Quaker Camps
Quaker camps provide an opportunity to spend time with other like-minded people exploring both their faith and their relationship with the world around them.
Norfolk & Waveney Area Meeting Annual Camp
Our family camp is over 40 years old. The current campsite is near Bungay, Suffolk. While not confined to Quakers, Quakers have booking priority until 31st May each year.
Family camp costs from £0 (baby) to £100 (working adult) and is usually in the first week of August.
This includes all food and communal expenses e.g. Marquee, firewood, toilets. Campers bring their own sleeping tents. No caravans or motor homes except by explicit prior arrangement - generally for health reasons. Dogs are not permitted at the camp.
Work teams cook for all campers, with each camper joining a team for one day. Campers also participate in setting up and breaking camp at the beginning and end of the week.
This camp is essentially a family camp where all under 18 year olds are the responsibility of their parent / guardian or designated carer. It is not an event organised for children and young people, and merely provides a campsite with toilets, a marquee and cooking facilities.
All campers agree to attend a daily meeting for worship, to behave safely, and to take part in a work team for one day.
No one is obliged to take part in other activities such as swimming, sports, games, craft, music, writing, yoga and lying in the sun.
There will be no NWAM camp in 2020 due to Covid-19.
National Quaker Camp
There is a nationally run Quaker camp that takes place during August each summer. Each year it is located in a different part of the country.
Extract from the Quaker Camp community guidelines
Quaker Campers are a group of Friends who enjoy camping together for holidays. The camps are organised by experienced Quaker Campers who find a site, take the bookings and see to the day to day running of the camp. A block booking is usually made on a recognised campsite so there are good facilities. Everyone brings all their own camping equipment and each family or single person does their own catering and runs their own unit (tent/caravan/motorhome). Young people under the age of 18 must be accompanied by a parent or other adult in loco parentis who is responsible for them.
We come to Quaker Campers to enjoy the friendship of other campers in a Quaker community. Whilst at camp, we all share in the responsibility for developing our community. Aspects of camp which contribute to our sense of community include: a short daily Meeting for Worship after which we share our plans for the day, planned entertainments and many informal shared activities. Each one of us is free to join in or not as we wish.
Booking usually opens in March with request to return applications by the end of May for event in August.
The 2021 camp is in the Exmoor national park
The 2022 camp will be in North Yorkshire
Norfolk & Waveney Quaker Camp © Tom Foxe
Quakers in discussion © Mike Pinches
