Register as a leader

Thank you for your interest in volunteering with Lee Abbey Youth Camp!

Please allow 1 hour to complete this form.

What we're about

It's important for you to understand fully what you're signing up to, so please read this information carefully and only proceed if you agree.

Lee Abbey Camp has been running since 1948. It was originally set up as a camp to get inner city kids who had never seen fields or the sea to experience a week in Devon.

Vision statement

Camp has its own vision statement and values, which also reflect those of the wider Lee Abbey Movement.

Our vision is to gather and inspire young people to discover their true identity in Christ, enabling them to live out the generous love of God in their community and the world.

Our values

Loving

We want to reflect Jesus in the way that we love the campers and each other.

Simplicity

Camp life is simple: sleeping in tents, cooking on fires, no internet or phone signal and we like it that way. We want to create space, free from life's normal distractions and complexities so that campers can experience God in His beautiful creation.

Honest

We want a community that is honest, authentic and real.

Fun

We want camp to be ridiculously fun. Laughter is obligatory.

Encountering God

We want every camper (and leader) to encounter God at camp. It might be for the very first time, or the hundredth, but we pray that these encounters would transform the campers' lives and bring them closer to Jesus.

Joining community and promises

The camp is run at Lee Abbey Devon. We are only there for a short time in the summer, but many other people live there all year round in Christian community. We join the Community for the duration of our stay, by making the 'Green Badge Promises' which all Community members say upon arrival.

They are:

Do you affirm before the Community your personal faith in Christ and your desire through prayer, study and service to seek a deep and mature faith?
Do you understand by this that your mind, your time, your talents, your possessions and all your relationships are to be increasingly surrendered to Christ as Lord?
Do you promise to be loyal to the Community in its aims, its work, its standards of behaviour, and its disciplines?

Our faith and our struggles

We know that we will all be struggling with different sins and issues and so recognise we come as imperfect leaders, but hold onto our perfect Saviour as our Lord, and as our example who we strive to follow. We would want leaders to be regularly turning away from sin and coming to meet with our God of grace in His Word and by prayer.

This means that we agree to live as Christians who sit under the Word of God and obey His commands.

The Lee Abbey Movement believes in Jesus Christ as the only way of salvation through grace and by faith. It upholds the orthodox Christian position on many issues including sexuality and marriage. We know that within the church there are different views on some issues, and at camp we want to expose the teenagers that come to God’s Word and teach them to read and understand it and to allow God to convict them. This means that whilst Lee Abbey holds the orthodox position we want campers to be given space to come to their own conclusions through personal study and corporate teaching.

Do you agree and wish to proceed?*

Yes, I have read and agree to the vision, values and statement of faith

Terms, conditions and expectations

Being a leader is more than just a summer pastime; it is a real opportunity to serve God and get alongside young people. If you're successful in your application, before Camp starts we will expect you to:

Attend a preparation day which will be held in the summer, before Camp.
Be happy for Lee Abbey Fellowship to initiate an Enhanced Disclosure from the DBS (Disclosure and Barring Service), through our partner the Diocese of Exeter, passing your details to CCPAS (Churches’ Child Protection Advisory Service). In order to process your DBS application, CCPAS will attempt to verify your identity using national and local police computer systems, and where relevant, checking also against the Barred Lists. Your details will be checked against any particulars on any database (public or otherwise) to which they have access. A record of the search will be retained, but won't be visible to other parties and won't affect your credit record;
Carry out a Level One Safeguarding online course;
Be able to and want to engage with young people; we strongly encourage leaders to get involved with the youth in their home churches. We want camp to be a place where leaders can find love and support but our priority is to serve the campers.

At Camp itself, you will be expected to:

Be part of a team involved in running one area of camp life. First-time leaders normally spend at least one week on site or cooks team. Other teams include arts and crafts, sports and activities, teaching team etc. We take into consideration your preferences, gifts and also team availability;
Be a tent leader with 1 or 2 other leaders, responsible for a group of approximately 8 campers. You will sleep in a tent with your fellow leaders and co-lead a group time together (tent prayers) with your campers each morning;
Attend a whole team meeting at 8.00 am every morning for a devotion, prayer and to go over the day;
Play your part in your team's daily jobs, general practical jobs like bins, toilet cleaning, washing up, etc;
Take daily rest times to nap, go for a walk or do other things unrelated to your team, and if you're on team for 2 weeks, go off site for your designated afternoon or morning off to rest;
Spend 'around time' joining in activities or hanging out with campers;
Seek to maintain the unity of and promote good relationships within your team.

