Camp Blog
Customer Testimonial Nicola
12th August 2015
Solihull-based Nicola two daughters have both stayed at Camp Suisse several times. We decided to pick her brain about which things make the camp stand out and what keeps her children coming back year after year.
Hi Nicola, thanks for talking to us today. So, how many times have your children stayed at Camp Suisse?
My eldest stayed there for four consecutive years. She’s 17 now and was 11 when she first went. The youngest went there for three consecutive years starting when she was 11 in 2012.
Why did you choose Camp Suisse?
My girlfriend actually met Julie’s father on a plane which is where I first heard about it. I looked it up and it appeared to be extremely well run and there were some very nice testimonials online. I liked that there was a phone number for parents to ring so we could stay in touch while they were there. I also liked that there were a broad range of things to do and that it was so international. I didn’t want them to just meet British children.
What advantages does it have compared to other camps?
The professionalism, the fact that it’s truly international and the extent of the activities is brilliant.
Was the decision to go to Camp Suisse made more by you or your children?
Me initially, but I showed the website to my older girl and she seemed quite taken with the camp.
What do your kids like about it?
They love the fact that there’s hardly any down time. There’s always something to do so they’re never bored. My youngest particularly loved the dog-sledding and my eldest loved the lake-swimming. Also there are lots of team things. My youngest is really shy, but my eldest who’d already been, really encouraged her and told her she’d be okay. I think it’s actually really improved her confidence.
They’ve made some great friendships that have really stood the test of time. My eldest is going to Thailand this year with a friend she met at camp. My youngest had one of her friends from the camp over from San Francisco to stay with us last year and this year she’s going over there to visit her.
Have you got any other comments or feedback that you think would be of interest?
I think as a mum, one of the main things you’re concerned about is – are they safe? The team at Camp Suisse were really brilliant at making sure we knew the girls were okay all the time. It’s also extremely good value for money – a damn sight better than some of the camps in the US!
It’s also really good for the confidence of children and helps make them more independent. I would recommend Camp Suisse to anyone and have recommended it to several of my friends.
Nicola, thank you very much!
As Nicola highlighted, Camp Suisse offers a fantastic range of activities that encourages our campers to grow as people, as well giving them the chance to make friends from all over the world. This is why we continue to be one of the top summer camps in Europe for children ages 7 to 17. To find out more, please don’t hesitate to get in touch as we will be happy to answer any questions you have.
Customer Testimonial: Ian
Ian, a father living in London, has had all of his children stay at Camp Suisse in the past. We recently caught up with him to find out what he thinks makes our camp stand out from the competition.
Hi Ian, thanks for speaking to us. How many times have your children stayed at Camp Suisse?
My two eldest boys who are now 15 and 17 have been two times and my youngest has been once – soon to be twice this summer.
When did they stay at the camp?
The older two have been since 2009 – so the boys were between 10 and 15. My youngest went at 8.
Why did you choose Camp Suisse?
The kids had been to summer camp in 2008 at Camp Lincoln Minnesota USA and loved it. But we wanted something closer that was a similar experience and not quite as long!
What advantages does it have compared to other camps?
It is very self-enclosed and very international so the kids get to meet lots of different nationalities and characters. The activities are also well organised and the kids always come back with a real buzz.
What do your kids like about the camp?
The outdoor activities, the group activities and just hanging around with a group the same age as them, but not at school!
Was the decision to go to Camp Suisse made more by you or your children?
Initially probably more us than them, although they were keen because of their US experience. After the first time, the kids have not wanted to go anywhere else and we have not even looked for an alternative.
Are your children going to Camp Suisse this year?
My youngest is going back with friends. My oldest two have other plans – gap year for one of them and the other already has three weeks of school and football trips.
Is there anything else you think would be of interest to potential campers and their parents?
Camp Suisse is very well run and very well organised. The kids have always got activities on – no stopping. The kids really enjoyed the older “mentors” or camp helpers – who always seem to have been brilliant people – people who been at the camp before so know how it works as a camper and then as a helper. That part is really important for the overall success in my view.
Ian, thank you so much for you time.
