L&E

L&E Scholarship: Michael

“When Michael was first adopted I struggled with his behaviour. He was shy, introverted & unwilling to engage. He thrived with Learn & Experience!”

We are delighted to announce that one of our World Camp scholarship recipients, Michael has been accepted on a funded place to Durham School as a Full-time Boarder.

Michael first attended L&E World Camps in 2016. His adopted mother, Laura writes how this has influenced his life…

Can you tell us about Michael before he came to L&E World Camps?

Before L&E Michael was very shy, introverted and usually unwilling to engage in sports or physical activities. It certainly brought him out of his shell with the encouragement of the staff.

Would you have been able to send Michael to L&E without the scholarship?

Without the scholarship I wouldn’t have been able to afford to send Michael to L&E.

What has Michael gained from attending L&E World Camps?

Michael gained confidence and friendship.  I don’t think Michael would be as accepting of learning new skills if he hadn’t attended L&E. He speaks fondly of making new friends from around the world. 

It’s also helped Michael grow into a stronger character of himself after coming through many adversities in his younger life being an adopted child.

What are some of Michael’s (and your) favourite memories of L&E?

His favourite memory was when he learnt canoeing and because of this he joined the rowing team at Durham School and is loving it.   

My favourite memory was opening up the L&E Facebook page every morning to see all the photographs taken the previous day of their activities. I downloaded every photo with Michael in it so he could explain to me, when he got home, what they were doing in the photo’s so I could share his memories.

Has L&E made a difference to Michael’s life?

Without a doubt, if he hadn’t spent the past 5 years attending L&E World Camps we wouldn’t have been able to show how well Michael would settle into life in a boarding school environment. The way Michael has settled into boarding school is a testament of how well he took to staying away from home for 2 weeks at a time with Learn & Experience.

Would you recommend Learn & Experience?

I would recommend Sam and his organisation in a heart beat.

When Michael was first adopted I struggled with his behaviour. Not once did you!! Speaks volumes for how well you give children with difficult backgrounds an amazing experience! 

Spring ’19 Newsletter

• Visit to Amsterdam

• New L&E World Camp & Teen Travel Films

• Congratulations to Julie & Hayley

• Limited Availability for Summer 2019

• New Teen Travel Tour for 2020

It ‘s been a busy couple of months with the L&E Office a hive of activity.  Here are a few of the highlights…

Visit to Amsterdam

In April we were invited by a lovely parent to give a presentation at her children’s school De School van HIP in Laren near Amsterdam.  We had an absolute ball and also took the opportunity to make some plans for our Teen Travel Euro Tour in the summer which will be stopping off in Amsterdam.  Thank you, Yvonne for hosting us and to all those who took the time to hear us speak.

Julie & Sam in Amsterdam

New L&E Films

We’ve had a lot of fun over the past few months interviewing campers, teen travellers, parents and staff to help others understand what L&E World Camps & Teen Travel are all about.  They are the best part of 10 minutes long so get a cup of tea and a couple of biscuits and enjoy…

L&E World Camps – what children, parents and staff say!

What is L&E Teen Travel? (in their own words)

Congratulations to Julie & Hayley

Julie & Hayley

Julie and Hayley are very special members of the L&E team and have been involved with us since 2014. They got married on 20th April in an incredibly emotional ceremony with many members of the L&E staff in attendance. It was a magical day and we are all so delighted for them both. Wishing them many years of happiness together.

In honour of their special day L&E produced a music video to celebrate the small (though not insignificant!) part that L&E plays their lives…

Hayley & Julie’s Summer Story

Limited Availability Summer 2019

Summer is fast approaching and all our programmes are filling up nicely.  We have no places left on our Teen Travel UK Tours and have only a few places on our Block 1 World Camp North.  All other programmes still have places but will no doubt fill up very soon so don’t delay if you are still interested.

World Camps

• North UK: 7th – 20th July (A few place available):
• North UK: 21st July – 3rd August (Limited Availability)
• South UK: 28th July – 10th August (Limited Availability)

Teen Travel

• UK Tour: 30th June – 13th July (No Availability)
• Euro Tour: 21st July – 3rd August (Limited Availability)

Young Global Leaders Course

• North UK: 13th – 20th July (Limited Availability)
• South UK: 3rd -10th August (Limited Availability)

New Teen Travel Tour for 2020

We’re delighted to announce our new Teen Travel programme in British Columbia, Canada. For more details email: info@learnexperience.co.uk

British Columbia Adventure

Congratulations to Julie & Hayley

Julie and Hayley are very special members of the L&E team and have been involved with us since 2014. They got married on 20th April in an incredibly emotional ceremony with many members of the L&E staff in attendance. It was a magical day and we are all so delighted for them both. Wishing them many years of happiness together.

