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Operation Camouflage is back!
Operation Camouflage is back!
A popular summer activities programme returns to East Suffolk later this month, with priority given to children who are eligible for free school meals.
Returning after a two-year break, Operation Camouflage begins at Sutton Heath, near Woodbridge on Tuesday 26 July. Organised by the Army Welfare Service and East Suffolk Council, the four-week programme is open to children and young people aged between 8 and 16 years old who are eligible for free school meals who live in or go to school in East Suffolk.
Designed to bring young people together and help them develop new skills, Operation Camouflage runs every Tuesday to Friday from 26 July until 19 August. There will be a mix of physical, creative, educational and adventurous activities on offer including BMX pump track, circus skills, football freestyling, dance, bushcraft and much more. Snacks and lunch will also be provided.
Cllr Letitia Smith, East Suffolk’s cabinet member for Communities, Leisure and Tourism said: “I am delighted to see the return of Operation Camouflage this summer. Holiday activity programmes are incredibly important for the health and wellbeing of young people, providing them with a safe and enjoyable range of activities, where they can meet new people, challenge themselves and learn new skills.”
Operation Camouflage has been funded by the Army Covenant Fund, the Army Welfare Service and the Government’s Holiday Activities and Food Programme.
Transport is available to children attending school in the catchment areas of Farlingaye and Kesgrave High Schools.
East Suffolk Council and the Army Welfare Service have been delivering Operation Camouflage since 2008. The programme is designed to give young people from military families and those living in East Suffolk an opportunity to be active over the summer holidays.
In 2014, the scheme was shortlisted for the Youth Justice Award in the Children and Young People Now Awards. This category recognises the initiative that has made the biggest contribution to improving the life chances of young offenders, or those at risk of offending or reoffending. In 2019, the scheme won the Suffolk Strengthen Your Community Award at the Suffolk High Sheriff’s Awards. This category recognises initiatives that contribute to improving your local community.