Camp Curiosity
A place of wonder, laughter, family and re-wilding.
My name is Gemma and Camp Curiosity is my passion.
Camp Curiosity is a place where we seek to ignite curiosity and fuel learning. A place of wonder, laughter, family-time and re-wilding.
My Background
A secondary school teacher and head of department of 17+ years, I am an experienced outdoor educator. I spent 8 years managing an outdoor education centre / nature reserve at a power station where everything was 'safety first' and this ethos I carry forwards with me in everything I do. As part of the CSR programme, I created a real community of regular service users that included local primary and secondary schools, interest groups and university students and held regular outdoor events and summer camps, increasing visitor numbers from 1.5k to in excess of 10k annually. Part of my role was to assist local schools with their outdoor area development as well as leading the Health & Wellbeing on-site as a mental health advocate and gaining the MIND safety qualification.
A Bit About Me
I invest in myself, something I have learned to do over the last few years and now will continue to do so as there is always so much more to learn.
I am enhanced DBS certified and a holder of an intensive Outdoor First Aid certificate. I have completed a certificate in therapeutic outdoor practice for outdoor leaders as well as becoming accredited as an approved Learning Through Landscapes practitioner.
Further to this, I am a mental health first aider and in 2022 I was named a Theo Paphitis Small Business Sunday winner.
I am a lover of all things related to nature and an avid tea drinker.
Along with my young daughter Marthy, we would love to help more families enjoy togetherness in nature.
Some important stuff
The idea behind Camp Curiosity didn't just happen to be a good idea one night, it is in fact the culmination of nearly 20 years in education and hundreds of hours spent training.
The list below is the certifications and accreditations that I currently hold, along with the public liability insurance and DBS details for Camp Curiosity.
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Outdoor First Aid - including EFAW (Meets HSE requirements for EFAW/REC Scheme Guidelines) - Certificate Number - 27006-29613
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Public Liability Insurance - SALSALIA/J311733/0332/24
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Enhanced DBS Certificate - 001891433865 (now registered with the DBS update service)
Mental Health First Aid
Having been a Mental Health First Aider in a previous role, I was eager to bring this level of care and consideration into Camp Curiosity and recently completing a refresher course in Feb '23 has reaffirmed just how important it is to look after ourselves... And I can't think of a better environment to do that in than the beautiful outdoors.
Small Business Sunday
I am very proud and incredibly humbled to have been named a winner of the Theo Paphitis Small Business Sunday award in 2022.
REC Outdoor First Aid Trained
Everyone's safety is obviously of paramount importance, so I make sure to keep my first aid training as current as possible.
This Outdoor First Aid qualification is externally regulated and meets the standards to appear upon the national qualifications frameworks of England and Wales, it's recognised throughout the UK and is the course of choice for experienced practitioners who use the outdoors.
Therapeutic Skills for Outdoor Leaders
The Certificate in Therapeutic Skills course really enhanced my practice and provided me with the skills to support children therapeutically in an Outdoor Learning setting. Modules included The Forest School Leader's Therapeutic Toolkit, meeting the needs of children with learning disabilities, supporting children with attachment difficulties and developmental trauma and Child development and developmental therapies in an Outdoor setting.
Learning Through Landscapes
Learning Through Landscapes is the UK’s leading outdoor learning and play charity, working to make outdoor learning and play part of every school day. I am incredibly proud to be a part of this professional network which is a group of some of the most respected and experienced professionals in school grounds and outdoor learning across the UK and internationally. The network enables all members to keep up to date with current practice, creative ideas and opportunities.