Setting up camp...

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About us...

Background
The Manchester Children’s Burns Camp began nearly 20 years ago, when a small number of burn injured children enjoyed a weekend away. Now, we run two annual, week-long Camps for up to 50 children and young people as well as developing a training programme for young people who have attended Camp in the past to learn how to become Camp Leaders in the future.

Activities
We also organise several day activities – such as indoor skiing and tobogganing - so that those who have experienced burn injuries can enjoy physical challenges alongside their peers. We also participate in an International Exchange Programme with a Burns Camp in Colorado, USA, to share ideas and improve what we do.

Free Places
The Camps and training programmes are free for invited children and young people to attend. The costs are funded solely from charitable donations.

Upcoming Events

5th July 2020

Virtual Burns Camp

As we were unable to meet in person this year, we held a ‘virtual’ burns camp using Zoom to meet with young people in their homes. This didn’t stop us from cooking, making videos, going for a family walk, doing some craft and having great fun.
8th December 2019

Christmas Party

Central Manchester Fire Station
Thirty five patients between 6 and 12 years of age attended the Christmas party. Activities included an obstacle course, inflatable whack a mole, a rodeo Christmas pudding, face painting, balloon art, Christmas crafts, lots of party food, a human snow globe and a visit from Father Christmas.
1st October 2019

Family Weekend

Jubilee House, Penrith
We attended both the April and November Family Weekends in 2019. The families enjoyed time together including fun at Walby Farm Park, a music workshop, storyteller Taffy Thomas, walking Llamas, arts & craft sessions and time in the swimming pool.
31st August 2019

Younger Children’s Camp

Low Mill Outdoor Centre, Yorkshire
The activities at camp this year included canoeing, horse-riding, swimming, abseiling, gorge walking, a climbing wall and archery. There was also a visit to the cinema, a campfire evening and a party night.
7th July 2019

Older Children’s Camp

Ghyll Head Outdoor Centre, Cumbria
Twenty seven patients attended our older children’s burns camp at One Education Outdoors Ghyll Head, including 2 exchange campers from Colorado, USA. The children enjoyed activities such as canoeing & kayaking, swimming, abseiling, camping and a poetry workshop with Lionheart.
1st May 2019

Tree Top Trek Day Activity

Heaton Park, Manchester
In May 2019 our activity day was held at the recently opened Tree Top Trek at Heaton Park, a spectacular high ropes course through the woodland, with thrilling zip lines, nets course, tree houses, ball parks and slides. There was also time for a packed lunch and to just chill and chat.
12th December 2018

Christmas Party

Central Manchester Fire Station
Twenty six patients between 6 and 12 years of age attended the Christmas party. There were lots of exciting activities to do including an obstacle course, a rodeo reindeer, face painting, balloon art, Christmas crafts, lots of party food, real reindeer and not forgetting a visit by Father Christmas.
1st October 2018

Family Weekend

Jubilee House, Penrith
The Family Weekend is a collaboration between the children’s burns services in Liverpool, Manchester, Newcastle, Sheffield and Wakefield; the Children’s Burns Trust and the Fire Fighters Charity. Families enjoyed fun at Walby Farm Park, storyteller Taffy Thomas and walking Llamas.
5th August 2018

Older Children’s Camp

Ghyll Head, Windermere, Cumbria
Our older children’s burns camp was held at One Education Outdoors Ghyll Head near Windermere. 23 patients attended and activities included a zip wire, yoga, canoeing & kayaking, ghyll scrambling swimming and camping.
30th July 2018

Younger Children’s Camp

Low Mill Outdoor Centre, Yorkshire
Burns camps are a great way to help rebuild a child’s self-esteem and self-confidence following a burn injury. The children attending the camp at Low Mill this year tried canoeing, horse-riding, 
swimming, abseiling, gorge walking and archery along with a film night and party night.
19th May 2018

Sports Themed Activity Day

Adidas Head Office Stockport
In May 2018 Adidas invited us to a sports themed activity day at their headquarters in Hazel Grove, Stockport. Thirteen patients between the ages of 8 and 16 attended the day along with their families. We tried Yoga, football and tackled an obstacle course and finished the day with a BBQ.
10th December 2017

Christmas Party

Greater Manchester Fire Service held a Christmas Party for children (6 – 12 years). The children had a fantastic day with plenty of activities which included face painting, balloon art, rodeo reindeer, and craft workshop. Father Christmas also paid the children a visit and gave out presents.
31st July 2017

Younger Children’s Camp

Our younger children’s camp ( 5-10 years) will be held at Low Mill Outdoor Centre, Askrigg, Yorkshire. The children take part in activities like, canoeing, swimming, abseiling, gorge walking and archery. Canoeing and horse riding are usually the most popular activities; they adapt really well to all kinds of activities they take part in and thoroughly enjoy the experiences.
23rd July 2017

Older Children’s Camp

Children between 10 and 16 years will take part in our older children’s camp at One Education – Ghyll Head Outdoor Activity Centre in Cumbria in the last week of July. The activities include archery, zip wire (which is always a clear favourite), caving and being out on Lake Windermere either canoeing or sailing.
13th May 2017

