On the afternoon of Thursday 23 April 1998 I was heard to give a big sigh of relief as the Camp was finally over for another year - but it was relief tinged with a degree of sadness. Relief that it had been such a wonderful and succesful Camp - the best ever, as most of the campers were heard to say. But with a sense of sadness that for most of these wonderful young people they wouldn’t have the opportunity to get together again for another twelve months - or so I thought. But immediately I was to be proven wrong, as a few campers have travelled long distances to see their friends, while many more have written letters or talked to each other by phone. What a thrill for us, as one of our objectives when setting up the first Camp was to encourage the young people to support each other and by doing so, develop a mutual support network. And we have done that!

Before each Camp, I have so many fears - will enough young people want to join us; if so, will they all get on; will the weather be kind to us so we can really enjoy the outdoor activities; will we have enough helpers; will the venue be suitable; will we be able to fund the camp; will we.....will we.....?? And please, please, don’t let Ann-Marie and David get sick!!! But as always, once the camp is underway all these fears and concerns fade away and I wonder why did I ever waste my time worrying!

As we begin to plan for next year, I wonder why these camps are important. A very clear picture comes to me: I see the participants gain knowledge and share information on HD; I see support and encouragement for one another develop; I see the young people gain confidence and strength; I see them return to their homes more resilient and with better understanding of their family member with HD; and I see them make lasting friendships and most importantly, I see them have FUN! So what more can we ask for.

And what makes a good Camp - dedicated facilitators and helpers and a group of wonderful young participants. My sincere thanks to you all. See you next year!