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Volunteer & Support

Drivers & Chaperones

Chaperones & Drivers

We often need help from adult volunteers to chaperone the campers on their way to and from camp and to drive 9-seater or 17-seater minibuses.

If you would be willing to travel with young people or to drive a minibus, please fill out the form below as soon as you can or get in touch with us directly to discuss any questions.

Your name will be added to a list of volunteers and you will be contacted by the FCYC Coordinator once the requirements are known, to see if you might be able to help.

There are various points around the country where young people meet together to travel to camp or to other events organised by FCYC, such as the Big Free Rally. From these points, FCYC organises transport to and from camp or the event. Journeys are usually by ferry, train, coach or minibus, and young people must be accompanied by a responsible adult/s on these journeys.

Chaperones are adults who accompany young people on part or all of the journey, depending on the other arrangements that are in place.

Drivers are often needed to drive the young people in minibuses to or from camp or the event.

Chaperones and drivers don’t have to be a member of a Free Church, but must be known to and recommended by a minister or member of the Free Church and must be sympathetic to the values, aims and ethos of the Free Church.

  • Chaperones: Must be 18+ (assistants can be 16+)
  • Drivers: Must be 25-70, with a full UK driving license for 3+ years and no convictions. Drivers can operate 17-seater minibuses if they:
    • Hold a D1 license, or
    • Complete MiDAS training (a 1-hour online course and 2-hour driving session, paid by FCYC, and valid for 4 years).

For 2025, we’ve upgraded to lightweight minibuses, so a D1 isn’t required! If you’re interested in driving and meet the criteria (or are happy to complete MiDAS training), please fill out the form below.

To book MiDAS training, contact: camps@freechurch.org

Chaperones and drivers will be given details of their travel arrangements well in advance of travel. For chaperones, this will include details of the campers they’ll be accompanying as well as tickets for themselves and the young people where applicable. For drivers, this will include details of where to pick up and drop off their minibus.

Pick up points are at Stornoway, Ullapool, Inverness, and Perth, and chaperones may be required between any of these points and camp. For minibus drivers, journeys are often between Inverness, Renfrew, and Kincraig, and sometimes between Ullapool, Perth, or Arbroath.

Chaperones should arrive early to meet the campers, and should check them off the list as they arrive. During the journey, chaperones must look out for the wellbeing of the campers and ensure that the campers are all behaving appropriately.

Drivers will always be accompanied by at least one other adult who will be chaperoning the campers and ensuring that they are all behaving appropriately.

If you’re a good traveller and you’d be happy to accompany young people on one or more journeys, or if you’re happy to drive young people, please get in touch by filling in the form below. Your details will be added to a list, and you’ll be contacted nearer the time to ask if you will be able to help on a specific journey or journeys.

Cooks

Cooks Info & Application

Camp cooks are highly motivated, servant-hearted and love working as part of a team. Being a cook at camp means a lot of early mornings and late nights, as well as working well under the pressure of feeding a lot of hungry campers and leaders!

Cooks are hugely appreciated – without cooks, there would be no camps! All cooks must have a Level 2 Food Hygiene certificate, and must be able to keep records of spending, temperatures and hygiene control.

New applications are welcome at any time, and cooks will be allocated to a camp dependent on their availability and space at the camp. All new cooks must fill in the online application form by the end of February to be considered for this summer’s camps, and must be able to attend the FCYC Leaders’ and Cooks’ Day.

There are three categories of cook:

  • Chief Cooks: For those who are experienced in leading a team and cooking for large numbers of young people, have undergone the required training and have demonstrated their ability to plan and manage budgets and menus for camp
  • Cooks: For anyone over the age of 21 who is willing to undergo the required training, including completing a level 2 food hygiene certificate. There is no requirement for them to have cooked at FCYC previously
  • Assistant Cooks: For anyone aged 18-21 who is willing to undergo the required training. There is no requirement for them to have cooked at FCYC previously

As well as the requirement for all cooks to hold a Level 2 (or equivalent) Food Hygiene certificate, FCYC aims to ensure that its cooks have been trained in two main areas – safeguarding and cooking for those with dietary requirements. Cooks are also required to detail at application stage the training they have received in the following areas; safeguarding, how to be a good leader, working with young people who have Additional Support Needs, giving Bible talks and leading discussion groups. Training in these areas is recommended for cooks, but is not mandatory.

