Camp Aspire 2025 is coming up and we are delighted to share we have 55 young people attending this year!

What is Camp Aspire?

Each year we take a group of young people away for 5 days to the scout centre in Crawfordsburn. They spend a week side by side, canoeing, playing airsoft, and making memories that will last a lifetime. But Camp Aspire is about more than just adventure. It is a space for honest conversations about Northern Ireland. Its past, its challenges, and its future. Together, these 13 and 14 year olds imagined what a better Northern Ireland could look like. We invite speakers from all aspects of our local communities such as a priest, a minister, politicians representing many different parties across the country and community groups such as Cara-Friend. The young people hear these people speak and talk about Northern Ireland from their perspective. They learn what it means to live in communities with different types of people. They create their own political parties and together think about and plan a brighter future for Northern Ireland, one that puts people and community first.

Why do we run Camp Aspire?

‍For many on the Aspire Programme, they seldom get the opportunity to go on summer holidays and they also miss out on common summer activities like sports camps, summer trips and summer schemes due to the cost of attending as well as equipment and clothing. The NI Executive’s Children and Young People’s Strategy states that “social disadvantage has the greatest single impact on educational attainment”. As our mission is closing the educational attainment gap, we believe events like Camp Aspire, where young people get the opportunity to learn, have fun and explore with new people are vital to educational success.

Finances of Camp

‍Camp Aspire carries significant costs to Aspire so we rely on partners to help us ensure it is a success each year. This year our corporate partner Gateley Legal NI has very generously sponsored part of Camp Aspire 2025. They have generously supported Camp Aspire over the past couple of years and we are incredibly grateful for their support. This year we need additional support to ensure camp is as great a success as it has been over the past few years. The costs of staffing, food, and venue hire have increased significantly since 2024Would you consider giving toward Camp Aspire 2025? Click below to get started. There are a few options available, from sponsoring a young person’s place at Camp to making a custom donation. Any help is greatly appreciated.

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