Here at Camp Suisse we are really proud of the high numbers of campers who return year after year, often bringing their younger siblings and friends along in subsequent years. If you are looking for summer camps in Europe for children ages 7 to 17 please get in touch, we are always happy to answer any questions you might have.
Customer Testimonial: Virginie
17th June 2015
Virginie H. and her family are based in Rotterdam in the Netherlands. Virginie’s children have all stayed at Camp Suisse several times, giving her an excellent perspective on the experience. We asked for her thoughts on exactly what makes the camp so special.
Hi Virginie, thanks for agreeing to talk to us. Which of your children have stayed at Camp Suisse?
All three of them. Each of them has stayed for three or four years. They were 10, 13 and 15 when they first stayed and they are 13, 17 and 19 now!
Why did you choose Camp Suisse?
Because it was a language camp that also offered adventure. The fact you offer outdoor adventure is really great for kids.
What advantages does it have compared to other camps?
The location is spectacular and the place has a high profile. The way Julie communicates gave me a high level of trust and confidence in the camp and its leadership.
What do your kids like about it?
They love the banana boating, the lake and the dog sledding. The food is really good too and they love the adventure. My oldest is more cosmopolitan and he likes the fact that he now has friends all over the world, in Egypt, Morocco, Korea, Japan, Saudi Arabia – and he can stay in touch with them all online.
Have you got any other comments or feedback that you think would be of interest?
I just think it’s so great. They have a really great attitude of ‘let your child come here, let them grow and you don’t need to be in constant mobile phone contact with them. Let’s see where they go on their own.’ They’re fostering independence which I just think is so important. I would happily act as a reference for the camp to other parents.
At Camp Suisse, we offer our campers the chance to grow and become more independent, well rounded people. That’s why we are one of the top summer camps in Europe for teens and younger children. If you think your children would benefit from the Camp Suisse experience, please don’t hesitate to get in touch!
STAFF FOCUS - JACK SIMMONS
30th May 2015
Age: 23
Nationality: British (Scottish)
Languages: English and will attempt any other language children bring to camp!
Role: Activity Leader & Group Leader
Qualifications: Bachelors of Education in Physical Education, tennis coaching level one, football coaching level one.
Summer 2015 will be Jack’s second as a staff member at Camp Suisse. After joining camp as Group Leader last year, Jack quickly became a very popular and integral part of the staff team. A keen football player and all round great guy (yes the two do go together!) Jack’s leadership skills, his zest for life and enthusiasm for educating young people is infectious and inspirational. I think everyone will agree that we can’t wait to see Super Jack again this summer!
1. What attracted you to want to work for Camp Suisse?
My thought process was something like…‘so I’ll be spending my summer in the glorious sunshine in the Swiss Alps, teaching and making friends with children (and adults) from all over the world, learning new skills and activities and generally winning at life…. I’M IN!’ But in all seriousness, from the very first Skype interview I was enthusiastic about the camp and impressed by Rich and Julie – the camp directors – and Ian of course!
2. What are you looking forward to this summer?
A lot. Myself and Kirstie (fellow Group Leader/my better half) have been constantly thinking about how we are going to make this year even better – for ourselves but more so for the children. I think being both an Activity Leader and a Group Leader will help me build even stronger relationships with the campers. I’m also looking forward to a great summer weather-wise – of course it’s going to be sunny every day!
3. What do you do when not at Camp Suisse?
I have just completed my university degree in secondary school Physical Education and will find out very soon where I will be placed for my induction year of teaching – it’s a very exciting time in my life. I love playing and watching lots of different sports, my faith is very important to me and I have an incredible girlfriend, without whom I would not be the happy, inspirational and unapologetically cocky guy I am today…haha!
4. And the future…?
Move to France, get a PE job in an international school, settle down, get married, have thirteen children, introduce the ‘sport decathlon’ to the Olympics (where each team competes in ten different team sports), make a Simmons family team, win a gold medal (for Great Britain or France or both), move to Torgon to retire and ski well into my 90s…
5. Favourite singer/artist?
I have to say I have a real soft spot for Billy Joel. I’m not the biggest fan of his lifestyle but a combination of incredible vocals and an unbelievable ability on the piano have been known to make my hairs stand on end. And the Proclaimers obviously! That’s not just because I’m Scottish – I saw them in Glasgow and it’s one of the best concerts I’ve been to!
