Butterfly fun on Northcott respite camp

Coffs Habour teenagers with varying disabilities have been filling their school holidays with fun experiences at Northcott Disability Services’ Coffs Harbour respite camp, which provides parents with a break from full-time care requirements.

Throughout January, seven children attended two camps at Tropic Oasis Holiday Villas, Coffs Harbour - a perfect location for the camp, which also hosts an accessible pool.

One of the main highlights of the camp was a visit to the Butterfly House, one of Coffs Harbour’s major tourist attractions. The teenagers with disability interacted amongst hundreds of live Australian butterflies. The entrance fee was generously waived by owners so the young people could enjoy a beautiful sensory experience.

Shanita Clark who went on the camp enjoyed seeing the amazing butterflies.

"The butterflies are pretty."

Chris Truran, camp organiser and Northcott Disability Services Support Worker, said the camp offered a chance for children to meet other children with a physical disability, as well as providing carers with a break from continually providing support to their loved ones.

“Camp is a really fun time for all, where the focus is on abilities and community inclusion,” Ms Truran said. “The camp is client-centred, where the clients have a say about what they want to do on camp; whether that be swimming, going out to the movies, pancake breakfasts or a trip for lunch to McDonalds.”

The camps offer an opportunity for parents to spend time focusing on their other children, even providing parents with a chance to go on a holiday at the same time.

These camps have been made possible thanks to a $35,000 grant from Newcastle Permanent Charitable Foundation, which enabled Northcott to host a series of respite camps over the past three years.

Newcastle Permanent Charitable Foundation Chairman Michael Slater said the Foundation had been thrilled to be involved in the camps over the past three years.

“These camps and others like it offer a much needed community service by introducing the children to new experiences they may not otherwise have and by providing their parents and families with some respite.”

“This respite is not always readily available to families outside of metropolitan cities, which is what makes the Northcott Disability Services’ respite camps so unique,” Mr Slater said.