LIVE BRAVE MANA ORA

SUMMER CAMPS

Raumati. Summer. That time of year when large groups of awesome kids and their families get to go on camp and have fun. Our Youth Coordinators around the motu report back on their summer of fun and give us the rundown on how it all went.

Auckland

Living Everyday Brave Camp was held at the YMCA Shakespear Camp at Whangaparāoa. Our weekend was on the periphery of ex-Tropical Cyclone Hale's path, but we had 30 wonderful kids and a heap of fun, despite the weather. With rain most of the time, the programmed water activities had to be cancelled due to high swells and winds. But despite this, the kids weren’t fazed and still got beach time and made some impressive sandcastles. Activities included using UHF radios, wall climbing, pioneering bridge building, low ropes, mountain boarding, archery, shelter building, orienteering, and rifle shooting.

As with the Waikato camp, this was for type 1 youth only, so no siblings or parents. The planning and organising that goes into executing this camp type of camp is immense. The support team involved doctors, nurses, dietitians, parent helpers, and youth leaders, all of whom are necessary, and it takes many months of planning to get all those people in place.

As initial numbers were lower than expected, the age range, which is usually from 9–12 years, was extended to 13 years, and then again to children from Whangārei who are usually outside the catchment area, to capture some that may have missed out on events during Covid-19. The camaraderie and friendships that we could see developing were heartwarming. It was especially nice to see the older kids taking some of the younger kids under their wings and helping them build their confidence if they were struggling. Some of the kids were so shy when they arrived, but they departed confident, looking like different people altogether.

This camp could not have been run without the many hands that supported Shantelle during those days.

We would especially like to thank Giltrap Trust and the Louisa and Patrick Emmett Murphy Foundation.

Marsha Mackie for Shantelle Bliss, Youth Coordinator, Auckland

Nelson

Diabetes NZ Nelson Youth was thrilled to welcome whānau to Teapot Valley Christian Camp for our Live Brave Mana Ora summer camp of 2023. Known as Top of the South Family Camp, it had been cancelled last year due to Covid-19, so this year’s gathering was highly anticipated by our families.

Over the final weekend of February, we welcomed more than a hundred members of our extended Nelson Youth whānau to the valley, in Brightwater. Half of our campers were experiencing a Family Camp for the first time, so we worked hard to create an experience no one would forget.

We had 28 youth with type 1 and 23 siblings challenging themselves and each other in aspects of camp life and diabetes care. Throughout the weekend, we ran activities that focused on self-confidence, team building, connection, education, and socialisation. Teapot Valley Camp is an incredible location for trying out new things, with many activities on offer and spacious grounds to explore. Busy days were had where our campers tried out archery, downhill carts, abseiling, ziplining, swimming, waterslide, arts and crafts, giant games, and more.

As the camp was only a fortnight after Cyclone Gabrielle ripped through the East Coast, we ran an education session for our parents and caregivers. Disaster preparedness was top of our minds. Jill Julian, our Diabetes Nurse Specialist from Te Whatu Ora Nelson, ran this session. It was a great reminder for our local families to ensure their emergency plans were up to date.

Diabetes NZ Nelson Youth was lucky to have industry representatives from NZMS, InterMed, and Pharmaco NZ available as helpers throughout the weekend. Along with our teen leaders, these reps helped to run team challenges with our youth, including building a pyramid, finding an ant trail, hanging from the monkey bars and many more. This was an excellent activity for not only mixing with other children but also building bonds and developing self-care of diabetes. It was encouraging to see our older and more experienced rangatahi taking on leadership roles and caring for our younger tamariki.

Although super busy, we still managed to find downtime for social interaction and discussions. The dining hall became an active hub and was always abuzz with chatter between parents and youth alike. Many new friendships were formed and existing relationships strengthened. Our youth and their whānau have been able to develop peer support networks, increase their diabetes knowledge, participate in outdoor pursuits in a safe environment, and positively impact their mental health in knowing they are not alone in life with type 1.

Diabetes NZ Nelson Youth would like to thank Nelson City Council, Nelson Host Lions Club, Tasman District Council, and our families for their help fundraising through raffle sales, sausage sizzles, and Do Blue Days at local schools.

Amanda Deans, Youth Coordinator, Nelson

Bay of Plenty and Lakes

What a wonderful weekend we all had at Totara Springs, Matamata, in the middle of March! While it was raining when we arrived on Friday night, by the end of breakfast the following day, the sun was shining, and everyone was ready to enjoy a weekend of fun activities and connection. We had a big range of kids with type 1 this year, with ages spanning from two years old to 16 years old.

