Our YMCA’s longest running school holiday camp programme for young people, held every school break.
What is Camp Williams?
Encompassing a variety of indoor and outdoor sports, group games, artistic projects, and traditional camp activities such as rallies and campfire songs – Camp Williams is a place where children ages 4 to 15, from all backgrounds and walks of life, can come together to form new positive friendships, learn new skills, and build confidence. Sessions are action-packed, adventure driven and experience focused to engage young people.
We believe that children given opportunities to learn through interactive experiences delivered by our role model Camp Leaders will make healthier choices as they grow into adults. Campers receive awards and certificates for demonstrating the four core values of YMCA – caring, honesty, respect and responsibility.
Villages
At Camp Williams, different age groups become part of their assigned villages. Each village enjoys a special activity unique to them!
Kids Zone
(aged 4 -7)
Our youngest campers are just starting their camp journey. They join in with indoor and outdoor sports, games, arts, crafts, and swimming.
Campers can also perform their newfound skills for parents at Campfire Friday!
Discovery Village
(aged 8 – 9)
Our full-week campers get to choose their Skill Clinics! Find out more about Skill Clinics below.
In addition to Skill Clinics, Discovery campers can also enjoy sports, camp games, and swimming!
Explorer Village
(aged 10 – 12)
Campers can enjoy everything Discovery can access.
Plus, Explorer campers are offered the chance to take their abilities to the next level with Masterclass Skills Clinics (see below for more details).
Adventure Village
(13 – 15)
As role models, our oldest and wisest campers enjoy sports, games, swimming AND Skill Clinics, plus Masterclass Skills Clinics and participation in Adventure Day Trips, which take place each Thursday at camp (full week bookings at Summer camp only). After Skill Clinics each morning, Adventurers depart on their trips via YMCA mini-bus.
Pioneer Village (aged 8 – 12)
Day bookings only.
Pioneer village campers are those who join us for a single day booking.
One-day programme campers can enjoy a range of awesome activities, including sports, games, structured and freestyle swimming, arts and craft projects.
Children also get the chance to try some of the skills-based activities on site, which have been tailored especially for campers to get the most out of their single day. This means that campers booked on the full week at camp will get priority choice of their Skill Clinics, and Pioneer Village campers will be able to try available Skill Clinics, which vary each week depending on capacity and staffing.
Book now!
All dates are 8am – 6pm.
| Holiday | Week | Week booking Price | Day booking Price |
| Christmas Week 1* | 23rd, 24th & 27th December | £135 | £58 |
| Christmas Week 2* | 30th – 31st December & 2nd – 3rd January | £180 | £58 |
| February Half Term | 17th – 21st February | £225 | £58 |
| Easter Week 1 | 7th – 11th April | £225 | £58 |
| Easter Week 2 | 14th April – 17th April | £180 | £58 |
| May Half Term | 26th – 30th May | £225 | £58 |
For Camp Williams in Newark-on-Trent, click here.
*For Christmas 2024, Camp Williams will be held at the incredible YMCA Village in Newark-on-Trent, with no extra hassle for our Nottingham campers. To make things convenient, a FREE Camp Williams bus will depart from The Becket School at 8.15am each day and return at 5.45pm. Camp Williams staff will accompany the children on both the morning and afternoon bus journeys. Rest assured, your children will enjoy all the winter camp activities they know and love!
What to bring:
- A positive attitude
- Swimming kit – swim days are split by Village:
- Kids Zone: Mondays, Tuesdays & Wednesdays
- Discovery: Thursdays & Fridays
- Explorer: Wednesdays & Thursdays
- Adventure: Mondays & Tuesdays
- Loud singing voice
- Creative imagination
- Healthy lunch and snacks
- Clothes you can get messy
- Full water bottle
Arrivals and Departures
Sign-in: 8am-9am every morning – each camper will be welcomed by a member of YMCA staff and introduced to their Village.
Departures: 5pm-6pm every evening – Following the closing ‘camp rally’, a Camp Leader will sign out each child with their parent/carer or onto the YMCA bus with another YMCA staff member.
Camp Williams parent, 2018“YMCA staff are amazing and Campfire Friday is definitely not to be missed. I’m so pleased to have found a place my child really looks forward to attending every day.”
Skill Clinics (ages 8-15)
Skill Clinics give children a chance to learn and practice new skills and activities throughout their week.
How can I choose Skill Clinics?
Choices are not made at time of booking. They are chosen by children after our morning rally on the first day of camp. These are first-come, first-served, with plenty of exciting options every week!
What clinics will be on offer?