To be a Cook at Camp you must:

  • Have a personal faith in Jesus Christ
  • Be an active communicant member of a Bible-believing church
  • Be able to obtain two satisfactory references
  • Be a member of the Protecting Vulnerable Groups Scotland (PVG) Scheme for working with children through the Free Church
  • Have up-to-date Free Church Safeguarding training
  • Have a desire to work with young people and to share the Gospel with them, evidenced by recent, relevant experience
  • Be willing to commit the necessary time to undertake this work

You will also need to commit to:

  • Being at camp for a full week over the summer
  • Meeting with your team prior to camp
  • Being willing to take on any planning and preparation responsibilities delegated to you by your Team Leader
  • Attending the FCYC Leaders’ and Cooks’ Day and Big Free Rally annually.
    Leaders and Cooks Day is on Saturday 25th April 2026 at Smithton Free Church, Inverness. Please keep this date in your diary and we will get in touch with more details soon
  • Completing all the necessary paperwork, for example the application form, before the deadline
  • Ensuring you are familiar with (and will abide by) Free Church of Scotland Safeguarding and Social Media policies and procedures
  • Arrange for a minimum contribution of £150 to be made towards your costs at camp and to speak to the Camps Coordinator if you are unable to do so.

Ready to Apply?

Please ensure that you have read all the cooks’ information before completing this form.

Apply Now

Any Questions?

Please get in touch if you have any questions about being a cook at camp.

Contact Us

Leaders

Leaders Info & Application

Camp leaders are highly motivated, servant-hearted and love working as part of a team. Leaders have the opportunity to share the gospel of Jesus throughout the various activities and time spent together during camp, as well as through informal Bible talks and discussion.

Leaders benefit from working together as part of a team, spending time together in prayer and Bible study as well as serving in community with other Christians from a range of backgrounds. Being a leader at camp is a lot of hard work but is a fun and rewarding way to spend a week of your summer.

Although there are already a number of regular leaders in FCYC leadership teams, new applications are welcome at any time, and leaders will be allocated to a camp dependent on their availability and on space at the camp. All new leaders must fill in the Online Application Form by the end of February in order to be considered for this summer’s camps and must be able to attend the FCYC Leaders’ and Cooks’ Day.

There are three categories of leader:

  • Team Leaders: These are appointed by FCYC following service as a leader at camp
  • Leader: Anyone who has previously led at FCYC OR is over the age of 21.
  • Junior Leaders: Anyone aged 18-21 who has not served as a leader at FCYC previously. Junior Leaders are appointed a mentor at camp who will support the Junior Leader throughout the week. They will not be expected to lead Bible talks or dorm discussions, but will be expected to take on some responsibilities as determined by their mentor.

All FCYC leaders and cooks must be suitably trained to ensure a high quality and safe FCYC experience for all campers. Each member of the leadership team is required to detail at application stage the training they have received in the following areas in order to establish the requirement for training provision by FCYC each year; safeguarding, how to be a good leader, working with young people who have Additional Support Needs, giving Bible talks and leading discussion groups.