This year, families enjoyed a range of activities, including flying kiwi, crate climbing, riding the giant waterslide and hydro slide, and rock climbing, just to name a few. Goode PR came to film the fun on the Saturday and interview some families. We’re looking forward to seeing the footage.

We would like to thank our major sponsors: New Zealand Community Trust and Legacy Trust. Donations were gratefully received from the Lions Clubs of Papamoa, Katikati, Tauranga City Sunrise, Mount Maunganui, Rotorua East, Welcome Bay, Reporoa, Whakatāne, and Ōhope. Business donations were kindly donated by Commercial Door Services, Balance Tauranga, Pacific Products NZ Ltd, PRISMA

Facilities Management Ltd, and Consana New Zealand. We would also like to acknowledge all the fundraising efforts of our type 1 families from across the Bay of Plenty and Lakes areas and also the donations from anonymous donors. Without the support of these generous funders, we wouldn’t be able to offer the Family Camp at an affordable price for all our families.

Lena Fendley Youth Coordinator, Tauranga

Canterbury

The Living Springs Camp and Conference Centre on Banks Peninsula hosted Canterbury’s first-ever family camp in the last weekend of January. With 19 children with type 1 diabetes and 40 whānau, everyone’s days were filled with awesome activities, including mountain boarding, tree climbing, DIY cart making, conquering the boulder wall, and swimming in the heated pool. Nights were spent playing games, watching movies, socialising, and interacting with others on the same journey, whether that was as a parent of a child with type 1, a sibling, or an awesome kid with diabetes themselves.

All children with type 1 wore CGMs, and the majority of them were on pumps. As always, it was great for all the children to see they weren’t alone and that lots of children wear technology to help themselves with their diabetes journey.

For most, this was their first camp, and the majority have already asked when the next camp will be held. Planning is already under way, and we hope even more families will attend in 2024!

Our camp would not have been able to happen without a grant from Kiwi Gaming.

Aleisha Mitchell, Youth Coordinator, Canterbury

Waikato

It was exciting to be able to go back to Ngamuwahine Lodge in the Kaimai Mamaku Forest Park for our 19th kids’ camp. Our 35 campers with type 1 all came from the Waikato and Bay of Plenty and were aged from 7 to 12 years. As well as having four teen mentors join our group this year, we also had two young adult volunteers, both of whom had progressed from being campers to mentors to young adult volunteers, and they were a great support to campers and staff. The rest of the staffing this year came from the Te Whatu Ora – Waikato and Hauora a Toi Bay of Plenty, NZMS, InterMed, and Karapiro Charters. It is only with this support that we can run our camps the way they do.

Dodging weather bombs, our theme this year was Under the Sea and everyone had a splashin’ great time. With the river nearby, we swam, kayaked, rafted, and also headed into Tauranga to use the local pool. Drier activities included high ropes, a fantastic flying fox, the climbing wall, archery, mountain biking (courtesy of Kaipaki School), and arts and crafts.

A silent dress-up dinner on the last night was enjoyed by everyone, and it was a true challenge to communicate only by writing or drawing.

For our 2023 camp, the Potter Masonic Trust provided the majority of our financial support, after camp fees and donations from individuals. As with every Live Brave Mana Ora camp. MediRay and Pharmaco provided our campers with much loved merchandise, and Vibe kindly provided drinks.

I often get asked, why do you do this camp? It is never hard to find an answer. It is important for children with diabetes to feel like they belong. To see kids your own age getting on with having fun, being active, and being in the majority are only some of the reasons. It is also an opportunity for respite for parents, who can sleep right through the night knowing their child is in a safe environment.

Clinical Psychologist, Waikato Hospital Camp-Coordinator (and 2022 winner of the Diabetes NZ award for services for volunteer work)

Next: Otago Winter Camp

September 2023, Coronet Peak | For youth aged 13-18 years | Details TBC

Three days of skiing, snowboarding, and getting to know other youth with diabetes. Kids and their whānau need to feel supported in their diabetes journey. Connecting up with others at our camps is a great way to meet new friends, create a support network, and share and learn together. Camps are run in conjunction with local District Health Boards, who are responsible for diabetes management during camp, and we are tied by their requirements as to the numbers of campers that they can safely care for. For this reason, camps prioritise young people who live within their local DHB catchment area.