It’s now just a couple of weeks to go until we head off to Camp Purple again!

Camps for young New Zealanders with IBD started in 2015 with 45 campers. Since then, the number of campers attending camp has steadily increased year by year - over 75 campers are scheduled to attend the next camp. This will be an all-time high!

Camp 2021 Camp 2021 will be held in a new location: Carey Park in west Auckland. This well-established campsite has a number of attractions that will ensure a range of activities through the week of the camp.

In addition, there will again be a Carnival Day complete with a number of fun things to do and to eat!

Approximately one third of the campers due to attend camp in January 2021 are first time campers. The others have attended one or more camps already. While the new campers will be looking forwards with great anticipation, the returning campers will also be looking forwards to meeting up again with friends from earlier camps. As well as the campers, there will also be more than twenty keen volunteers and a medical team (comprising doctors and nurses).

Clearly 2020 has been an unusual year for us all. We are very pleased to be able to hold a camp - we might be one of the few countries in the world that could consider holding such a camp. We have taken a number of considerations into account in planning for Camp 2021. Furthermore, health and safety issues will remain a focus through the duration of camp as well.

Each of the Camps to date (including 2021) has only been possible through the hard work of the many people involved in arrangements and planning. Furthermore, these camps would not be possible without the input and help from our many supporters and fundraisers.

We look forwards to greeting all the campers to camp in a few short weeks. Even more so, we look forward to seeing 75 happy campers during camp and at the end of the camp! Camp can truly be a life-changing experience for many: we are so pleased to be able to share some of this with you.