L&E Team Wedding Guests

In honour of their special day L&E produced a music video to celebrate the small (though not insignificant!) part that L&E plays in their lives…

Hayley & Julie’s Summer Story

L&E Newsletter – Dec ’18

• L&E Review

• L&E Road Trip:Copenhagen

• Little/Cool Sam’s L&E Working Journey

• L&E FEATURE: Tennis Academy

November was a busy month that brought, amongst other things the introduction of our new booking system which will hopefully allow L&E to move (belatedly) into the 21st century.  Families will have their own accounts where they can see their payment plans, make personal requests and update data to allow for an easy progression to camp.  Please be in touch with the L&E Office if you have any queries about the new system.

The L&E Roadshow got going with Julie visiting Copenhagen (see below for full story). I will be visiting New York in December and will look forward to tell you all about it in the January Newsletter. I wish you all a great festive season and really hope to see many of you in the New Year! SR

L&E Review

We are a small company that don’t have a massive marketing budget to spread the word of L&E. Therefore, we really rely on our loyal families to help us get the message out to other families.  Word of mouth has always been our main source of new families and we truly appreciate all your testimonials and recommendations.  It would be wonderful to have a permanent record on an independent forum where you can leave your honest and open reviews.  We have review pages on Google and Facebook so would be absolutely delighted if you could spare a few moments.  Many thanks in advance.

L&E in Copenhagen

Our first road trip of the season took us to the beautiful Danish capital, Copenhagen.  It was their first cold snap of the year but clear skies made it a thoroughly enjoyable trip.  

We were delighted to host 2 L&E information evenings at schools in Rungsted which is just north of Copenhagen.  The first school we visited was Rungsted Skole which is the school L&E camper Freja attends.  Along with Freja and her mother we met some new families and spent an evening telling them all about the 2019 L&E programmes.  The next evening we visited was Rungsted Private Realskole where we again met some lovely new families.  There were lots of great questions from the parents and children from ‘what is the food like’ to ‘how do we pick our activities’.  The families said how great it was to have someone explain how all L&E programmes work in person and how this really put their minds at ease about sending their children to a camp in another country.  

We have found these information evenings to be very helpful for families trying to decide upon summer programmes for their children.  They give parents and children the opportunity to hear a presentation from a L&E representative and ask any questions they might have, that includes the children asking questions!  If you would like L&E to come and visit your school, town or city then please get in touch with Julie. 

Little/Cool Sam’s L&E Working Journey

I have to tell you a quick story…Sam B has worked with us for the last 9 years and has been a key component of why our camps are so successful.  He is loved by everyone – staff/parents and most importantly, the kids.  He has always been known as “Little Sam” to differentiate from myself (who is ever so slightly taller!!)  However, in my eyes he will always be “Cool Sam”.  The main being reason back in 2012 we had a magical theme night where, inevitably I found myself hidden under a sheet in the front hall while the children searched high and low for me.  A few children rushed up near me (not knowing I was under the sheet) declaring that they’d received a clue from Sam.  One child exclaimed “Do you mean Boss Sam or Cool Sam!!??”……  My ego was crushed for a few moments but, to be fair I definitely can’t compete on the coolness factor with our beloved Little Sam.  Here’s his story in his own words….

I was very happy to have the chance to write about my experiences working with L&E over the years. I’ve been working with L&E since it began almost 10 years ago now! So I’ve had many great summers at camp and seen the impact the camp has on kids as they return year after year. I came to my first camp when I was only 19 years old and at that stage the camp was still working out what it would become in the years to come. We had some really great kids that first year, although we almost had as many staff as kids that year, which did make the staff vs camp dodgeball quite easy! As has always been the case year on year, the kids that are attracted to this camp are always great fun. An amazing aspect of camp is that each week is a completely new experience. While you may have the same size camp, in the same place, with the same staff, the camp will still feel unique, as what makes a camp is the kids and each week is made up of a new, totally unique set of characters, whose mix of personalities make the camp what it is.