Our Skill Clinics vary week by week. We cannot guarantee availability of specific clinics, however do our best to ensure an exciting range is always available.
Who can take part in Skill Clinics?
These sessions are are available to children with week-long bookings, aged 8-15. This is because Skill Clinics build on new skills daily as a progressive set of lessons. Don’t worry! Younger children and day campers enjoy plenty of exciting activities too.
Masterclasses
(summer camp only)
Rather than sampling three different activities, campers from Explorer and Adventure Villages can progress to the next level by choosing one Skill Clinic to master in depth over the course of the week.
Climbing
It’s hard to miss our climbing wall when you arrive at camp! Campers will be up and over it in no time after a week in our climbing skills clinic. Lock in your karabiner and you’re away!
Football
Learn some new skills, or brush up on existing ones. Later, get involved with a penalty shoot-out and put skills into practice during group matches. Whatever your current level, we’ve got it covered.
Archery
Be an archer before you know it. We teach the safest and best way to shoot an arrow – plus playing games and learning the lingo is a great way to have fun with friends and learn something new.
Music
Form a band, go solo, pick up an instrument you’ve never tried before, get lyrical and even record new sounds!
Skateboarding
Ollies, kickflips and grinds. Street style or long board. Pick up tips and practice your moves with our skating insiders.
Drama and Theatre
Time to work on that path to stage stardom. Campers can write, rehearse and perform their own play. Break a leg!
Basketball
Defence, dribbling, jump shots, team tactics and more. Basketball was invented at the YMCA so we know our stuff!
Mountain Biking
Varied introductory course travels a route outside of Camp Williams. Should be able to ride a bike already but don’t need any experience of mountain biking.
Dance
Find your rhythm! With our staff choreographing movements, you will find new ways to express yourself through this engaging performing art form.
Net Sports
Volley ball to badminton and tennis! We’ll be playing team games and honing solo skills. Once campers have mastered the basics, take part in a mini tournament!
Paddle Sports
By the end of the week our campers will be experts. We’ll be kayaking near Camp Williams, at a dedicated space on the River Trent.
Chess
Our brilliant chess Skill Clinic teaches you everything you need to know about the world’s favourite and most challenging strategy game.
Crafts
Choose from pottery, textiles and fine arts projects. We’ll be experimenting with colours, textures and patterns to create mini masterpieces.
Scootering
Learn basic tricks of the scootering trade and take on our amazing half-pipes!
Cricket
Campers can enjoy learning the basic rules of cricket as well as all the tricks of the trade! If you have a sporty streak – this is the place to be!
Information for Parents
Our brilliant Camp Staff have been working hard to make sure Camp Williams is bursting with fun, friendships and adventure – all while keeping as safe as possible.
Our Parent Handbook outlines all our measures in full. We ask all parents and carers to take a moment and familiarise themselves with it before camp.
Getting to camp
Camp Williams is based at The Becket School, West Bridgford!
The Nottingham Becket School’s secure grounds offer amazing space and freedom to explore, learn, and play. Encompassing ample space to enjoy our varied Skill Clinics!
Note: We also host Camp Williams at the Community and Activity Village, Newark-on-Trent.
Address
The Becket School
Wilford Ln
West Bridgford
Nottingham
NG2 7QY
By Tram
You can get the Clifton tram to Wilford Lane. Camp Williams is just a 5 minute walk from there. There are cycle and foot paths leading towards The Nottingham Becket School. The school is well signposted.
By car
Take B679 (Wilford Lane) from A453 or A60 (Loughbrough Road). Turn into Gresham Park Road between the Gresham Park Playing Fields and Castle Healthcare Practice. There is space for you to park whilst you sign in and out of camp – please avoid the staff car park.
The YMCA Bus (Summer Camps only)
Our bus stops at locations all over Nottingham to take children to Camp Williams! Bus transfers are available at no extra cost for campers who have booked a full week, but places must be reserved. Just sign in your child with a camp leader and they will make the journey to camp in style.
| Bus Stop | Pick-up time | Drop-off time |
| Kimberley Sainsburys | 07:20 | 18:25 |
| Phoenix Park | 07:30 | 18:10 |
| Melbourne Road (Opposite Melbourne Park) | 07:40 | 17:55 |
| Arnold Hill Academy | 08:00 | 17:40 |
| Forest Recreation Ground (Outside Djanogly Academy) | 08:20 | 17:25 |
| Jubilee Campus (Middleton Boulevard outside Co-Op) | 08:45 | 17:15 |
Important Information: Places on our buses are limited and booked first-come first-served. Please note, the camp bus is only running for the Summer holidays. Please contact us to add the bus to your booking.
