How Camping Can Allow Us to Help Others

• 26th Jun 2017

Glastonbury gave everyone the warm fuzzies with an empathetic, happy and warm vibe to counteract all the division, tragedy and negativity of recent months. This festival is not quite like camping anywhere else – but camping definitely makes it easier to escape the minutiae and see the big picture of human life.

The Great Get Together in memory of Jo Cox reminded us to come together to show that we have more in common than what divides us. The wonderful response to the tragedy of Grenfell fire from the local and broader public shows just what people are capable of when they come to the aid of others. Camping can be our route to a whole lot more charitable acts towards those around us.

The tide seems to be turning and after a divisive few years, most people seem to be remembering that the most important thing is that we, very simply, be kind and generous to one another. This could be described as a bit of a backlash to years of austerity and politics that left many behind. Regardless of your politics, however, we can all agree that we should take the time to be kind and generous whenever we can – not just after a tragedy but in our everyday lives. There are many ways to enjoy a camping trip while also doing your bit to aid those in need and simply be kind and helpful.

For example, there are a number of charitable schemes that involve camps for children and teens with serious health challenges and their families, inner-city kids who rarely get out into the green and the fresh air, vulnerable adults or others. It is possible to apply to be a volunteer for a great many charities – seek out one that appeals and you could be passing on your love of camping to others who can really benefit from spending time out in the fresh air.

Then of course there are always the Scouts or Guides, or another such group for young people. They too go on camps and need volunteers to roast the marshmallows and keep everyone in line. So perhaps that too could be an avenue for a keen camper to get involved in community minded things.

Perhaps helping through camping could be as simple as inviting your friends, neighbours, colleagues etc.. to join you on a relaxing camping holiday – those with kids will often discover that when they have friends along to play with, they will pretty much take care of themselves. What is more, parents holidaying with other parents can share the load. Is there someone in your family or amongst your acquaintance that needs a mood boost? Perhaps getting away from it all to a blissful meadow, tranquil wood or glorious coastline will help them out.

Let's keep this empathetic and kind spirit going in the face of all the adversity in this world and see what we can do to help this spirit endure and spread through camping and in our other endeavours.