I came to work at  L&E   through my family, both my two sisters and my father worked that first year and many of our friends have worked at the camp over those 10 years. The camp has always had a very intimate, family feel to it and that is something that I think was fostered in those early camps. At that stage there was roughly a 2:1 child to staff ratio and it really did feel like one big family. That ideal has largely remained at  L&E through the years and is what makes this camp so special. Despite that,  L&E  has grown every year I have been there and has added new locations and experiences to the original North Camp, such as the new South Camp and teen travel.  It would be so difficult to pick a favorite memory from my years at  L&E, however I think perhaps the most rewarding part of my time at  L&E has been to see so many children grow up over the years. I’ve seen many kids come for their first camp as little 8 year olds, very shy and unsure of how their week is going to work out, and then return for the next 6 years, making life long friends and growing up into really great people. There would be too many kids to name, but a particular highlight has been to see the likes of Tom and Baptiste, who were once kids on the camp, return as staff and be such great tutors. Apart from making me feel old ? that just highlights that the camp has an impact for kids beyond the week they spend with us over the summer. It has been an eventful first 10 years for  L&E  and I hope that the next 10 years will be the same ?

L&E FEATURE – Tennis Academy 

Adventure, Sport and Creative activities are always offered at our Camps but there are few L&E Extra courses that are a little more specialised.  Here we look in detail at our Tennis Academy…

South Camp only (1 Week max)

Just as Wimbledon, the oldest and most prestigious tennis tournament in the world ends for the year in nearby London, boys and girls will have the opportunity to improve their tennis skills at L&E Tennis Academy at South Camp.  

Along with expert tuition from our tennis coaches and first rate facilities at Forres Sandle Manor School the players have the perfect setting to improve their racquet skills.  As well as perfecting court skills the players will receive seminars on fitness training, nutrition, respect and patience.  

To ensure this is a week the players will never forget we will take them to visit the famous All England Club, Wimbledon for a tour.  They will get up close and personal with the Championship trophies and clothing & equipment donated by many of the top players.  Of course they will get to see Centre Court and the player’s entrance and even get a tase of what it is like behind the scenes in the BBC Studio.  

“Expert tennis coaching with a trip to see Centre court at the world famous Wimbledon”

• 5 day Coaching programme delivered by qualified coaches
• Tennis seminars on fitness training, nutrition & respect.
• Elite Tennis facilities at private school with all equipment provided for the week
• Tour of the All England Club, Wimbledon including Centre Court visit
• Exclusive L&E Tennis training kit 

See previous L&E Newsletter

Teen Travel UK Tour Blog

Saturday -Tuesday

We are eleven  people from all around Europe:

Lukas – 15, from Sweden.

Emily – 16, from Holland.

Paul – 16, from Germany.

Serafina – 15, from Germany.

Beatrice – 16, from Germany.

Maria – 16, from Spain.

Marianne – 15, from France.

Gaia – 16, from Italy.

Sam – 15, from England.

Connie – Travel Mentor, England

Julie – Travel Mentor, Scotland

Apart from Sam we all arrived in Manchester airport at various times on Saturday. From there we drove to L&E North camp to plan our trip and get to know each other better. We decided to depart the next day but before we left we all watched the final match for the World Cup and ate at he barbecue with the rest of the camp. After the barbecue big Sam drove us to our first stop in Grassmere where we stayed for one night in a hostel and we all went to the park in the town and we unanimously agreed that we all slept better there than at the camp.

The next day we had breakfast in the self serve kitchen of the hostel and Sam and Lukas made dough balls in the oven. We then took a bus to Brokehole where we went on a treetop trek which ended in a triple zip wire that was 200 meters long! “It was exciting!” – Gaia. Connie had to have her shoe taped onto her foot because it kept almost falling off.

We then took the same bus with a different bus driver who wasn’t as nice to Windermere where we had lunch which was pleasurable. After that we booked the accommodation for Glasgow the night after, furthermore we found a train connection from Kendal to Glasgow that was also affordable for the next day. We then took the bus to Kendal where it then started to rain on our walk to the hostel we were next staying in. After a break we went to Booths to buy food for tonight and the next morning. Sam and Gaia cooked a delicious meal for dinner – pasta with cheese sauce.  Lukas told some ghost stories (not that scary) and we all sat and chatted until bed time. 

Tuesday – Thursday

After a lovely breakfast in Kendal we took the train to Glasgow. It was a long journey and we had to stop and change the train – at the intermediate station Julie had to pretend to be a dog because of a dare!

Since this morning a fun game had started ,where everyone has to “kill” someone else in a specific place and way, two people were already killed.

We arrived at the hostel around 5 o’clock and we ate at Wetherspoon. The evening was full of talks and bonding and we also started to see Shrek

Deaths of the day:

1. Connie – singing the national anthem on a train, in the morning.
2. Marianne – smelling something in a shop, in the morning.

