April Camp
Our April camp was one of the smoothest camps we have ever experienced. The day after camp finished emails came through from parents and children alike saying what a great experience it had been, and asking “when the next camp will be held?” Country children from Colac, Traralgon, St Arnaud, Ararat, Tongala and Rushworth attended, as well as many individuals from all over Melbourne.
January camps must not be overlooked. Fantastic groups from all over Victoria and Southern NSW came by bus with large numbers of children. They were seamless and the last night concerts were some of the best we have ever seen thanks to some very talented volunteers and children.
January 2010 dates are listed below. We are running slightly shorter camps as trying to run back to back camps was
exhausting and unhealthy for all staff and those volunteers who come to one or more. We also considered that in these
economic times a decrease in price would be welcome.
We continue to work closely with the Lord Mayor’s Charitable Foundation. Once again they have provided $60,000 for us to bring 150 children from metropolitan Melbourne to camp over the next year.

Around the camp
Anyone who visits Bayside will note the remarkable change. The exterior of both the units and the cottage look fresh and inviting. Our recent school visitors are certainly happy with the upgrades. The North Balwyn Rotary Club donated towards the Working Bee and this money was utilised around Bayside. The Bayside bunker will become a museum over the next six months. Work has begun on cataloguing the rich history of the camp so that visitors can spend time viewing items, photos and articles.
An abseiling wall will be built in the winter. Again the Swan Hill group has contributed vast sums to see this project through. The Frankston RSL has helped with the deficit and many schools are looking forward to the new activity. It will place the Camp in a whole new category being able to offer this one!
A large shade sail structure is also on the way with funds from the Lord Mayor’s Charitable Foundation $12,000, The Lady Mayoress’ Committee $3000, and the Newsboys Foundation $14,000. Benalla Rotary and Fitzroys (who have previously helped with canoes), have again assisted us in purchasing new dryers.
Other significant donations have come from the Norman, Mavis and Graeme Water Perpetual Trust a great supporter of the Camp. Their contribution will be put towards our children’s charity camps. A local trust, the Toni Kaye Foundation, has also come good with $40,000 to enable us to replace half of our timber bunk beds with new commercial quality metal bunks, enabling us to get our ex Commonwealth Games mattresses out of storage and into use. What a difference that is making already! And they have promised a further $10,000 to enable us to construct a fence along Pt Nepean Rd during our October working bee.

A Busy Start

Camp life is certainly never dull. The year has been all about one group checking out and the next group’s bus practically rolling down the drive directly after! We look like this year will be our highest occupancy ever!

January camps ran terribly smoothly and the Nunawading Rotary provided zodiac proved a great hit out on the water. The mass of blue rash vests along the beach was also a fantastic sight. Our thanks to the Frankston RSL for the donation.

The April camp was again a combination of groups from all over Victoria. We had country children from St Arnaud, Ararat, Colac and Traralgon. Funding from the Lord Mayor’s Charitable Foundation enabled 60 inner city children to attend. Our thanks to the Ardoch Foundation for organizing this group. The Dingley Kiwanis again sent children from Bayside Melbourne and the Mornington Peninsula Shire helped local children to experience camp. Our great thanks to all of the organisers and volunteers for these camps.

Now we are gearing towards September CAMPS. Not one, but two September camps will be run this year. Through the Lord Mayor’s Charitable Foundation the Shane Warne Foundation is sponsoring one camp, and a group of Rotary Clubs from Boroondara in Melbourne are bringing down children from the Moira Shire in an initiative called “Boroondara Cares.” We have all the children, but we desperately need your help with adult volunteers.

LMCF
Their involvement in the Camp has certainly increased our ability to achieve our mission. The contribution that the Lord Mayor’s Charitable Foundation has made will enable 150 more children to attend in this coming year. Their funding will bring approximately 100 children down to camp in September. These children are to be sourced through the State School’s Relief Committee. This is an organisation that assists very needy children in government schools. Their aim is to provide the children with clothing and books. We will then follow on by providing a break and opportunities which they may not ordinarily be afforded.