To be a Camp Leader you must:

  • Have a personal faith in Jesus Christ
  • Be an active communicant member of a Bible-believing church
  • Be able to obtain two satisfactory references
  • Be a member of the Protecting Vulnerable Groups Scotland (PVG) Scheme for working with children through the Free Church
  • Have up-to-date Free Church Safeguarding training
  • Have a desire to work with young people and to share the Gospel with them, evidenced by recent, relevant experience
  • Be willing to commit the necessary time to undertake this work

You will also need to commit to:

  • Being at camp for a full week over the summer
  • Attending the FCYC Leaders’ and Cooks’ Day and Big Free Rally annually.
  • Team Leaders Day is on Saturday 7th March 2026 and the Leaders and Cooks Day is on Saturday 25th April 2026, at Smithton Free Church Inverness. Please keep these dates in your diary and we will get in touch with more details soon.
  • Meeting with your team prior to camp
  • Being willing to take on any planning and preparation responsibilities delegated to you by your team leader
  • Completing all the necessary paperwork, for example the application form, before the deadline
  • Ensuring you are familiar with (and will abide by) Free Church of Scotland Safeguarding and Social Media policies and procedures
  • Arrange for a minimum contribution of £150 to be made towards your costs at camp and to speak to the Camps Coordinator if you are unable to do so.

Ready to Apply?

Please ensure that you have read all the leaders’ information before completing this form.

Apply Now

Any Questions?

Please get in touch if you have any questions about being a leader at camp.

Contact Us

Support FCYC

Can you support FCYC?

We greatly appreciate the support of individuals and churches. If you would like to support the work of FCYC, please see below some ideas of how you might be able to help. Get in touch if you have any questions!

Pray

Please pray for the work of FCYC, not just in the summer but all through the year. The FCYC team are hugely grateful for the prayerful support of our Christian family. Specific camp prayer points will be posted on our social media pages so keep an eye out for those.

Bake

Camps are always very appreciative of home-baking. If you’re able to bake something, please get in touch with the camp you’d like to bake for to ask about any allergies and intolerances.

Adopt A Camp

How would your church like to adopt a camp? This enables your church to link with a specific camp to pray for and support in the run-up to and during camp. Your adopted camp will send you prayer points and updates, and let you know if there are other ways your church might be able to support them, for example through baking or chaperoning. If your church doesn’t have a connection to a specific camp, please get in touch to ask for a camp to “adopt”.

Invite a Speaker

If your church is interested in having a FCYC speaker for one of your meetings, please get in touch. We have regional camp champions who would love to tell you more about what FCYC does and how you can get involved.

Donate

Did you know that every space at a Free Church Youth Camp is subsidised centrally by the Free Church of Scotland? We are hugely appreciative of any donations made to FCYC that enable us to continue this work. If you would like to donate to FCYC, you can do so here (using the reference “Free Church Youth Camps”), or you can send a cheque, made payable to Free Church of Scotland and including a note to say that the money is for Free Church Youth Camps. Online bank transfers are also an option – please get in touch for more information. 

Campers Support Fund

You may want to donate specifically to the Camps Support Fund, which is in place to offer financial assistance to families who would otherwise struggle to send their children to camp. For some young people, camp might be the only holiday they get, and your contribution could go a long way towards making it happen. Any amount is gratefully received, as a one-off donation or a regular amount. If you’re able to donate to this fund, you can do so here (using the reference “Camps Support Fund”). Please get in touch for more information.

Fundraise

Organising a fundraiser for the work of FCYC is a great way to get others involved and to spread the word about the work of FCYC. Coffee mornings, bake sales, curry nights and marmalade making have all been used as fundraisers in the past so feel free to get creative! For ideas, resources and information, get in touch.

Follow FCYC on social media for all the latest news and updates!

Volunteer

Volunteer at Camp

If you would like to volunteer as a leader, cook, driver or chaperone, you can find out everything you need to know below. We are so grateful for your help!

Unable to volunteer at Camp? You might be able to support FCYC in other ways. Find out more here.

Leaders

Interested in joining the FCYC team? Here's everything you need to know.
Info & Application

Drivers & Chaperones

Can you drive campers to and from camp? We would love to hear from you!
More Information

Cooks

Would you like to volunteer as a cook? Click below to find out more!
Info & Application