Rock Over Climbing

The day adventure was very popular and with the children. Half the day was indoors using the climbing and bouldering wall. After the children had lunch the rest of the day was spent outside at Mucky Knees, exploring the great outdoors, which included making a den and camp fire.
1st October 2016

Art Day

The children did some art work that eventually will be incorporated in the design for some of the rooms on the Burns Ward and the After Care Clinic. After lunch we visited the Whitworth Art Gallery where the children took part in the ‘Big Draw Day’ workshop, where they created magnets out of drawings of the peppered moth. They all thoroughly enjoyed the day!!!
1st May 2016

Crocky Trail

Our May activity day for children between 8 and 12 years of age was held at Crocky Trail near Chester. It was a lovely sunny afternoon with a whole variety of challenges for the children to try – the slides were very popular as was the spinning disc.
PAST EVENTS
FUTURE EVENTS

What we do

Each year, around 750 burn injured children and young people are treated under the care of the Manchester Paediatric Burns Service. Those aged between 4 and 16 are invited to attend the appropriate camps and activities.

The Team
We are a team of specially trained volunteers who come from a variety of different health service professions (such as doctors, nurses, clinical psychologists, play specialists, occupational therapists and physiotherapists), along with fire fighters and adult burn survivors.

The Activities
The camps are carefully designed to help children and young people face the challenges of living with a burn injury. These may include:

Our Volunteers

Ian Melville

Name: Ian Melville

Age: 45

From: Manchester

Ian has been an operational Fire Fighter for 18 years, currently serving as a Watch Manager at Moss Side, Manchester.

Sarah

Name: Pete Fitzpatrick

From: Manchester


I am currently a crew manager at Manchester Central Fire Station and have worked for the fire service for 21 years; I first got involved with Young Adults Burns camp several years ago

Sarah

Name: Katrina Keating

From: Manchester


Katrina is Burns Research Nurse at the Royal Manchester Children's Hospital. She has been a camp leader since 2010 and now leads the younger children's camp.

Sarah

Name: Halima Zubaid

From: Manchester


Halima is a staff Nurse on the Burns Unit at the Children's Hospital. I've done Burns Camp twice and loved every minute of it! I also help on day activities.

Sarah

Name: Tom Gannon

From: Manchester


Thomas is a volunteer who is also a burns survivor; having suffered a 40% burn injury when he was just 6 years old. He is keen to support others who face similar challenges and believes attending burns camp as a child himself helped him to build the confidence to thrive as a burns survivor.

How you can help...

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It costs around £500 for a child to attend one of our residential Camps. All the camp staff give their time voluntarily so we only pay for the facilities, equipment and for qualified instructors to ensure safety at all times.

Personal Donations

We depend on charity donations – whether from a business, fundraising or a personal contribution. Children who attend are not asked to contribute financially; but a lot of the families who know how amazing our camps are have held a fundraising event to say ‘thank you’ and ensure that places at the camp are available for others in the future.

Business Support

If you’re looking for a local charity to support where you can see directly where the money has gone, we are ideal. You know that 100% of your donation directly provides a life-changing experience.

Each year we have a special Visitors Day at the Camps so you can come along and see for yourself how your donation has been used.

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Download a copy of our Annual Reports

2016 • 2017 • 2018

Donations can also be made through Just Giving. Search for Manchester University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, use ‘Edit My Page’ to SPECIFY that your donation is for MANCHESTER CHILDREN’S BURNS CAMP charity number R000278

By Post:
Cheques should be made payable to Manchester Children’s Burns Camp and sent to:

Alison Thomlinson
Burns Camp Co coordinator
Burns Service (Ward 81)
Royal Manchester Children’s Hospital
Oxford Road
Manchester
M13 9WL
Events What we do Who we do it for Big Tree Log & Lantern Log Cabin

Tel: 0161 701 8142
Mobile: 07827 848240

Alison.Thomlinson@mft.nhs.uk


Children's Burns Camp is part of Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust Charity (Registered Charity Number 1049274).

Manchester Children's
Burns Camp
Burns Service
Royal Manchester
Children's Hospital
Oxford Road
Manchester
M13 9WL

Hikers Horses Our volunteers How you can help Birds

Who we do it for...

Recovering From A Burn Injury
Following a traumatic injury, children and young people can face many physical and psychological challenges. The process of recovery can take a long time – arduous, painful dressing changes and repeated trips to the hospital for further surgery are combined with regular massage regimes and wearing specialist tight-fitting garments for up to three years to help minimise scarring. They also have to adapt to their bodies now looking different, learning to reintegrate into social and family life in a society that often discriminates against disfigured people.

How Burns Camps Help
At Camp, they meet and socialise with young people just like themselves, as well as meeting adult burn survivors and members of the Burn Care Team away from clinical procedures.

So whether they are climbing a cliff face, canoeing across a lake, solving a team challenge, going swimming for the first time since their injury or chatting late into the night, these young people gain far more than a fun summer holiday. They gain confidence and new skills to help them in the years ahead; they gain friendship and support with others who totally understand.