March 2026 Newsletter
- campjojo
- Mar 6
- 4 min read
Camp Jojo Impact Report 2025
Camp Jojo has published our impact review from 2025 which sums up another wonderful year at Camp Jojo. The full report is available on our website :
Camp Jojo is growing - new members of the team!
We are so pleased announced THREE new members of the Camp Jojo team!
Dionne Simpson - Marketing and Communications Officer
Sadly, Fay Velleman has had to take the difficult decision to step back as Marketing and Communications Officer, due to health reasons, but we are delighted to confirm that Dionne Simpson will be taking over the role. Dionne has spent many years working across the disability sector, advocating for equitable access and amplifying underrepresented voices. Her lived and professional experience has shaped a deep understanding of the barriers disabled people and their families can face — and the transformative impact of inclusive spaces and storytelling.
Jo Money - Volunteer Manager - Camp Jojo Cumbria
Jo joins the team to drive forward recruitment and management of volunteers for Camp Jojo Cumbria at Nag's Head Farm. Jo has worked with marginalised sections of the community for over 20 years, including visually impaired, special educational needs, refuges and asylum seekers and young offenders. Jo enjoys everything outdoors! She lives in Northumberland with her teenage son and mad Weimaraner dog.
Vicky Shaw - Families and Operations Manager - Camp Jojo Cumbria
Vicky also joins Camp Jojo Cumbria to take care of families and operational duties at our Northern site at Nag's Head Farm. Before joining the team at Camp Jojo, Vicky worked for many years as an occupational therapist, supporting children with special educational needs and disabilities and their families. She has a particular interest and experience in sensory integration, as well as equipment and adaptations to help make environments accessible and inclusive - something she's passionate about bringing to Nags Head Farm. Vicky is a big animal lover (especially dogs!), she also enjoys walking, tending to her garden, and listening to music.
Camp Jojo Cumbria (Northern site) Update
Farm is developing ready for Summer 2026!
Our growing team at Camp Jojo Cumbria have been very busy sourcing and securing the vast array of equipment needed to make camping with complex needs. From tents to hammocks, hoists to beds, the team have been working hard to ensure that everything is ready and in place for the first camps in August.
The Fundraising team continue to tirelessly to make connections with businesses and key people in the North of England, following the lead of our principal funder the National Lottery Community Fund, in making sure that funds are raised to cover all costs for the equipment, services and volunteers we need to sprinkle the Camp Jojo magic at our second site.
We are delighted to announce that the Catherine Cookson Charitable Trust is supporting Camp Jojo and have agreed a grant towards the equipment costs at Camp Jojo Cumbria. We are so very grateful, We have been given donations by the High Sherriff of Cumbria Geoff Joliffe and also the Appleby and Upper Eden Rotary Clubs. This all helps bring our dream of bringing Camp Jojo to the North within touching distance !
If you, or your company, business or organisation would like to support Camp Jojo in getting our Northern camps up and running, please email Helen@campjojo.org.uk
Keep up to date with developments at Nag's Head Farm on our website www.campjojo.org/campjojocumbria
Families News
Family selection is underway!
Family applications for our Essex camps in summer 2026 have now closed, and as ever we received more applications than we are able to offer places to. So the very difficult process of selecting families is underway. This is process that we take very seriously and selection takes three months to complete and is split into several stages to ensure that we are being as fair and thorough as possible. More information about our family selection process can be found here
More information about the application process for Camp Jojo Cumbria will be shared later in the year.
Volunteer News
Volunteer applications for Camps 2026 are still open!
Volunteer applications for Camp Jojo 2026, at both Ivy Farm (Essex) and Nag's Head Farm (Cumbria) are still OPEN until the end of May. We are looking for volunteers for the following support:
Family support volunteers
Catering
Activities
Site maintenance
Photography
Music, massage and yoga therapy
The dates for camp are as follows:
Ivy Farm (Essex)
Camp 1 (Highshore School) - 17th - 19th July 2026
Camp 2 (East Anglia Childrens' Hospice) - 24th - 26th July 2026
Camp 3 - 31st July - 2nd August 2026
Camp 4 - 7th - 9th August 2026
Camp 5 - 14th - 16th August 2026
Camp 6 - 21st - 23rd August 2026
Camp 7 - 28th - 30th August 2026
Nag's Head Farm (Cumbria)
Camp 1 - 31st July - 2nd August 2026
Camp 2 - 14th - 16th August 2026
Camp 3 - 28th - 30th August 2026
Don't forget we welcome Young Volunteers too. Age 14-17, accompanied by an adult member of their family. You can watch a video about our young volunteers below:
Sarah’s Half Marathon for Camp Jojo
Our volunteers often take on challenges outside of the camp weeks to continue their support for Camp Jojo throughout the year. One of our volunteers, Sarah Cunningham recently took on her first Half-Marathon in support of Camp Jojo, raising over £880! Sarah, we are so grateful that you took on this challenge! It means so much to us. Thank you!
For more information about how to become a volunteer and to access the application form, please visit www.campjojo.org.uk/volunteers or email Paul Hocker (Ivy Farm) on Paul@campjojo.org.uk or Jo Money (Nag's Head Farm) at jo@campjojo.org.uk
Camp Jojo Community News
As ever, our community have been working hard to support Camp Jojo. Organisations such as Lions Club, Rotary Club, Round Table and local church groups are the lifeblood of Camp Jojo and we simply could not keep going without the constant support that our local communities provide., Here are some of the things that groups local to our Essex site, in East Mersea, have been getting up to:
With good wishes,
The Camp Jojo Team
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