Practicalities

Leaders should arrive on the day before their week starts, or by 10.30 am on the first morning if this is not possible. Leaders are expected to stay for the duration of the week and can leave after the campers have left on the last day. The final afternoon and evening of the first week will be free for the leaders to enjoy as they please - the beach, the pub, games! Time to relax before the second week begins. The final day of the second week of Camp is set down, where we take all the tents down and transform camp back into a sheep's field. Leaders should stay and help until the afternoon on this day.

Each team will have a team leader who will manage and pastorally support you. The team leaders each have a delegated 'senior leader link' to manage and support them.

Lee Abbey Youth Camp does ask team members to contribute towards the cost of events where appropriate. Please contact us for details.

Your information and privacy

We take your privacy seriously. We only obtain information from you that is relevant and necessary to complete your volunteer application, and this information will be held electronically for access by members of the Lee Abbey Devon administration team and the Lee Abbey Youth Camp Leaders. It will be treated in accordance with the Lee Abbey privacy policy.

When completing this form, you agree to provide complete and correct information, and to notify the Lee Abbey Youth Camp Team of any changes.

You agree that the information you provide may be processed in connection with recruitment/deployment purposes, and that action could be taken to dismiss you and to report concerns to the statutory agencies if any undisclosed concerns subsequently come to the attention of Lee Abbey Devon.

Lee Abbey Youth Camp will contact you by email, text and phone in relation to the processing of your application.

And finally

If you have any questions about anything that has been mentioned (or not mentioned!) please get in touch.

We look forward to reading your application!

Do you agree and wish to proceed?*

Yes, I have read and agree to the terms and expectations of Camp leaders

Your health and diet

Do you have any disability, medical or health condition for which you are receiving treatment?*

Yes

No

Please give details

If you would prefer to talk to someone about this, please leave blank and we will call you.

Have you received counselling or treatment for depressive or mental illness in the past 3 years?*

Yes

No

Please give details

Do you have any special dietary requirements?*

Yes

No

Please give details

Is there any other information that you would like to make us aware of?*

Yes

No

Please give details

Reference 1 (current church leader required)

One of your references must be your current church leader. If you encounter any difficulty with this, please give us an email at laycteam@gmail.com.

Reference 1 name*

Reference 1: how do they know you?*

Reference 1 address*

Address line 1 Address line 2 City or town Postcode Country

Reference 1 phone number*

Reference 1 email address*

Reference 2

Reference 2 name*

Reference 2: how do they know you?*

Reference 2 address*

Address line 1 Address line 2 City or town Postcode Country

Reference 2 phone number*

Reference 2 email address*

Declarations

You're nearly there!

Photographs and video (optional)

We may be taking photographs/recording video at this event, which could include your image. The resulting images and footage may be used by Lee Abbey Youth Camp for promotional purposes across a range of online and offline channels (including, but not limited to, web/social media/email/print). The photos will only be used for Lee Abbey Youth Camp purposes and never sold or transferred to third parties. The photographs may be used and stored for a period of up to 5 years.

I am happy for Lee Abbey Youth Camp to use the photos/videos of myself for promotional purposes. I understand how the photographs/video may be used.

Declaration (required)*

I have completed all sections of the form accurately, to the best of my knowledge and belief, and am happy for Lee Abbey Fellowship to store and process the data I've provided to proceed with my application in accordance with their privacy policy.

I agree

What we're about

Vision statement

Our values

Loving

Simplicity

Honest

Fun

Encountering God

Joining community and promises

Our faith and our struggles

Terms, conditions and expectations

Practicalities

Your information and privacy

And finally

Personal and contact details

Emergency contact details

Coming to LAYC

Your health and diet

Reference 1 (current church leader required)

Reference 2

Safeguarding

Declarations