News > 2010

20 August 2010

BBC RADIO NAN GÀIDHEAL CELEBRATES 50 YEARS OF CHURCH CAMPS
Monday 30 August, 9am on BBC Radio nan Gàidheal

When fourteen girls gathered in a small Highland town for a holiday with a difference fifty years ago little did they imagine that they were to be the pioneers of a movement which would literally prove to be life-changing for many who would come after them. From those early beginnings the Free Church Camp movement grew into an enterprise which every year offers young people a wide choice of holiday venues, activities and experiences all mixed with an emphasis on the spiritual and staffed by volunteers.

Màiri Macaulay (right rear) with children at the Badenoch Christian Centre, Kincraig
Màiri Macaulay (right rear) with children at the Badenoch Christian Centre, Kincraig

BBC Radio nan Gàidheal marks the 50th anniversary of the Free Church camps with a special programme, produced by Eyeline Media and funded by MG ALBA which will be broadcast on Monday 30 August at 9am exploring the history of the camps and the camp experience in 2010.

Staffed by volunteers camps are run every Easter and Summer and incorporate everything from hill walking to karting, and locations from Oswestry in England to Pitlochry in the Highlands. Each camp is different, with some specialising in the bespoke focusing on football or outdoor activities others in a broader leisure experience. The common thread which links them all is the emphasis on Bible study and teaching and it is not unusual to find amongst those who have attended camp, many who trace their spiritual awakening back to their camp experience.

This documentary offers a taste of camp life 21st century style, visiting this years’ Gaelic camp which took place at Badenoch Christian Centre during the Easter break. Led by Ruairidh Maclean, whose day job is that of the minister of Harris Free Church in Leverburgh, the camp is aimed 10-13 year olds and offers a variety of activities in a Gaelic speaking environment.

This programme celebrates the 50 years of the Camps and tries to discover what, in a largely secular society, is the continuing attraction of these holidays to both young people and the adults who help to organise them.

The programme will inform some, enlighten others, provide a nostalgic moment for those who have taken part in previous Camps and perhaps inspire others to participate in the future.

Presented by Màiri Macaulay, the programme was produced by Eyeline Media for BBC Radio nan Gàidheal and funded by MG ALBA

BBC Radio nan Gàidheal is available on 103.5 gu 105FM and on www.bbcalba.co.uk