We went into this knowing it was going to be powerful. Before the event, we often likened this Camp to the 10K Camp of 2024 (a camp that was a celebration of ten years of adventure, with a want to give something back). In reality though, this camp was nothing alike. It was a movement, a mission, and an opportunity to really, really change lives - at least 28 of them.

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I personally feel that we start so many of these with 'What a Week!'; but this one, I'm going to avoid and instead say that this week is a week that we will never forget. It has genuinely changed us all.

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These genuinely inspirational young people (Cameron, Barney, Alfie, Chuck, Luke, Florence, Verity, Ellie, Joshua, Finley, Lara, Lexi, Charlene, Angus, Joseph, Jacob, Dexter, William, William, and Finley) have done more than complete a challenge. They have left a footprint on the genuine hearts and souls of us all. A footprint that sitting here, writing this, has empowered us, changed us, and reminded us all of what is important in life.

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In some of the hottest weather on record, these young people have crossed Norfolk. I would love to say that was just 42 miles they hiked over the week, but it was so, so much more. If you add on that every night they then arrived at a different location and set up camp from scratch, cooked evening meals, completed challenges, and then still found time for each other, the mile count would have been much, much more. In truth, we don't quite know how much distance they actually covered. Pretty much every child and every adult got to near the end, and maybe it was riding the high, but in unison said they could have done another day, or were sad that it was coming to an end. This nomadic lifestyle, still after millions of years, is rooted so far into our DNA that this whole week, which should have felt exhausting, felt like a return to something that was just so 'human'.

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Of course, part of the challenge was physical - you can't walk that distance and say it wasn't. But it was also a challenge on an intellectual level, having to actively problem-solve, navigate using a variety of methods, and work together in a way that meant age was an irrelevant factor. The older of course supported the younger; but inspiringly the younger also supported the older - even when that age distance spanned decades.

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And then there were the other challenges. Probably, as an instructor, one of the more daunting elements of this camp. It was neither physical nor intellectual. This one was the mission behind the camp: to really give something back to these young people. At the heart of this event was a mission to help young people realise just how much in life they should be grateful for. On the surface, this sounds pretentious, until we look at what actually happened out there. Truth told, maybe we did go in thinking we were teaching the children, but it actually has taught us all, adults and children alike. It is something we can only be grateful for.

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Our evening challenges were designed to be fun, but at their core, deeply reflective - looking at the importance of trust in relationships and respect towards everyone, including the all-so-powerful skill of self-respect. While these core principles in life are woven so hard into the fabric of what we have tried to create here at Inside Out, we have never so actively tried to make them part of the programme. This made us incredibly nervous. How do you get children as young as 10 and teenagers, who are naturally going through challenges that distance them, to realise these things? But these inspirational young people really, really did.

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This saw children having to blindly trust people that they chose to guide them through a minefield, where touching a mine meant getting doused in water - or being saved by those you trust, even if that did mean taking the dousing themselves.

 

Respect saw children losing the ability to communicate and pitching a perfect tarp together without so much as a single word.

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And then there was the unspoken. This gave these young people a chance to anonymously put out into the ether things that they wish they said to those closest to them, but for very human reasons, we just don't. It was, of course, an emotional evening, but one that was so powerful that, as an instructors, it will stay with us for many, many years to come. It normalised the fact that we all have emotions, and that those emotions are okay. It showed these amazing young people, the absolute importance of having a family and a circle of people you trust - irrespective of whether that is a small one or a large one, a biological one or one we have crafted and brought together just through the journeys we have taken and the people we have met. It helped them all to realise that actually, everyone struggles with these things, everyone forgets, and that it's okay to feel that way.

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Finally, they had a chance to recognise that not all recognition needs to be verbal. Sometimes it can be as simple as gifting something you've made - like a bracelet quietly recognising someone's love, care, effort, and time - taking the time to surprise someone that needs it with a cup of tea, or simply reminding everyone that we are grateful, sorry, or just 'there'.

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It was hugely humbling to then hear everyone, of all ages, reflect not just in the challenge, but through the night and on the next day in the conversations that they had. The feedback from them was that one of the best parts of this whole event was just the conversations they had while walking.

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The real, and honest truth is that we watched children run to and embrace their families at the end (I personally heard at least two parents say they were surprised to be hugged by their child). Maybe this was just exhaustion, maybe it was just pride in what they achieved. But maybe, even just a little bit, the walls we all build up around our emotions just shifted a fraction, changed by the challenges they faced, the conversations they shared, and the quiet magic of just being in the presence of of each other.

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We owe so much to these young people; and they may never truly understand that footprint they have left on us (potentially rightly so).

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For those that met us at the end, we know you had the chance to hear that this mission was fuelled by something raw and very close to home, and something that we will all (or sadly, already have) experience through life - loss. As a team, we are all incredibly close - we are colleagues, friends, and dare we even say it, for some of us, our staff team here is a family to us. Being there to support children and each other has always been a huge and vital part of this job, but it is also one of the hardest. Watching people you genuinely care for go through hard times, times that seem so unfair too, is hard. But seeing them, and working with them to turn that into something as powerful as this has been for us all, that is a different thing entirely. The message was clear from the start: while the mission was personally inspired, the positive mission behind the event was never to be overshadowed or lost - a balance we can only hope we got right.

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Of course, we always, always take time to value and respect our team for these events; we feel they always need recognition for the amazing work they do - but this week is different. Laura, Olivia, Sam, David, Colton, Lou & Tyler! Thank you does not seem like a big enough word for the work they have put into this week. They have walked every step (or driven the safety vehicle); they have camped, cooked, and lived every single moment with these young people. But they have also invested in these young people and this event with more than just money - they invested emotion, and probably the biggest gift anyone can give: time. They gave genuine time to each and every single child, and to each other. Thank you all for being such an inspirational force to these young people, and for always leading by example.

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Finally, we of course have to say thank you to you all. We never want to lose sight of the huge, huge amount of trust you place in us when you send your children to us. But again, this was different. In some of the hottest conditions of the year, in a challenge that would daunt and scare full-grown adults, you trusted us with the care and well-being of your family - your children. We are so grateful and cannot thank you all enough for making your children a part of this event with us, and for all the respect that comes with that.

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I know that sat here now, even with more words than any of our staff had yesterday - words still don't do it justice. Our team will of course be celebrating every child over the weeks to come - but for now I and we hope that this story can somehow paint a picture of what this event was, and that the stories your children now tell help to bring that picture to life.

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Thank you, sincerely,

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Nathan