FCYC organisers have shared some changes happening at Camps. Information has been shared on the FCYC social media and on the newly refreshed Free Church Youth Camps website. There is also a guide below outlining the changes, dates for your diary and plans for 2026.
FCYC is changing: introducing first-come, first served
To simplify the booking process Free Church Youth Camps are switching from random allocation to a first-come, first-served booking system.
We listened to your feedback that the old system was often confusing and led to disappointment. After listening, discussing, and praying, the Youth Committee and Camps Working Group approved this new booking system which is straightforward and easy to understand.
Camps will be divided by a limited number of boys and girls spaces, and adults will be asked to pay a £25 non-refundable deposit upon booking. Spaces will be allocated based on the order of booking until we reach our capacity.
FCYC are planning to launch Kid, Junior, and Senior camps on separate days to make it easier for parents and guardians to book.
Dates for your Diary. *All bookings will go live at 8am.
• Kid camps (P5-P7): Tuesday, 6th January
• Junior camps (S1-S3): Wednesday, 7th January
• Senior camps (S4-S6): Thursday, 8th January
To save time when booking we’ll only ask a few basic questions and then send you an Additional Information Form. This has questions about shared dorm requests, sibling discounts, and detailed medical info. This should make booking quick, simple, and easy.
New Camps in 2026
We’re running 12 camps in 2026 with some changes to the 2025 calendar to try help more young people join. We now have space for over 390 young people in 2026!
Our 2026 programme will be the same as last summer with these changes:
Junior Adventure
We’re thrilled to announce Junior Adventure, our new outdoor camp in partnership with Abernethy at their venue in Dumfries and Galloway! We heard you missed outdoor camps, and this new week is designed to be bigger and more action-packed, featuring activities that may include climbing, kayaking, archery, paddleboarding, and much, much more!
We’re delighted that Sheona Glass will be the team leader here.
Kincraig Seniors
Kincraig Juniors is becoming Kincraig Seniors. The age range for this camp is moving up to better meet camper demand.
We understand those who loved Kincraig Juniors may be sad, but there are so many brilliant camps waiting for you! We highly recommend checking out Junior Adventure, Arbroath Juniors, Junior Football, Renfrew Girls, or Oswestry Juniors. They’d love to have you!
Renfrew Seniors is wrapping up, and the team is moving to Kincraig Seniors. The great news for previous Renfrew Seniors campers is that many of the team will be running the new Kincraig Seniors camp. It’d mean a lot if you joined them again next summer!
Bonus: We’ve amended the camps programme so that all our labels refer to the same consistent age groups which helps avoid confusion and makes it clearer when applying.
Booking system changed to Pebble
To support the move to first-come, first-served booking and to give you a better experience, we’re moving registrations to Pebble.
What does this mean for you?
• You’ll still find all our camps on the FCYC website as usual
• The ‘Book Now’ button will take you directly to Pebble’s platform to book
• Pebble offers a clean, modern interface, making it easy to navigate and book your young person’s spot
• Bonus: If you booked for the Big Free Rally you’ll already be familiar with the system!
We’ll still be using school years to define all our camp age ranges. Pebble will show you the approximate age range for reference.
Remember: It is the current school year that your young person is in that determines which camp they can attend.
We kindly ask you to ensure your young person is booked into camp with the correct school year. Bookings will be reviewed and spots with the incorrect year group may need to be released.
New: The FCYC Booking Agreement
To help run a safe and fun camp for every young person, we’ve put our shared expectations into the new FCYC Booking Agreement.
It covers both our commitments to you and the key commitments we expect from parents/guardians:
• We Commit To: Providing a safe, supervised camp with PVG-checked leaders and a Christ-centred programme.
• You Commit To: Supplying accurate information with no changes later than 4 weeks before camp and ensuring camp fees are paid on time.
You can find the full agreement on the FCYC website.
FCYC website refresh
A big thanks to Sharon at Fivepenny Media for all the hard work behind the scenes! The website now has a new look!
Here’s what you can look forward to:
• Easier payments: Pay your remaining balance directly on the website (no more Free Church donation page)
• Dedicated Camper Support Fund Tab: We’re making the Camper Support Fund clearer and easier to access on it’s own dedicated section on the website.
We hope these changes make navigating and managing your booking smoother for everyone!
If you have any questions about any of the above, email [email protected].
And do remember to follow Free Church Youth Camps on social media for regular updates.