Wednesday 18th

The next day started slowly. We woke up at around 10 am and after a good breakfast we took the bus to Glasgow centre. After a short trip to the Kelvingrove Art Gallery and the park everybody was allowed to go of in groups of at least and discover Glasgow on their own. Most of us went to a burger and than make a short shopping trip.

Back (in at) the hostel Marianne started making crêpes – Sam as chef in training. We than went to bed “in time” because the next day would start very early.

Deaths of the day:

1)  Paul – reading a book on a playground, at midday

2)  Beatrice – singing the national anthem (german) in the bathroom, at lunchtime

Thursday 19th

To day we had to get up at 6.30 am to get the bus to Loch Ness at 7 am. Because of the early time we didn’t eat breakfast, so we had packed (a lot of) (many) snacks for the bus. The bus trip to loch ness took us about four hours but we had a few stops at beautiful places to make pictures and get a pass from the sitting.

When we arrived at Loch Ness we had two options. We could either go and see the castle and than make a cruise on the Loch or only do the cruise. 

• Spent the day in Glasgow (shopping, eating, a pigeon poop on Lukas…)
• Tastes good
• Take bus (discover scottland)
• loch ness
• Take the bus back (strange songs)

Friday…

In the morning we arrived in Edinburgh. Making our way through the streets in the rain, we found a bus to take us to the hostel, not far from the city centre. Sam was in charge of directions and we followed him (cautiously) down several side streets off the main road. Despite a slightly scary looking front door,

we walked through into a travellers paradise; a ping-pong table, PlayStation, comfy sofas and relaxed, friendly staff awaited. The hostel was made up of converted shipping containers, neatly arranged with every amenity. We felt at home right away. 

No time to relax though; we dropped our bags and went straight into town to explore. We picked up some lunch on-the-go, and made a beeline for the Royal Mile. It was hard to miss the incredible architecture as we wound through the streets; the National Gallery of Scotland and the Castle were particularly impressive. Reaching ‘Camera Obscura’ – a museum of oddities, illusions and mind games – we were were happy to get out of the drizzle. It full of bizarre, interactive activities and we emerged later on, giggling on to the streets. Straight on to a restaurant for food, we then just had time for a quick walk up to Calton Hill for the sunset. It did not take much persuading to get everyone to sleep back at the hostel after such a jam-packed day.

We awoke to a sunny day ~ yes, the sun does shine in Scotland! We all headed to the motorbike and music festival we had booked a few days ago, it was on the same side of the city as us which was good. It was very cool – lots of different styles of motorbikes, we even got to sit on some of them!!  We also had a shot on a theme park ride – Sam has been on so many his facial expression didn’t change at all but all of the girls hair was going round and round and round!  

After we got back to the hostel we collected our bags and headed back into town to try and get some onesies for the bus journey. Unfortunately we couldn’t find any we liked so we bought some blankets and some neck pillows which turned out to be invaluable. We went to a restaurant to get some food and to also make a plan for the next part of our trip. Our big map came in handy – it’s good to have a visual of the UK to see how far away each place is from the other. We all worked very hard to plan the next part of our trip – we were getting very tired which was good as we knew we were about to spend the next 9hours on the overnight bus to London. 

The bus station wasn’t far from the restaurant which was great as we were all quite tired and ready to try and sleep. Although the bus was a little cold we did manage to get some sleep. Next stop – LONDON!!!!!!!

Early Booking Discount 2018

We are very pleased to release our 2018 Summer Programme…

We’ve worked very hard to keep the prices the same as last year.  The only small increases we’ve made have been to the “extras” to reflect our external provider’s increases.

Until 1st November we are able to offer all next year’s programmes at special discounted prices.

• Pay 40% Deposit before 1st November and receive 8% Discount
• Pay Full amount before 1st November and receive 15% Discount

EXAMPLE SAVING
2 Week Summer Camp for 2 children = £453 SAVING

Not sure of dates!? Don’t worry…we can be flexible!

Please click for camp prices

L&E UK Summer Camp NORTH  (8-15)

• Week 1: 8th July – 14th July
• Week 2: 15th July – 21st July
• Week 3: 22nd July – 28th July
• Week 4: 29th July – 4th August

BOOK NOW!

L&E UK Summer Camp SOUTH   (8-15)

• Week 1: 29th July – 4th August
• Week 2: 5th – 11th August

BOOK NOW!

