Frequently asked questions

Below are some of the more frequently asked questions regarding Edmund Rice Camps. If you have a question that is not found on the list below, please feel free to email us at erc@winbourne.cfc.edu.au and we will do our best help out!

1. What are Edmund Rice Camps?
Edmund Rice Camps are activity based holiday camps staffed by young adult volunteer leaders. The camps are designed to give disadvantaged children a "break" from their daily lives, targeting those children who would not normally be able to have a holiday. The camps also provide respite for parents / carers of the children that attend the camps.

2. What different camps are run, and where are they held?
The are three primarily different camp experiences run by Edmund Rice Camps. The "normal" camps are run from Sunday to Saturday for the volunteer leaders and from Monday to Friday for the children. These camps usually have around 20 kids and 15-20 volunteers, and are held at campsites at Mulgoa and Goulburn with dorm style accommodation for both leaders and kids. the age groups for kids on these camps is from 7-11 years and 11-14 years old.

The second type of camps run are called BOAC's (Big Outdoor Adventure Camps). These camps are for kids that are too old for the "normal" camp experience (usually 14 -16 year olds attend BOAC's), and are "real" camping experiences, heading off into the bush to campsites and staying in tents. These camps are held at such places as Kangaroo Valley and the Upper Colo River in NSW, and run for 3 to 4 days.

The third type of camp is a weekend camp. These run from Friday afternoon until Sunday afternoon and are held at the Christian brothers house in Gerringong. The main aim of the weekends camps id to give kids a mini break in the school term.

3. Why is there such a high child to leaders ratio?
We believe that each child is special and each deserves the same amount of attention on camp. A 1:1 ratio or similar helps both children and leaders to develop friendships and assures that each child will receive a similar amount of attention, care and love from our volunteer leaders. The 1:1 ratio we try to maintain is also very important from a supervision point of view. The more volunteer leaders available, the  safer the environment for the children.

4. How camps are funded?
Edmund Rice Camps NSW are supported financially by the Christian Brothers, St Mary's Province through the Edmund Rice Foundation Ltd. We also receive donations from individuals / companies /schools and hold several large fundraising events throughout each year such as our annual ball. All donations over $2 are tax deductible, if you would like to assist please contact the office.

5. Where do the kids come from?
Historically, the kids on Edmund Rice Camps have come from the Mt Druitt / Bidwill area of Western Sydney. Over the past few years however, our outreach has extended into country NSW, running camps for Aboriginal kids from Walgett in North West NSW and Bowraville in Northern NSW annually. 

We receive referrals from many different agencies, such as the Department of Community Services, Banardos, Centrecare, etc. and from the families themselves.

6. What do I have to do to get involved in Edmund Rice Camps?
Becoming involved in Edmund Rice Camps NSW is easy. You can contact Danny or Stephen at the ERC Office via e-mail, or call on (02) 47735530. If you would like to become a volunteer leader on a camp, then simply go to the resources page on this website, download the leader application form and Volunteer Agreement, fill them out and send them to us at: 

Edmund Rice Camps
"Winbourne" 1315 Mulgoa Rd
Mulgoa, NSW, 2745.

 To be involved in any program run by Edmund Rice Camps involving children, you will also need to fill out a "Prohibited Person's Declaration Form" which states that you have not been convicted of a sex offence as relating to the NSW Child Protection Legislation. You will be given this form to sign before you embark on any Edmund Rice Camp activity. Signing this form if you have been convicted of such an offence is illegal.

7. How old do i have to be to get involved in Edmund Rice Camps?
You must have finished year 12 (or be of equivalent age) to be a volunteer leader on an Edmund Rice Camp in NSW, so from around 17-18 years old. The reason behind the restriction of 17 years and over is because taking care of younger children for a week as a volunteer is a very important role and puts a lot of responsibility on the volunteer. We believe this responsibility is too much to ask of people younger than 17 years of age.

There is no restriction on the age above 17 years, we pride ourselves on being open to all people from any age, race, religion etc. We do not discriminate against any person, our volunteer leader base is very diverse and we welcome everyone who has finished high school or is of equivalent age!

8. Can I get involved without doing the camps?
YES!! There are many different ways you can become involved. Firstly, part of our structure includes the Advisory Board, and Action Teams. One of these Action Teams is Aftercare. The general idea of Aftercare is to provide kids from camps with a day or evening activity outside of camp times. We run several Aftercare events throughout each year including - picnic days, and a Halloween Party. If you would like to attend one of these days, check out the "What's on" page on this website to see what Aftercare events are coming up, and then contact us at the ERC office for more details.

Another Action Team is the Enrichment Team. This team runs events / discussions designed to "enrich" our leaders in such aspects as spirituality, social justice etc. Check out the "What's on" page on this website to see what Enrichment events are coming up, and then contact us at the ERC office for more details.

You can also get involved by helping out with fundraising, making a donation, or simply coming along to our annual ball. Again for more information about getting involved email us at  erc@winbourne.cfc.edu.au

9. What training do i need to become a volunteer leader?
.You don't need any formal training to become an ERC NSW volunteer leader. At the beginning of each camp we run a training day for all volunteer leaders attending that particular camp which includes team building, behavior management, legalities etc.

We run several internal and external (first aid, bronze medallion, canoeing certificate etc) training opportunities for our volunteers. Check out the "Training" page on this website for more details, or contact us at the ERC Office.