SNOW-CAMP: THE UK’S NATIONAL SNOWSPORTS YOUTH CHARITY

Snow-Camp are a national snowsports youth charity working with vulnerable young people at indoor snow domes across the UK.

The charity was founded by Dan Charlish in 2003, whilst working for a community development project in Stockwell, South London. Recognising the potential of using snowsports and the mountain environment to challenge and support the young people he was working with; he knew that just a few days on the slopes could act as a catalyst for positive personal growth. In 2003, Dan secured funding to take the first 13 young people on a weeklong programme to France. Since that life-changing week in 2003, Dan and a passionate and skilled team have driven the charity forward to support more than 11,000 young people to date.

Over the years, programmes have developed from annual weeklong ski trips to an accredited journey of programmes running at the indoor snow domes in London, the Midlands, the North West and Scotland, taking young people from complete beginners to qualified instructors in just 1 year with pathways to volunteering, apprenticeships and employment.

In 2019, 93% of their young people who completed their programmes moved on to either employment, education or further training. 92% gained 1 or more new qualifications and 87% said that they now feel more confident and able to take on new challenges.

All Snow-Camp programmes are delivered by Snow-Camp staff and young people working with the charity as youth apprentices and volunteers. Last year, HRH Princess Anne awarded Snow-Camp with a Princess Royal Training Award for their apprenticeship and volunteering programmes.

During the Covid-19 pandemic, Snow-Camp have developed a new emergency programme to support vulnerable young people remotely. Each week the team run mental wellbeing workshops, 1-1 counselling sessions, ‘Be Inspired’ sessions with some of the biggest names in UK snowsports and qualification-based classes. Through the workshops and sessions, they aim to build core attributes such as confidence, self-esteem and resilience, encouraging the young people to build stronger support networks whilst improving their aspirations for the future.

GB Snowsport have supported Snow-Camp for several years and each year a number of Snow-Camp young people volunteer at the GB Snowsports Alpine Ski Championships in Tignes, providing them with valuable work experience.

If you would like to support Snow-Camp, here’s how you can get involved:

Find out more about their work here: snow-camp.org.uk

Donate here: snow-camp.org.uk/donate

Join their unique 2-day snowsports challenge, the Courmayeur Classic here: snow-camp.org.uk/courmayeurclassic

Thank you!