6. If you could have dinner with any two people in history who would it be?
Being a religious man, I would have to say the main man, Jesus Christ. I suppose a supper would be more appropriate than a dinner in this case…As for the second person, I feel that their presence would be somewhat overshadowed by that of Jesus Christ, but I really appreciate religious debate so perhaps an opposing big hitter such as Dawkins or Hawking would make for an interesting evening!
Whoever I choose, we’d be having the Camp Suisse chicken pie followed by Camp Suisse waffles. No questions asked!!
The Chloe Mansfield Fund
Campers and staff at International Camp Suisse are fundraising this year in support of The Chloe Mansfield Fund who are building a state of the art playroom in the new respiratory ward at Great Ormond Street Hospital.
About The Chloe Mansfield Fund
In November 2012 Thuy and William Mansfield lost their second child, Chloe, at Great Ormond Street Hospital. Chloe had been born healthy but suffered a major respiratory collapse at the age of only 11 weeks. She spent the rest of her life at GOSH, dividing her time between intensive care and the respiratory ward. Unfortunately Chloe lost her incredible fight for life six months later, she was 9 months old to the day.
Chloe had an extremely rare lung condition which had never been witnessed before at GOSH. Indeed research continues today to better understand what it is that Chloe had suffered. Recently, joint efforts in medical research between the UK and the US have identified only 3 other cases world-wide of children in the last five years of whom it is believed suffered the same condition as Chloe – all these children, as with Chloe, were girls who eventually lost their life under the age of 1. And so the research continues.
There are other children at GOSH who, like Chloe, are very sick. The staff at GOSH perform miracles, they really do. But they need our help and through raising money in memory of Chloe, you can help to keep her spirit alive as well as help to save another child’s life.
To find out more about Great Ormond Street Hospital take a look at this short video, it actually features Chloe (on the ventilator): https://www.facebook.com/GreatOrmondSt/posts/506507789386042
Testimonial – Cat C.
22nd April 2015
Ed from Marketing by Web recently spoke to Cat, a mother living with her family in New York, whose children have stayed at Camp Suisse several times over the years. We wanted to get Cat and her children’s views about the camp to help give parents and children an idea of what to expect if they’re heading to Camp Suisse for the first time, or thinking of making a booking.
Hi Cat, thank you for speaking to us today. Which of your children have stayed at Camp Suisse?
The eldest two, who are 16 and 13, have stayed there for the last three years. The youngest is going for the first time this year and is 10 this year.
Why did you choose Camp Suisse?
I was doing research online and looked at five or six different camps. I sent out a list of questions to each camp and Camp Suisse were one of the first to respond, and were the only one to answer all of the questions, giving detailed responses to each one. I also liked the fact that it was something new and exciting for my children and the variety of the languages spoken there.
What advantages does it have compared to other camps?
The variety of the activities. There is lots of physical activity and the fact that there is no internet or phones allowed during the day is good. At other camps the children are allowed their phones and are on them all day, but I think it’s good for them to be encouraged to do more physical activity.
I do like that they are allowed their phones for half an hour in the early evening though, usually around 6-7pm. It means we can stay in contact and make sure they’re okay as I do tend to worry if I don’t hear from them at all.
They are also very quick to respond to questions and any issues get resolved straight away. Two of my children are gluten intolerant and normally I have to send them off with their own bread and things, but Camp Suisse work really hard to accommodate food allergies, so this wasn’t a problem for once. They are very good at taking care of diversity and any special requirements children have.
What do your kids like about it?
Everything. Especially the range of activities. Their first question when they got back from their first camp was “Can you book us in for next year?” so I think that tells you a lot.
It’s really great that they get to meet so many kids from different countries. They all stay in touch online and ask each other if they are going back every year. They can ask to stay in the same room with their friends which the camp are very good at accommodating.
Have you got any other comments or feedback?
Camp Suisse is one of the best camps ever and they are so good at responding to questions and requests. I always recommend them to my clients.