The Fund’s contacts with other philanthrophic agencies has meant we have been offered $100,000 towards the cost of the much needed decommissioning of the sewerage treatment plant. It is a fantastic start, but we still need $120,000 in order to change over to mains sewerage. A lot yes, but it is overdue and becoming quite desperate. If you can help please send back the donation slip, and make it a tax deduction.

AROUND THE CAMP
The Parade Ground en-suite bathrooms were all fully renovated during January. This has made a big difference to the feedback we are receiving about people’s stay’s with us. Our thanks go to Heritage Victoria for providing the grant to fund this project.

Fantastic news, the Melbourne Newsboys have funded the purchase of 8 more canoes so we will have a definite presence on the water this summer.

Stephen has recently been on a promotional tour through some regional towns. His first trip took him to Mildura where until 6 years ago 50 children attended camp annually. He met with the Shire, RSL, and the local Rotary Club and we are hopeful that 20 children will come to camp this January and travel with our Horsham or Yarriambiack group. The Shepparton Rural City Council was also happy to meet with Stephen and discuss the prospect of children from their area coming to Camp.

Yarrawonga and Cobram were next on the itinerary. The Rotary Clubs welcomed the interaction with the Camp and a look at how we can work together moving forward. For those of you thinking “he hasn’t visited us yet?” well he may be on his way. We are looking into other areas and plan on making many more trips.

We are redesigning the website, so anyone with ideas please email them through, alexc@theportseacamp.com.au

Bayside is under renovation at present. Dale, who has taken over from Ben in maintenance, has transformed the garden aspect and with the recent rain the lawn is starting to take shape. Les and Chris are on the exterior and the overall results are great.

Works
Some might say it is miraculous, but the concrete has finally been laid for the woodshed to be erected!!! The generous Rotarians from Huntingdale came in May to construct the shed and complete the process. It will be fantastic to see it utilised during camps to entice the children who enjoy the process of building woodwork from scratch. Our great thanks to the Swan Hill and Kerang groups for their tireless fundraising which enabled us to fulfil this wish.
The sewerage plant will be decommissioned! Shortly work will begin work in Point Nepean Road. A large number of plumbing consultants have been brought in and are assisting the camp with their expert advice. The Camp has raised funds through a variety of appeals to the public through direct mailing and newspaper articles, but we are still chasing a deficit of $90,000.
Our great thanks to the many donors including neighbours of the Camp, the Lord Mayor’s Charitable Foundation ($140,000) and the Uniting Church Opportunity Shop in Rosebud for significant contributions.

Sewerage Plant
The Portsea Camp has been generously offered $140,000 by the Lord Mayor's Charitable Foundation towards the overall cost of $270,000 to SAY FAREWELL to our 35 year old sewerage treatment plant. We are calling on the Victorian community to get behind the camp as we strive to raise the extra $170,000. Our treatment plant won't last forever, in fact we have been trying to get rid of it for years but never dreamed it could be a possibility. Can you help?

BOROONDARA CARES CAMP (20-27 sEPT)
Rotary Clubs in the Boroondara area have pooled their support to get behind children from drought affected Moira Shire. 40 children will be attending camp from the Shire to join with 80 children from disadvantaged inner metropolitan schools funded by the Lord Mayor’s Charitable Foundation. Our thanks to the clubs for their support to children from Moira. We’ll do our best to make sure they have a great week at Portsea!

Shane WARNE FOUNDATION CAMP (27 SEPT – 3 oCT)
Thanks to the help of the Lord Mayor’s Charitable Foundation the camp is fortunate to have secured another principal supporter for September camps. The Shane Warne Foundation has offered to sponsor the second of the two camps. To be attended by disadvantaged children from inner metropolitan Melbourne, with many children coming from a number of child and family support services. We are hoping to see another 120 children attend this camp. Our thanks to the Foundation for appreciating the value a week at camp makes to a child.