Kids keen for Camp Kulin

Since opening its doors last year, Camp Kulin has become a local success story, having won State and international awards, and children from near and far are itching to get in on the action.

The camp, which opened in March last year and runs programs for youth who have experienced trauma, and holiday programs for local kids, picked up its most recent award last month.

It was the recipient of the Bendigo Bank Community Project of the Year award at a State conference on March 20, nominated by Kulin Community Bank director Graeme Robertson. Mr Robertson said it was fantastic to see a local initiative recognised by a wider group of peers.

“We know how much value it is — but when your peers see the immense value as well it’s always an exciting result,” he said.

“We’ve been lucky enough to attract Tanya (Dupagne) who has an outlook and passion for giving children a very good start in life.”

Camp Kulin manager Tanya Dupagne, who received a Winston Churchill Memorial Trust Fellowship last year and presented the camp’s programs in various US cities including New York, said its success was more than anything she had imagined 12 months ago.

“We currently have waitlists for a lot of our programs … our school holiday programs, we can’t fit any more kids in them,” she said.

Ms Dupagne said the camp’s program largely focuses on children who have experienced domestic violence, sexual assault and childhood trauma.

“We’re teaching them things like self-confidence, leadership skills, trust and working on self-esteem,” she said.

“We’ve had reports from teachers at their school saying their work is better, their behaviour is better at school and at home and we have kids who were juvenile offenders who are no longer offending.

“There are kids who would flat out refuse to go to school who are now going every day.”