
Are you a young person who needs help? Text BREATHE to 85258 for free and confidential support.
The time the young people spend on the slopes with us is further enhanced by life-skills sessions, which have been designed to help them reflect upon the skills they are demonstrating whilst learning to ski or snowboard. In addition to the life-skills learnt, they gain qualifications at each stage of the Programme Journey and we provide mental wellbeing support and work experience and volunteering opportunities.
A snowboarder himself, Dan realised that snowsports could be the mechanism to bring about positive social change for his young people. The shift from inner-city estate to the mountain environment was so extreme, that in itself created a response in young people, widening their horizons and raising their aspirations.
In 2007, our work evolved from residential trips abroad into a UK based training programme taking place at the Snow Centre in Hemel Hempstead. Many years later and we’re now working with youth projects and youth service providers nationally to target those most in need of our support.
Learning to ski or snowboard requires perseverance, commitment, patience, overcoming fear, teamwork and determination - all essential life-skills for inner-city young people.
Provide advice and support to help any young person needing mental health guidance.
Young people can gain up to 9 new qualifications and certificates, improving their CVs noticeably.
More young people not in training or employment to participate in targeted work experience and apprenticeships across the snowsports industry and benefit from expert advice.
Taking more young people out of the city to an environment where they can thrive can challenge territorial bias, attitudes can be changed and cross-area friendships made. We give young people the opportunity to learn a new sport they would not have access to in a completely new environment, while enabling them to build relationships and experience inclusivity.
It has always been our vision to reach as many young people as possible and it is with enormous pride that we can officially introduce Snow-Camp as a national charity, making a huge impact. Over the next year our vision is to expand our mental wellbeing programme Uplift. We are now working with the Uplift team to recruit counsellors, doctors, therapists and mental health youth ambassadors nationally so that each Snow-Camp region will have their own local Uplift team. We also hope to expand our Apprenticeship Programme to offer more young people paid employment at Snow-Camp.