By Sarah Schwager
A PROGRAM for children and young people in the southeast with disabilities and special needs will run at least 25 camps next year and is looking for volunteers.
Oz Child’s Interchange Westernport program runs throughout Greater Dandenong, Casey, Mornington Peninsula, Cardinia and Frankston councils.
Beaconsfield’s Cat Connaughton, 23, started volunteering this year after her best friend, Fiona Watson, told her how much fun she had had on the camps and what a rewarding experience it was.
Cat, who has been accepted into Child Counselling at Victoria University next year, said she really enjoyed the camps, which she has been volunteering at all year while working at a bar.
“I thought I’d have a go and I absolutely loved it,” she said.
Cat previously completed an undergraduate science degree, majoring in psychology and sociology, before going on a ninemonth overseas trip last year.
She said many of the volunteers had no experience or particular desire to work in the field but were volunteering anyway to give something back to kids with need.
Cat said Oz Child ran high and lowlevel camps for children with varying degrees of needs.
She said at camps with children with ADHD, the volunteers were really active and ran many activities while kids with higher needs often received oneonone care.
Cat said it was a good chance to allow parents to recuperate and, for many, the only break they might get from their children in many months.
She said Oz Child ran camps throughout Victoria, including Queenscliff, Rosebud, Healesville and Portsea, at campsites with disability access and included activities such as the flying fox, swimming, yabbying and treasure hunts.
“We (the volunteers) have a great time as well,” Cat said.
She said she had made many friends on the camps, with the volunteers, ranging from 17 to 26 years old, able to socialise after the kids had gone to bed.
“We see each other outside the camps as well, for birthday parties and so on.”
Cat said her favourite camp had been one to Bimbimbie Farm, where the children had been able to hold the snakes.
She said her course next year would be part time, meaning she would still be able to volunteer at the camps.
Oz Child’s program allows children and young people aged from six to 18 to take part in a range of activities, encouraging them to participate.
The program also aims to provide regular breaks to families from the fulltime role of caring for a child with a disability, while extending the child’s social networks and life experiences.
Oz Child is currently recruiting recreation volunteers for next year.
For more information go to www.ozchild.org.au or call Sam McCully on 5975 7644.