Core Values Awards at Camp Williams
Campers will soon receive awards for demonstrating the YMCA core values – caring, honesty, respect, responsibility. Collect all four core values wrist bands and be in with a chance of winning the Core Vales Champion trophy!
Parent Resources
You can find more information about YMCA day camps by downloading our ‘Parent Resources’ below. Remember to read the Parent Handbook and sign a media consent form before your child attends Camp Williams.
Apply for a Scholarship
If like us you believe every child should be given the same opportunities as their peers to learn, grow and fulfil their potential – please sponsor a young person today by donating and helping a child to access our educational programmes services and award them the best start in life.
Alternatively, click below to apply for a scholarship for your child.
FAQs
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Who should I contact whilst my child is at Camp?
For early pick up, if you’re running late or for any questions whilst your child is at Camp, please call the Camp Site Mobile Phone: 07587 552302.
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Where can I find your prices and dates?
All camp dates and cost breakdowns can be found on the online booking form, so you can choose the best camp package for you and your child. If you can’t quite cover cost of the week camp, you may qualify for our Scholarships support.
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Does swimming take place on site?
All aboard the YMCA bus! Every week, campers get the chance to go swimming at Portland Leisure Centre. We book out the whole pool to ourselves so there is plenty of time to learn and play in a safe, supervised environment. Please bring your child’s swim kit every day to Camp Williams.
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What happens on arrival?
Whether campers are arriving by YMCA bus or with parents/carers, everyone will be introduced to their team and Village spaces. If you have any questions during the day, parents/carers will be given a specific YMCA Camp Williams phone number to contact anytime. Collection is between 5pm-6pm every day.
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Is there an age limit on who can take part in Skill Clinics?
Yes. For the safety and enjoyment of our campers, only older children aged 8-15 can participate in Skill Clinics – but don’t worry! Campers in our Kids Zone (aged 4-7) will have plenty of opportunities to enjoy other engaging activities such as clay modelling, slack-lining and rocket building – not to mention creating craft props for their Campfire Friday performances!
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What is Camp Fire Friday?
At the end of each week, we invite parents and carers to join us and celebrate the children’s achievements at Camp Williams with a series of performances from each Village. Campers can take to the stage and show off their new skills! A lovely way to round-off their YMCA adventures.
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What are your Terms & Conditions?
Please find all our Terms and Conditions using the button below.
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What is the purpose of Camp Williams?
Camp Williams aims to provide children aged 4 to 15 with a space to form new friendships, learn new skills, and build confidence. The camp offers a variety of indoor and outdoor sports, group games, artistic projects, and traditional camp activities. The focus is on interactive experiences that help children make healthier choices as they grow.
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What age groups are catered to at Camp Williams?
Camp Williams is designed for children aged 4 to 15. The camp is divided into different “villages” based on age groups: Kids Zone (4-7), Discovery Village (8-9), Explorer Village (10-12), Adventure Village (13-15), and Pioneer Village (8-12 for day bookings).
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What activities are offered?
Activities range from indoor and outdoor sports, games, arts and crafts, swimming, to specialised Skill Clinics. Skill Clinics offer activities like climbing, football, archery, music, skateboarding, drama, basketball, mountain biking, dance, net sports, paddle sports, chess, crafts, scootering, and cricket.
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What are Skill Clinics?
Skill Clinics are specialised sessions that give children aged 8-15 the chance to learn and practise new skills throughout the week. These clinics vary each week and are first-come, first-served.
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What are Masterclass Skills Clinics?
Available only during the summer camp, Masterclass Skills Clinics allow campers from Explorer and Adventure Villages to choose one Skill Clinic to master in-depth over the course of the week.
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How are the campers recognised?
Campers receive awards and certificates for demonstrating the YMCA’s four core values: caring, honesty, respect, and responsibility.
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What are the camp timings and prices?
The camp runs from 8 am to 6 pm. Prices vary depending on the week and whether it’s a day or week booking. For example, Easter Week 2 from 8th-12th April 2024, costs £205 for a week booking and £55 for a day booking.
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How can parents get more information?
A Parent Handbook is available that outlines all measures to ensure the camp is as safe as possible. Parents can also contact the camp via email or phone for any questions.
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Where is Camp Williams located?
The camp is based at The Beckett School in West Bridgford. It’s accessible by tram and car, and a free YMCA bus, picking children up across the city is available for summer camps. We also host Camp Williams in Newark.
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