Cat, thank you very much!
At Camp Suisse, we pride ourselves on being one of the most accommodating summer camps in Europe for teens and younger children. If you have a child heading here this year, or are thinking about making a booking, please get in touch and we will be happy to answer your questions.
Customer Testimonial - Justine LK
10th April 2015
Justine is British with a Danish husband and her four children, although British, have also lived abroad as well as travelling extensively. That makes them a truly international family and gives Justine an ideal point of view from which to judge Camp Suisse’s appeal to families from all around the world.
Hi Justine, thanks so much for talking to us today. Tell me, which of your children have stayed at Camp Suisse?
All four of my children have, at some stage, stayed at Camp Suisse. The first time they all went, in 2009, they were 13, 11, 9 and 6. The following time I believe was in 2011 and my second oldest and youngest attended, then in 2013, the two youngest went. Every year the kids ask to go but often school trips get in the way so make it impossible!
Why did you choose Camp Suisse?
Primarily we were attracted to the language lessons as our children had lived in Monaco for 2 years and attended a French school. It was important to us that the kids kept their language skills going. In addition, as our kids are all very sporty the range of different activities offered appealed to all of us. And finally, the high number of international students attending was of great appeal. Our family is very international and we like our children to mix with kids from all countries. We have always wanted our children to feel that being in an international environment is the norm and to be accepting of other cultures and traditions.
What advantages does it have compared to other camps?
Location was always a great advantage for us and the initial attraction. Once we saw how happy the children were and how friendly the staff were there seemed little point in looking to go elsewhere. As we saw how much the children enjoyed the camp, the reasons we sent them to Camp Suisse became less about just the language tuition and more about the friendliness, location and activities.
What do your kids like about it?
I think they like the camaraderie and activities. They always come back raving about this mentor or that mentor, this child from that country and what fun they had. Fun levels seem to be very high and there is obviously lots of laughter! They also love the outings.
Was the decision to go to Camp Suisse made more by you or your children?
Initially, it was a decision made by us, but all the activities and trips offered by Camp Suisse made it pretty easy for us to ‘sell’ the idea to the kids. After they attended the first year it was almost a given that they would go if they could.
Are your kids going back to Camp Suisse this year?
We’re just now in the process of looking at the summer diary with the kids. Our eldest is now 18 and is just about to contact Julie and Richard about him returning this year as a mentor as he has experience with children and is now a qualified tennis coach, football coach and speaks fluent French, Spanish and English. He has very fond memories of Camp Suisse and has always wanted to return in a mentor capacity. Our second oldest is already booked to do work experience but the two youngest are both keen to return, although it depends how it works out logistically.
Have you got any other comments or feedback that you think would be of interest?
I think Camp Suisse do a great job, hence why my children keep returning in one shape or another!
Camp Suisse is one of the top international summer camps in Europe for teens and younger children. If you would like your kids to get to know children from a range of different cultures in a safe, entertaining and educational environment, please don’t hesitate to get in touch!
The Camp Mentor Programme
10th March 2015
Calling all past campers aged 16-18 – we still have spaces for this summer’s Camp Mentor Programme!
This is a development programme aimed at ex-campers aged 16-18 who, after experiencing life as a camper, would like to take on more responsibility at Camp Suisse.
The Camp Mentor Programme starts at pre-season staff training week (28th June 2015). During this week mentors will undertake a large majority of the staff training, including orientation and induction courses, basic first aid, activity and leadership training, the Camp Suisse ‘Child Protection’ qualification and more.
Once our young campers have arrived for the session, our mentors will leap into action alongside the rest of the team. Duties include assisting Group Leaders and Language Teachers with their daily routines, supporting staff with activities, helping with campers, and learning about the inner workings of day-to-day life at Camp Suisse.
Camp mentors can look forward to gaining first-hand experience leading and assisting younger campers in activity sessions as well as invaluable work experience in a professional educational environment. As with all our campers and staff alike, we are committed to developing leadership skills as well as teaching new hard and soft skills.
