Gaines - FAQ

Parents & FAQs

Are Gaines weekends and camps for Christians only?

No, no, and no again! Gaines is open to young people of all faiths and backgrounds. But we are a Christian charity, and all our leaders are practicing Christians. When you join us on a Gaines weekend or camp you understand that we'll set aside a small part of each day to share with you what we believe, and why we believe it! Regardless of your backgrounds, you'll find these times not only informative, but also fun. Make of them what you will - we promise you'll not come under any pressure from us whatsoever and we're always willing to answer any questions you might have.

close

Will my children be safe?

This is without doubt the most common question asked by parents. And here honesty is called for on all sides. Parents must recognise that no organisation can possibly provide an iron-clad guarantee when it comes to safety, and one should be wary of any that do! Accidents can happen, and sadly on rare occasions they do. But, rational disclaimer aside, Camp XL has policies and procedures in place that we enforce rigorously to ensure your child is as safe as possible when in our care. Safety not only features in all aspects of our event planning, it takes priority over all others!

Risk Assessments
We have run risk assessments on all the activities run here at Gaines. Whilst these assessments do not aim to completely remove all risks, they serve to highlight all those that may potentially exist, be they small or large. Armed with that, we are then able to tailor our programmes and to implement specific measures to reduce them as far as possible.

Child Protection Policy
Camp XL has adopted a formal Child Protection Policy, based on that recommended by CCPAS, The Churches' Child Protection Advisory Service. Please ask us if you would like to see a copy.

Criminal Records Bureau checks
Central to our Child Protection Policy is our insistence that all our prospective leaders submit to an enhanced Criminal Records Bureau (CRB) check. As its name suggests, this will reveal any and all past convictions held by a volunteer, and so is a very useful tool in assessing the suitability of individuals to serve on an XL Holiday. Ultimately, all our volunteers serve at the sole discretion of the Centre's Director. And he, of course, places the interests and safety of children above all else.

For what ages are your programmes?

We can cater for most youth age groups here at Gaines, and regularly do so for those as young as 8 and those up to and including 18.

Camp XL's regular camps and houseparties will be targetted at a narrower age band, of course, and this is made clear case by case on the website or in brochures. Exceptionally, and subject to the express approval of the Holiday leader, we may agree to some flexibility. Do ask us!

close

Can you cater for my special needs?

Hopefully, but you will need to discuss this with us in advance! Whether a member of your youth group have special dietary or physical needs we'll do all in our power to accommodate them if you tell us in enough time.

close

Who runs these events?

Gaines is part of the wider ministry of Camp XL, a registered charity which runs camps and houseparties across the country. Ultimately all of our events fall under the oversight of Camp XL and are staffed by volunteers who are committed Christians and who give up their own holiday time to share their faith and enthusiasm with young people.

close

Can I volunteer to help?

Yes please! We rely exclusively on volunteers to run all aspects of the administration and programmes both here at Gaines, as well as on the many other Camp XL events across the country. Whether you are able to join us for a one-off weekend, help regularly in our office, or maybe spend the holiday season with us helping to man our programmes, we'd love to hear from you. As a first step, visit our help us section, and then get in touch!

close

How much will it cost to bring my group to Gaines?

Because our programmes are tailor-made for each group, it's not possible to publish a blanket tariff here. But, we think you'll be surprised at just how competitive we are. Call us and based on the size of your group and length of your stay we'll be able to give you a very close indication of costs.

close

How do I book?

If you run a youth group and are considering bringing the group here to Gaines, then start by picking up the telephone! We'll be able to discuss the availability of dates, work with you to build a genuinely exciting programme, and give you an idea of what it is likely to cost.

When you are ready to make a booking we'll ask you to complete a short form, and send us a deposit to guarantee your reservation.If you are an individual, and you and your friends would like to join us on one of our Camp XL holidays which are always open to all members of the public, then you'll be able to get full details of these as well as booking forms from our main Camp XL website here.

close