|
|
School camping season gets underway
18
May
2009
Isles of Scilly school camping season gets underway
The start of the school camping season on the Isles of Scilly got underway this week when the Scillonian III welcomed 65 children and 12 teachers aboard for travel to St Mary�s for a week long camping trip.
Over the next two months Scillonian III will carry almost one thousand pupils and accompanying school staff from across Cornwall to the Isles of Scilly to attend week long activity breaks at Pelistry Camp.
The Isles of Scilly Steamship Company, which operates the Scillonian III, supports the summer school camps on Scilly by providing discounted travel for students and teachers.
Aboard the first school camp trip of the season were pupils from St Stephen Churchtown School and Biscovey Junior School.
Year 6 teacher, Chris Jewell of Biscovey Juniors explained the value of the camping break for his pupils: �Summer camp at Pelistry is the highlight of the school year and the children are very excited. Our trip is right after the end of the annual SAT exams so it really gives the class something to look forward to.
�We visit Pelistry Camp every summer term and the children get a lot out of enjoying the natural beauty and wildlife of the islands which really starts from the beginning of the trip when we can watch out for puffins and seals from the boat.�
School camps on St Mary�s also provide an opportunity for the pupils from the Five Islands School to play football matches with children from the mainland and weekly five-a-side tournaments are held throughout the summer term at Carn Gwaval School.
Mark Peters from Cornwall Outdoors, Cornwall Council�s Outdoor Education Service, said: �The trip on the Scillonian III provides an excellent introduction to the camping trip. From now until mid July we�ll accommodate up to 110 children and 16 teachers a week across Pelistry Camp site�s three tented villages. The majority of schools choose to use the boat service to reach the islands so the discount from the Isles of Scilly Steamship Company helps bring the costs down for parents which is especially important during these tough financial times.�
Whilst the school trips are an enriching experience for the students taking part, the Pelistry Camp also provides a boost to the local economy as schools use the services of local activity providers and buy all of the food they cook themselves from the island�s shops.
Jeff Marston, Chief Executive of Isles of Scilly Steamship Company added: �The Scillonian III plays an important role in life on the Isles of Scilly by bringing visitors to support the local tourist economy. Our school children of today will eventually become the potential visitors of tomorrow and we are delighted to support Cornwall Outdoors and become part of an experience that hundreds of school children from Cornwall each year will remember for their lifetime.�
Ends
18 May 2009
Notes to Editors:
Photography
An image to accompany this press release is attached and shows children from Biscovey Junior School and St Stephen Churchtown School boarding the Scillonian III ahead of their visit to Polistry Camp on St Mary�s.
For more information contact:
Shelley Fletcher
Deborah Clark Associates
01208 77900 / 07796 175634
[email protected]
|
|
|
