"Wheelchairs Rule Ok' - not just a slogan but a holiday haven that is part of a push to put camps back on the agenda for Sydney’s youth.
Anglican Youthworks is planning to double its holiday ministry by aiming for 1000 campers and 20 camps each year by 2012.
The new Holiday Ministries Coordinator, Mark Boyd, is not one for small dreams.
"We’re looking to grow the ministry, promote it to fill the camps we run now and create more camps," Mr Boyd said.
"To do this we need more leaders, more directors and more prayer."
Youthworks, the youth ministry arm of Sydney Diocese, began running holiday camps in 1956.
In 1980 there were close to 80 camps running a year with almost 1000 children, but over the past 20 years they decreased in popularity.
Last year there was no person appointed to oversee the camps because numbers had fallen so far the position could not be afforded.
Fifty two camp leaders attended the launch of the new ministry on May 5 at St Andrew's, Cathedral.
Ken Leard, a camp leader in 1979, shared his story about how the leaders had the same aim of bringing people to Christ and growing them in Christian maturity.
"Youthworks has realised how important, effective and beneficial holiday camps are," Mr Boyd said.
"Each team has been ‘going it alone’ for a year or two so the launch was a great chance to meet everyone on other camp leadership teams and share encouraging stories and ideas from different camps."
Currently Youthworks's camping and conferencing unit runs ten holiday camps for 450 school-aged children throughout the year.
They include "Wheelchairs Rule Ok' (pictured) in the September school holidays, HSC study camps and an arts and beach camps over the summer break.
Youthworks also runs camps for schools as well as offering its sites to churches and community groups who use them for weekends away and seminars.
Its newest outdoor centre, Waterslea, on the Shoalhaven River, opened last year.
For more information about Youthworks camps or to volunteer call Mark Boyd on (02) 8268 3346 or visit [url=http://www.youthworks.net]http://www.youthworks.net[/url]
