources are explored. Funds raised are used to arrange contracts with approved camping organisations which meet our stringent criteria to provide these children with a quality holiday camp experience appropriate to their age group.

CCHCT regularly nominate about 80 young people on CDN Trust Kids Camps (for Year 7/8 students) and 80 young people on Camp Good News (CGN) (for Year 5&6 students) every school holiday. Each camp is a 5 day 4 night camp experience which involves activities such as orienteering, archery, initiatives and team building exercises, mini golf, climbing wall, waterslide, go-karting, aerojumping, wide games and much more. These camps find volunteers to journey with young people over the course of camp. Volunteers are police vetted and have referees who vouch for their good character and positive role modelling skills.

While CCHCT, CDN Trust and CGN are all distinct organisations, we have been working together for over 15 years for the good of the children of Christchurch and plan to keep working together for many years to come.

There has been much anecdotal evidence that children who have been to camp gain immeasurably in self-esteem, resulting in improved behaviour at school and home and thus inevitably leading them to have less problems later in life.

Any donation received will be most appreciated by the children who attend our camps and their families.