Mentors have the opportunity, where appropriate, to assist with language classes and to work with our younger campers contributing positively to their pastoral care, welfare and to their enjoyment at camp, and sharing their own experiences from their time as a camper.
If you’re an interested past camper aged 16+ you can apply for our mentor scheme. For more information please contact us via info@campsuisse.com.
Staff Focus – Activity Leader Rosie
Name: Rosie
Age: 26
Nationality: British
Languages: English & French
Role: Activity Leader
Qualifications: BASI Level 3 (ISIA) Ski, BASI Level 1 Snowboard, SPA (climbing), CTC Trail Cycle Leader (mountain biking), Level 3 Mountain Safety, Summer Mountain Leader (trained).
Summer 2015 will be Rosie’s sixth summer as a staff member at Camp Suisse. After joining as Group Leader back in summer 2010 Rosie has developed into a key member of the Camp Suisse team; a strong leader amongst her peers and much loved by all the campers. Whether its running rock climbing sessions, leading groups on the glacier or dancing the night away at the Camp Suisse disco, Rosie’s tireless energy is very much appreciated by everyone at Camp Suisse.
Why did you start to work for Camp Suisse?
After spending much of my life in the Lake District in the UK and the French Alps, I was looking for something to do in the summer that incorporated my two passions; working in the outdoors and working with kids and teens. It seemed like the perfect fit.
What brings you back each summer?
No two summers are ever the same. Camp Suisse, the programme and the people are constantly developing and evolving and I like the fact I am part of something that just keeps getting better and better. Each summer I further develop my skills, gain more experience, meet new people and get to work with kids and teens in a truly inspiring environment.
What are you looking forward to this summer?
Well, apart from seeing the familiar faces back at camp again obviously, the new look Juniors’ and Seniors’ programmes are very exciting. I think giving the Seniors more freedom to enjoy the activities they want to pursue can only be a positive thing. I am also looking forward to further developing some of the activities, including the girls’ climbing night, as well as my people management skills with the Activities Team. Hopefully I will also be ticking off my Summer Mountain Leader assessment too before the summer has ended.
What do you do to fill the winter months?
Believe it or not I am in my eighth season as a ski and snowboard instructor at the Ecole Suisse de Ski right here in Torgon. I love this part of the world. I find both the summer and winter roles really complement each other. Over the years I have gained a really good understanding of the area, the environment and the conditions, the activities on offer and of course the people. This all comes in really handy.
And the future…?
Who knows? I do know that it involves working with people in the outdoors. In this day and age of endless technology I love sharing my passion with young people and getting them involved in a healthy, active lifestyle; whether it be skiing, climbing, mountain biking or just a walk in the hills. There is something for everyone in this part of the world regardless of skill level or experience. I still have some qualifications I want to obtain to further develop my skill set and my ability to work with groups in the mountains. This week I have the pleasure of teaching a disabled group to ski and I absolutely love it!
Separate Junior and Senior Programmes at Camp Suisse
This summer (2015) will see the introduction of separate Juniors’ (ages 7-11), and Seniors’ (ages 12-17) programmes during the same camp session at Camp Suisse. Separate programmes will enable us to continue our commitment to the watchful and dedicated close supervision of the younger campers, while allowing the older campers to have greater personal responsibility in their day-to-day camp life.
The Juniors’ programme will still have small group sizes of 5-8 campers and be a closely supervised journey through the Camp Suisse experience. We will continue to strive to meet the individual needs of our young campers; ensuring they have the trip of a lifetime with us in the safest possible environment.
The Seniors’ programme will still also be divided up into age specific groups for their day to day activities as early adolescents (ages 12 – 14) and our oldest campers (ages 15-17). With more distant supervision, the Seniors’ programme will allow older campers to explore their talents and grow as young adults amongst friends.
The early adolescent programme (ages 12 -14) has been created to find the right balance between allowing campers who are more proficient in certain activities to flourish whilst allowing the less proficient to still be nurtured and educated.
The Seniors’ programme for our oldest campers (ages 15 – 17) is all about taking on more responsibility in their day-to-day camp life, acting as leaders and role models to our younger campers while challenging them in a safe, structured environment.
You can read more about the separate programmes here.
