Frequently Asked Questions

Are campers at Camp Quest required to be atheists?

No. Campers at Camp Quest are encouraged to think for themselves and are not required to hold any particular view. We do emphasize critical and scientific thinking over faith though.

When is camp held?

Although we have no dates confirmed as yet, we hope to hold our first CQUK in late July 2009.

Where is camp held?

This is another facet that is yet to be decided. Obviously we will not be able to be on everyone's doorsteps! We are currently looking into a facility in Lincolnshire, in order to be in a reasonably central location. Climbing Tower

How old are the kids at Camp Quest and how many usually attend?

Children ages 8 to 17 are welcome at Camp Quest. The average ages varies from year to year - usually the majority are between 9 and 14. We are estimating to have around 20 campers and 10 counsellors for the first year - Camp Quest is proud of it's high counsellor to camper ratio, and we hope that the UK branch will continue this tradition.

How much does Camp Quest cost?

The standard fees per child for Camp Quest in the USA are around $400-500 (Ł200-250) for the week. We cannot offer a definite price until the facility has been confirmed. The current US camps offer discounts for the second child attending camp, and we hope to be able to offer these.

What is a campership?

This is a little bit like a scholarship. We never want financial concerns to prevent a child from attending Camp Quest. We are very happy to work with parents to find a rate that is within their reach for their children. Many children in America go to Camp Quest on either full or partial camperships. If the cost of camp is holding you back from registering, please let us know. We are happy to work with you discreetly. Group

What activities does Camp Quest run?

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 counsellor gets up and talks about two or three famous people (either living or dead) that were or are atheist/agnostic/humanist/skeptic/freethinking. At meals where we don't do that, we cover world religions/philosophies. The lessons, while fun and aimed at kids, are academic and have a focus on tolerance and understanding. These are not "this is what is wrong with what these people think" sessions--that said, we do occasionally use examples from religions when talking about errors in critical thinking. Many of these activities depend on the specialisations of the counsellors.

Camp Quest t-shirt

The hallmark of any week at Camp Quest is the invisible unicorn challenge. As you may know, there are two invisible unicorns who live at Camp Quest, but who cannot be seen, heard, felt, smelt and do not leave a trace. All counsellors are staunch believers in these unicorns. Any child who can successfully prove that the invisible unicorns do not exist is rewarded with a prize - a Ł10 Darwin note signed by Richard Dawkins himself! This challenge runs throughout the week.

In addition to this challenge, the children are divided up into groups (usually by sleeping arrangements) and have to work together on a project to be presented on the final night of camp. This could be something like getting the children to make up their own creation story of how we came into being.

Do you do criminal background checks on staff?

Yes! We do criminal background checks on all staff (new and returning) every year.

I want to help, what can I do?

There are two main ways to help out Camp Quest. The first is to donate. Donation money goes to help provide full or partial camperships to children who want to attend Camp Quest but need some financial assistance. It may also go towards supplies for the camp - badminton sets, tie dying kits and so on. Details of how to donate will be available soon.

The second way to help is to volunteer. We are a new camp and there is always room for more volunteers! Please contact us if you would like to help out.

Another option for volunteering is to do little things throughout the year--write a letter to the editor about Camp Quest, pick up kids from airports, helping raise funds, helping with promotion or any number of other "off camp" tasks.

I want to contact someone about including Camp Quest in a media piece or publication that I am working on. Who should I contact?

Please email info@camp-quest.org.uk if you are seeking information for media or publication purposes. We are happy to talk with you, or put you in touch with others who can give you the information you are looking for.