With what has now been a year without skiing for many of us around the UK (those living north of Hadrian’s Wall have had it somewhat lucky), things have really brought home how essential the UK’s dome scene is for snow lovers around the UK. An instant snow fix only a few miles from our front door. For a nation of snow lovers who are (relatively) lacking in snow-capped peaks, there’s a lot to love about our glorified freezers.
However, one inherent problem with the UK’s dome scene is how expensive and, for that reason, exclusive an indoor skiing and snowboarding day out is for the UK. On average, an hour in a UK dome costs around £25, making it unimaginable for many, without even taking into account the sometimes eye watering price of buying or renting all the kit.
“There’s a lot to love about our glorified freezers”
This exclusivity puts up an instant barrier for many before they’ve had the chance to step foot in a resort.
This is where Snow Camp comes in. A youth snowsport charity that uses the UK’s snow domes as an engagement tool for young people – those who would never normally get an opportunity to try skiing and snowboarding. Snow Camp takes young people from having never clicked into a pair of skis, or strapped into a snowboard, all the way up to becoming qualified Level 1 ski and snowboard instructors, with a week long trip to the Alps towards the end of the course for good measure.
And, while opening up the sometimes life changing experience of skiing and snowboarding to unprivileged young people is a fantastic tool in itself, Snow Camp looks to give young people the opportunity to gain qualifications, vocational training, and present them with opportunities that wouldn’t normally have been available. Kind of like a youth work project in disguise, Snow Camp uses the extremely engaging (and quite frankly, fun) activity of snowsports to upskill young people and give them qualifications and direction in life.
