Camps International Ltd.

[Boycey0211]

I did a very similar scheme when I was at school, 2.5k for a trip to peru to do some travelling combined with charity work.

That 2.5k paid for flights, and then we were given £150 to budget for the entire month, food housing transport, everything.

Googled it while we were out there and the flights were about £600. 16 of us got fleeced, and they were running trips all year round to different parts of the world.

Its a con.

 

[dowie]

From what I've researched so far. Any money you pay leading to the final due payment in may 2019 is non refundable. [...]

sorry, just saw this and that is dreadful, not only are they potentially doing something very nasty to young people who lose that money/can't keep up with the payment schedule (I mean no doubt there are things like exams getting in the way, health and/or social issues at that time in their lives) - it also preys on overstretched households, some teenage son/daughter has saved say 2.5k and then is due to miss some payments and lose the lot no doubt the parents often will chip in from their much needed funds

I think you'd definitely be right to kick up a fuss about this, get some other parents involved, get the PTA involved, get governors involved... make sure this company isn't allowed back

it is lazy on the part of the teachers too - there are plenty of organisations who arrange trips for young people, they certainly don't all require locking away large sums that represent perhaps all that young person's life savings and potentially losing the lot

I've explained to her my opinion and offered to help find alternatives for her. But she's got her set on it. Obviously I don't want to let her start and her be massively upset if it all go pest shaped. Much rather if she does want to do something. Save the money, have it ready to go and then contact charitys and find out how she can help.

definitely the way forwards, or indeed just save the money up for a trip whether it involves volunteering or not (frankly from an altruistic perspective simply donating a few quid to charity say sending mosquito nets to Africa arguably does massively more good for the world in general than a dozen 18 year olds raising thousands each to then spend a month helping to build a bridge for some village or giving a few English lessons etc..)

anyway to help your cause in trying to sell her on some other options how about stuff like this, doesn't appear to offer flights but certainly seems like a cheaper option than the one she's being sold on... also if she has more than 4 weeks to spare then look at the cost of adding additional weeks... in the grand scheme of things it is the flights over there and some of the initial admin costs that will eat away at this, extra weeks are a no brainer.... she could easily do 8 weeks for the less than the price of the scheme she's been pitched:

https://www.projects-abroad.co.uk/prices/#standard-projects|by-destination|costa-rica


^^^ this is another non-charity that seems to offer these trips, though they're rather more transparent re: the costs and don't seem to need that ridiculous saving/potentially lose all your savings scheme - this is quite illustrative, given how much cheaper this company is and yet even then only a minor portion of the fee is to cover the costs of the trip it does seem to indicate that the one your daughter has been pitched is a bit of a rip off:

https://www.projects-abroad.co.uk/about-us/money-matters/


actually for 4 grand I'd be tempted to forget Costa Rica and do this shark conservation project in Fiji, looks pretty epic:

https://www.projects-abroad.co.uk/v...nvironment/shark-conservation/volunteer-fiji/

anyway there is quite a big list of stuff on that site and no doubt you can find even more options, potentially cheaper still, via registered charities.


lastly, I'm a bit out of date but this used to be the place to go to for cheap flights, round the world tickets etc.. when you're a young person who has weeks to spare in the summer or before/after uni etc..

https://www.statravel.co.uk

anyway really hope you manage to persuade her to explore other options

 

[malolo]

actually for 4 grand I'd be tempted to forget Costa Rica and do this shark conservation project in Fiji, looks pretty epic:

Her school will have chosen the Costa Rica trip so that will be the one all her friends are going on.

Universities look upon these type of trips very positively if she is planning on going to a university or do a course that will have a lot of applicants tht will get whittled down. It shows commitment and initiative in fund raising to actually go on the trip, and then there's the humanitarian, team building, expanding horizons element of actually being there. It's seen as doing an almost mini gap year type experience but you've obviously got the added reassurance that they're being looked after and aren't just left to their own devices.

 

[dowie]

Her school will have chosen the Costa Rica trip so that will be the one all her friends are going on.

