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We are delighted to welcome Caitlin Macdonald as the new Free Church Youth Camps Coordinator!

Caitlin joins us at an exciting time for Free Church Youth Camps and we are thankful that she is bringing her gifts, skills and talents to this important role. We look forward to see how God will use her.

We asked Caitlin to tell us a little about herself and what she is looking forward to.

“My name is Caitlin and I’m so excited to be joining FCYC. I’m from Inverness although most recently been living in Glasgow, where I worked with UCCF as a relay. I have a background in the arts and studied acting for my degree. My time with UCCF and volunteering with other youth ministries has really given me a heart for sharing the gospel with young people.”

“The camps are such a great work and I have loved my time as both a leader and camper in the past. I look forward to seeing the way God works through FCYC.”

As Caitlin settles please remember her in your prayers and that she would quickly feel at home in her new job. We’re very pleased to have Caitlin with us and look forward to all that lies ahead.

Camp is almost here and we hope you are as excited for the summer as we are!!

Camper Information Packs are going out to parents/carers now. Some of you will already have yours and if yours hasn’t arrived yet keep an eye on your inbox as packs go out 4 weeks before camp begins.

The Camper Information Pack has everything you need to know to get ready including travel timings, transport points, a kit list (what to pack), our phone policy, plus the camp phone number for emergencies.

We can’t wait to see the hundreds of young people who’ve booked for camp. If you have any questions in the meantime please get in touch with camps@freechurch.org and we’d be happy to help.

Bookings for FCYC 2026 have now wrapped up. Thank you to everyone who got their young person booked at camp this summer, we can’t wait to see them!

Our first camp heads out 4 weeks today. With 12 camps across 5 locations we’re looking forward to welcoming hundreds of young people over the coming weeks. I hope you are as excited for the summer as we are!!

Between now and then our team leaders, leaders, cooks, drivers, and chaperones are busy getting ready for our young people joining us. A huge thank you to them as they pull together programmes, spend evenings doing safeguarding training, plan camp menus, and everything else they do to give everyone a brilliant week at camp.

Thanks to the parents/carers who have booked a place. We can’t wait to see your young person at camp this summer. You can expect Camper Information Packs 4 weeks before camp begins. This includes:

• Transport info (including transport timings & points)
• Kit list (what to pack)
• Phone policy
• Your invite to the Big Free Rally
• And much, much more!

Camper Information Packs go out four weeks before each camp starts. If yours is due and you haven’t received it, please email me at camps@freechurch.org and I’d be happy to help.

Consent & medical forms have been emailed out to all participants, keep an eye on your inbox (and spam)!

We need these completed and returned to us by Friday 8th May, so if you could take a few minutes to fill them in as soon as possible, that would be brilliant.

You can also complete your form online using the link here.

If you have any questions or haven’t received your form please don’t hesitate to get in touch at camps@freechurch.org

We’re looking forward to seeing everyone at camp soon!!

Saturday 3rd October | 11:00-16:15 | Smithton Free Church Inverness

The Big Free Rally is back and this year is extra special, it’s our 30th birthday!

For three decades hundreds of young people from across Scotland have gathered at the Big Free Rally, and we’d love you to be part of this year. Whether you’re in P5 or S6, whether you’ve attended Free Church Youth Camps or not, the Big Free Rally is open to everyone.

What to Expect

Expect laughter, singing, Bible talks, games and activities, all in one fun day. Whether it’s your first Big Free Rally or you’ve been a few times, our 30th birthday is one you won’t want to miss.

Last year we were thrilled to welcome Simon Rehberg and William Sanders as our guest speakers. Alongside their talks there were plenty of games, praise, and chances to make new friends. Keep an eye on social media and website, we will announce this year’s speakers there soon!

This year we’re planning to make the day slightly longer to give more time to catch up with friends, old and new.

Transport & Lunch

We offer optional transport from various transport points across Scotland. Exact arrangements will be confirmed closer to the date.

We also offer an optional lunch (last year it was a hot dog, crisps, drink, biscuit, and fruit). For their own safety, young people will remain on site for the Big Free Rally, so if you decide not to opt for lunch, please remember to bring a packed lunch with you.

