The director of a leading Derby tech company and his staff helped a much-loved children’s charity carry on camping after stepping away from their keyboards and into the countryside for a week.
Lee Jepson, director of Derby-based L.E.A.D. IT Services, took a team of staff to volunteer at the long-running Derby Kids’ Camp, which provides free camping holidays in the beautiful Peak District to hundreds of children who might not otherwise get a break.
The company – which provides IT support to over 200 schools and trusts across the country, along with businesses – also volunteered its services to help set up this year’s camp, supplied an internet connection to support volunteers, provided free PAT testing for all the electrical equipment and helped take it down afterwards.
Derby Kids’ Camp – whose patrons are Peter and Amanda Ellse, founders of Cosy Direct – has been going for more than 50 years and is run for five weeks each year entirely by volunteers.
The charity, which has a King’s Award for Voluntary Service, gives holidays to children who are facing big challenges in their lives, including poverty, bereavement, difficulties with social interaction and being a young carer.
At Derby Kids’ Camp children stay in tents equipped with camp beds, duvets and blankets, and the site has a fully-equipped kitchen with electricity and running water. Teams of around 35 volunteers help out each week.
The volunteer team from L.E.A.D. IT spent a week looking after children who came to enjoy a holiday, helping them enjoy new activities, make friends, play games, sing songs around the campfire, go on trips and listen to a story at bedtime.
Lee said: “We had a brilliant week helping out at Derby Kids’ Camp. Everyone at L.E.A.D. IT is passionate about giving children the best start in life and it’s a sad reality that some young people don’t get the same chances as others, through no fault of their own.
“We were very glad to lend our support for the week and everyone really enjoyed it. It was so rewarding for us to see children really relax and unwind during their week in the country and it’s amazing what big kids we soon became within hours of arriving at the camp!
“Having a holiday is so important for children but it’s something that not every family can manage to provide – for whatever reason. Derby Kids’ Camp is doing such a great job in helping hundreds of children each year to get a week’s break and at L.E.A.D. IT we were happy to be able to help out.”
For more information on how to volunteer at Derby Kids’ Camp, see https://derbykidscamp.co.uk/ This story was written and shared on behalf of L.E.A.D. IT by Lucy Stephens. Can we share your news and get you in the headlines too? Find out how we can help by getting in touch.
