Camp Quest seems to have attracted a large amount of media (our media section) coverage as the first ‘atheist summer camp’ in the UK. Many were quick to judge and wrote inaccurate stories of exactly what we would do and how we were set out to indoctrinate. A donation from the Richard Dawkins Foundation for [...]

Camp Quest attracts both positive and negative attention from numerous groups and organisations. We have received a lot of media interest recently and have put together a quick overview and some answers to frequently asked questions (FAQs). Many thanks to Chloë Clifford-Frith for taking the time to produce the pack. Click here to open (or [...]

A recent series of articles in the Sunday Times (printed 28/6/2009) has caused significant media interest and unfortunately the dissemination of incorrect information. Camp Quest is often labelled as an ‘atheist camp’ as we have a non-religious ethos, but we are open to the children from parents of all belief systems and none. Articles frame [...]

Humanism is the outcome of a long tradition of free thought that has inspired many of the world’s great thinkers and creative artists and gave rise to science itself. The fundamentals of modern Humanism are as follows: Humanism is ethical. It affirms the worth, dignity and autonomy of the individual and the right of every [...]

Camp Quest would like to help correct a number of statements made in a recent article titled “Atheists target UK schools” by Jonathan Wynne-Jones, Religious Affairs Correspondent at the Sunday Telegraph, that misrepresented aims and objectives of Camp Quest. It should be noted that Mr Jonathan Wynne-Jones had not attempted to contact Camp Quest at [...]

Not at all, we welcome all children, including those who come from religious backgrounds. We fully expect that a lot of children simply don’t quite know what they believe just yet (just like many adults!), and we encourage open debate. Our aim is not to get the children to call themselves an “atheist” by the [...]

Not at all. Camp Quest is often labelled anti-christian/muslim/religious for the affirmation that it is “OK not to believe in god(s)”. The camp is based on humanist principles and seeks to promote tolerance through the understanding that there are many ideas in the world. Camp Quest’s aim is to get campers thinking and asking themselves [...]

The centrepiece of the camp’s approach is encouragement of critical thinking and an introduction to logical fallacies by retelling the story of two invisible unicorns that inhabit Camp Quest. Campers are told that two invisible unicorns inhabit the camp, who cannot be seen, heard, touched, smelled, tasted, cannot hurt you, do not eat and leave [...]

Camp Quest is a secular summer camp programme for children aged 8-17, dedicated to improving the human condition through rational inquiry, critical and creative thinking, scientific method, self-respect, ethics, competency, democracy and free speech. The overall purpose is to provide interested children, regardless of their personal beliefs, with a residential summer camp free from religious [...]

As well as the activities mentioned in the “Activities” section, there are some very important parts of the camp quest experience which are provided independently of the camp facility. Many of these we do every day but only take a few minutes at a time. After every other meal we do “famous freethinkers” where a [...]