What difference do we make at Woodlarks?

Who benefits from Woodlarks?

Woodlarks helps many people in many ways.

Disabled Campers

  • A chance to try canvas camping with support provided
  • Opportunities for adventure that lead to greater confidence
  • A chance to challenge beliefs about ‘things I’ll never be able to do’
  • The possibility of making life-long friendships with their non-disabled peers

School Groups

  • Uncovering hidden strengths not obvious in the school environment
  • Nurturing positive attitudes about what individual pupils can do
  • The well-documented improved well-being gained by spending time close to nature

Volunteer Helpers

  • The satisfaction of knowing that they’ve helped to make the magic happen
  • Useful work experience and a great entry to record on a CV
  • Qualifying Gold Residential for the DofE Award
  • Reference on request for university or job applications

Parents & Carers

  • A chance for their own holiday, with peace of mind that their relative is in safe hands
  • Sharing in the excitement as their relative relates stories from their week at camp

Winter Wonderland Visitors

  • A bespoke multi-sensory experience designed for children with profound disabilities
  • A chance for children with complex needs to connect with a sense of awe and wonder
  • An outreach option for local SEND schools unable to travel to Woodlarks

Society as a Whole

  • Appreciation of the barriers disabled people face
  • Opportunities to break down some of those barriers
  • Increased understanding and inclusion
  • An understanding that we all have abilities

How many people benefit from Woodlarks?

We welcome many people to Woodlarks, and each receives a warm family greeting. The exact number of people who come varies by year, but this is how things panned out in 2024.

1,054 Visitors

Our visitors either come camping in the summer or to the winter wonderland (‘grotto’) run each Christmas.

Local Schools & Colleges

8 camps

180 disabled campers

199 non-disabled campers

National Organisations

2 camps

53 disabled campers

38 non-disabled campers

National ‘Open Camps’

7 camps

175 disabled campers

242 non-disabled campers

Winter Wonderland

2 weeks

84 disabled visitors

83 non-disabled visitors