L&E Teen Travel (15-16)

• UK Tour: 14th July – 28th July

BOOK NOW!

BROCHURE 2018

Summer Camp Job – Matron/Nurse

SUMMER JOBS AVAILABLE

We now have just one position to fill:

• Matron/Nurse

This will be a residential post for either 2 weeks or 4 weeks between 9th July and 12th August at Aysgarth School, North Yorkshire or FSM School, Hampshire.  Applicants would ideally have nursing or matron qualification.

The main function of the Matron post is to be an adult presence in the school and to be responsible for the safeguarding, welfare and security of our children by assisting the Summer Camp Director and tutors.

We require people who have great interpersonal skills when engaging with young people, their parents and guardians. Other essential qualities include being a good listener, being reliable and having a good sense of humour. Successful candidates should be able to deal with all situations with tact, diplomacy and common sense.

Board & Lodgings are included plus suitable salary.

For more information please email us with your CV and covering letter to info@learnexperience.co.uk

Happy 2017!

A look back at 2016 and a look ahead to Spring & Summer 2017…

2016 was another wonderful year for L&E but we think Summer 2017 will be even better.

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Highlights included:

• The online viral campaign that brought back Lenny the Landrover
• The opening of our first camp in Madrid
• Over 400 children attending our famous Summer Camps in the UK
• Many school groups enjoying L&E Cultural & Language Trips across Europe.
• Securing our third venue in the UK but first in the South of England for Summer 2017
• Securing our second venue in Spain for Spring 2017
• Several awards for our unrivalled Teen Travel programme
• Director, Sam Ridgway gaining his Ski Instructor qualifications (maybe a clue for the next L&E venture!!)

Words from Madrid…

It really was a special time in Madrid and so Tom (in English) and Mike (in Spanish) wrote some special words that were read to the children on the final evening…

Let’s start at the end,
Strings in lighter sound
Merge with melodic laughter
Rich tones roll on twilight tarmac games.

At L&E we dance together
This night is ours
We dressed up, we dressed down
The sun beating its rays as we play

Barriers broken, alliances made
Our lives at home begin to fade
Time won’t bend at our bidding
For weeks we could’ve stayed.

Making masks and shedding masks
Trying new things
Seizing new experiences like basketballs
Swapping songs loudly off the walls.

Chorizo for breakfast; hats in the pool
Cats lounging about like señoritas in the midday sun
Greeted by birdsong and smiles at every corner
We sweat, we sing, we laugh in unison

Not draped in rules – roll on freedom
Kindness kinda cuts it
Orange shirts come to mean something more

And each others faces
Gather layers of story
Find form in friendship

With heavy hearts
We say farewell, adios and chau
Our minds enriched
Our worlds bigger

We move away
But somehow we move closer
The question is …. What do we do NOW ?!

…………………………

Comencemos por el final
Pincelados de sonido ligero
Se mezclan con melódicas risas
Ricos tonos desembocan en dibujos sobre el asfalto en el crepúsculo

En L&E, bailamos juntos
La noche es nuestra
Nos arreglamos, nos desarreglamos
Los rayos del sol pegan mientras jugamos

Barreras rotas, Alianzas hechas
Nuestras vidas comienzan a desvanecerse
Las noches asaltan nuestros dias
El tiempo no torcerá nuestro propósito

Podríamos habernos quedado durante semanas
Haciendo y deshaciendo máscaras

Probando cosas nuevas
Aprovechando las experiencias como balones de baloncesto
Intercambiando canciones en alto contra las paredes

Chorizo para desayunar,
Sombreros en la piscina
Gatos holgazaneando como “señoritas” bajo el sol de mediodia

Recibidos con el canto de los pájaros
Y sonrisas en cada esquina
Sudamos, cantamos, reímos al unísono

Sin el cinturón de las reglas, vaya la libertad!
Amabilidad, mas o menos lo define
Camisetas naranjas tienen un nuevo significado

La cara de cada uno
Guarda capas de historia
En la amistad encuentra forma

Con corazones tristes
Decimos adios
Nuestras mentes enriquecidas
Nuestro mundo más grande

Nos alejamos
Pero de alguna manera nos acercamos

La pregunta es.. ¿que hacemos ahora?

A New Member of the team!

Introducing the L&E Land Rover….

We are delighted to welcome “Lenny” to the team! He will be involved in many aspects of Learn & Experience from Airport Transfers, Adventure, Activities and Weekend Excursions. Please wave or hoot your horn if you see him around!!

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