We’re so excited to introduce Ange (on the left), who this year is stepping into the Christchurch Regional Manager role. It’s likely that her face is very familiar to many people in the Camp Quality community, as she’s been a part of the camp family for several years now and is super excited to take on this new role!

Getting involved with camp

Ange was 18 years old when she first became a Camp Quality companion. A teacher at her school had recommended it, and Ange and three friends found themselves at their first camp in Hawkes Bay not long after.

Ange absolutely loved being a companion, but university and other commitments meant she couldn’t return every summer. However, when she came to settle down in Christchurch, she immediately got in contact with the local Camp Quality team.

She joined as a companion again, and later got more involved by joining the fundraising committee.

A new way to make her impact

Now, Ange is ready to step up to the Regional Manager role, where she’s excited to make more of a positive impact on camp.

“I’m really looking forward to getting started and am excited for what we’ve got coming up,” Ange says. “It’s an exciting opportunity for me to get involved with Camp Quality even more.

“I think COVID provided a bit of a reality check about how camp is just so important to kids. It provides campers with such fantastic memories and lifelong friends, and I really think we need to work hard to make sure no kids lose that experience.”

A part of the Camp Quality family

For Ange, the reason she keeps coming back to camp every single year is because of the incredible resilience of Camp Quality campers – as well as the community that gives them so much joy.

“Camp Quality is like a family,” says Ange. “A lot of people outside of camp might not understand, but I know that anyone could reach out to anyone else in camp for a hand and they’d drop everything to help out.

“The community, the joy it brings kids… camp really fills my cup. So why would I not spend more time doing it?”

When asked about a particularly special Camp Quality memory, Ange struggled to pick just one. There’s the camper who she still catches up with seven years after camp, the fundraisers that have been awesome successes, or several camp activities that have really stood out. But most of all, it’s the many connections Ange has made that she treasures so much. Whether it’s with the kids, their families, fellow companions and staff, or the wider camp family, Ange treasures the community at Camp Quality. Everyone plays a part in making camp happen – from the small businesses to the people that turn up to sausage sizzles.

Ange is looking forward to deepening and expanding those connections and making more as Christchurch’s Regional Manager. Even more, she’s excited to create great camps and activities for our kids, and to make sure they’ve got everything they need to thrive for a long time to come.