The Book Swap Returns

After the success of last year’s book swap, we’re thrilled to be continuing it again. Bring a book, take a book! Have you read a good Christian book that you got from church or camp and would love someone else to have it? Bring it along to the Big Free and you can pick up another book to take home. It’s a simple way to share an encouragement and discover something new.

30 Years of Big Free Rally

Since 1996 the Big Free Rally has aimed to gather young people from across Scotland, the denomination, and beyond, to point them to Jesus. It’s a space for friendship, fun, and Bible teaching.

Mark your calendars now, we can’t wait to celebrate 30 years with you on the 3rd October.

Bookings open soon. Follow us on Facebook and Instagram or check back here for updates. Further details and booking information will follow.

Preparing to serve young people at Free Church Youth Camps requires more than emails, spreadsheets, and forms! Last Saturday, 7th March, we brought together team leaders from across Scotland for our annual Team Leaders Training Day, equipping them to lead at this summer’s camps.

The day began with Bible teaching from Robbie Sweet on Luke 7 and Jesus raising the widow’s son from the dead. Robbie challenged us to consider Jesus’ compassion for those in desperate need, even when it is inconvenient to us, the offer of resurrection life he extends to all, and the worship and witness that flows from experiencing his power. It was a helpful reminder that the goal of camp isn’t just to have activities but to point young people to Christ who transforms lives.

After lunch, Jon Gemmel from Cornhill Scotland led a session on teaching the Bible at camp. Jon took us through Psalm 1 after, demonstrating how to handle scripture faithfully and communicate it clearly to young people. The session gave us a chance to practice together before planning our Bible teaching for the summer.

The afternoon also included a session on FCYC’s updated policies, including the new Camp Code and Crisis Management Plan. These policies are there to look after campers and support team leaders. The day closed with prayer for campers and leaders.

Thank you to Robbie and Jon for leading the teaching sessions, to the team leaders who travelled and gave up their Saturday to be there, and to Cornerstone Church for hosting us for a second year. We’re praying the training day equipped and encouraged the team leaders to serve their teams and campers this summer.

The next event on FCYC’s calendar is the Leaders and Cooks Training Day on Saturday 25th April at Smithton Church, Inverness. If you’re serving as a leader or cook this summer, make sure to save the date!

Free Church Youth Camps are delighted to welcome Alice Ankers as our newly appointed Camps Assistant!!

Based in Glen Urquhart, Alice joins us with a wealth of planning and logistics experience which will be invaluable over the next few months as we prepare for summer 2026.

Donald A Macleod, the Camps Supervisor said: “We are so pleased to have Alice in this important role and the team will be working together to deliver camps 2026.”

Please join us in giving Alice a warm welcome!

Fancy a week of great cooking, time to study the Bible, and pointing young people to Jesus?

Some teams are looking for Leaders (over 21) at the following camps:

• Kincraig Seniors
• Junior Football
• Renfrew Kids
• Renfrew Kids (cooks)

If you think you could help please submit a form here or reach out to us at camps@freechurch.org for more information.

Please share this with anyone you think might be a good fit, we’d love to see these spaces filled!

If you missed out on bookings going live in January don’t worry, there is still some spaces left! Whether you want to go by yourself or with friends we have a camp for you. Here’s how things stand at the time of writing.

Bring the squad:

• Junior Football: Space for a group of boys, grab your teammates and your boots!
• Junior Adventure: Space for girls and a final space for a boy.
• Renfrew Girls: Space for a group of girls to go together.

Almost full:

• Renfrew Kids: Space for a few boys and a final space for a girl.
• Kincraig Seniors: Only 4 boys’ spaces remaining.
• Oswestry Seniors 1: Only 3 girls’ spaces left!

Last chance:

• Oswestry Seniors 2: Final boy space!
• Arbroath Juniors: Final boy space!

Just to note, booking a place at camp will mean you’re ready to come off any waiting lists. You’ll find all remaining spaces and can book here.

We firmly believe that money should never be a barrier to attending camp. While we work hard to keep our prices competitive, we know costs can be a barrier.

The Camper Support Fund is here to help, and applications are now open until the end of March. After this we need to get invoices out to parents/guardians.

To find out more details, and to make an application please check out the Support Fund tab our of website here.