Universities look upon these type of trips very positively if she is planning on going to a university or do a course that will have a lot of applicants tht will get whittled down. It shows commitment and initiative in fund raising to actually go on the trip, and then there's the humanitarian, team building, expanding horizons element of actually being there. It's seen as doing an almost mini gap year type experience but you've obviously got the added reassurance that they're being looked after and aren't just left to their own devices.

sure they can do* but that doesn't mean she needs to book the rip off one, she can organise a few friends to book a different one, OP could mention to other parents etc.. even stand up in assembly and present some alternative if she wants or just organise with friends themselves outside of school

*well actually I wouldn't put too much emphasis on this, admissions tutors are well aware that poorer applicants don't have so many opportunities for stuff like this and that a "gap yah" or volunteering in the summer is often more of a middle class thing. A smart kid from a poorer background/poorer performing school will often get allowances made for grades too.

 

[Nodiggidy123]

This is one of the main reasons she wants to go due to being with her friends. I've explained to her there is nothing stopping her and her friends doing something different. Obviously having it done through the school is reassuring but they didn't allow them to come in and make the pitch for nothing did they..

I also think it's additional stress she doesn't need in the run up to her exams. Pretty irresponsible of the school imo.

 

[dowie]

Obviously having it done through the school is reassuring but they didn't allow them to come in and make the pitch for nothing did they..

honestly they genuinely might have done so simply because they were approached and didn't look into it in detail, I'd not necessarily assume there is anything shady going on re: back handers for the school etc...

why not go in and talk to the school, ask them why this company, explain your quite legitimate concerns (perhaps they hadn't considered some of them) and ask about them considering putting forth other options etc.. or allowing your daughter or others to do so

speak to other parents too, I'd wager there could easily be some other worried parents when they realise the potential for this to go wrong re: the saving requirements

 

[Jono]

They also will train her to get her padi open water dive cert.

You could do that here for £275. All materials and equipment supplied.

 

[Deleted member 66701]

Join the Scouts, complete DofE gold award - will look much better on a CV and a lot cheaper!

Schools are a business nowadays (esp academies). Our local senior school had a similar presentation and the company gave 10% of any sales to the school.

 

[Rroff]

esp academies

Some of the academies are facing upto a million pound shortfall in funding this year as well so wouldn't surprise me if they are looking to stuff like this for extra funds. My old junior school - now an academy - has gone cap in hand to the parents as they are around £100,000 down on funding compared to before they became an academy and having to cut facilities.

 

[Deleted member 66701]

Some of the academies are facing upto a million pound shortfall in funding this year as well so wouldn't surprise me if they are looking to stuff like this for extra funds. My old junior school - now an academy - has gone cap in hand to the parents as they are around £100,000 down on funding compared to before they became an academy and having to cut facilities.

Yup, three academies round here have a Starbucks - school also gets a share of the sales on those as well.

It's the slow march of privatization of education and most people are blind to it.

 

[dowie]

Yup, three academies round here have a Starbucks - school also gets a share of the sales on those as well.

I'm less fussed about that, ditto to say vending machines or whatever (so long as the school still provides actual school dinners at low cost or free to those who need it) - after all universities and students unions also have businesses on site

what is worrying though is what you said further up re a kickback being given to the school for this sales pitch re: the places sold, that is very objectionable and the sort of thing I'd hope parents kicked off about

 

[Andy90]

Get her to join the Scouts and/or do her Duke of Edinburgh Awards

https://www.dofe.org

Find out where your local Cancer Hospice is and get her to Volunteer there.

Employers will be far more impressed with those on a CV than a trip to Costa Rica.

Oh by the way - still save the £4500 for her. It will either come in handy towards any fees if she wants to go to University or pay for driving lessons and her first car - a Driving Licence is far more useful.

 

[Nodiggidy123]

Oh by the way - still save the £4500 for her. It will either come in handy towards any fees if she wants to go to University or pay for driving lessons and her first car - a Driving Licence is far more useful.

Funny enough we have both said exactly this