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Following extensive discussion and careful consideration, the Board and Management of Lord Somers Camp and Power House recently made the difficult decision to pause our regular, volunteer-led program schedule through until the end of January 2027. This includes all regularly scheduled, external-facing volunteer-led programs for the remainder of 2026 such as Community Camps, together with Big Camp (Lord Somers Camp and Lady Somers Camp) scheduled for January 2027.

This was not a decision the Board and Management reached lightly. Over recent months we have consulted widely with program leaders, partner organisations, staff and members. We have deliberately taken the time to consider the many perspectives and options available to us because we did not want to rush a decision of such significance.

We also know this decision will have a real impact across our community. Members who were looking forward to leading and volunteering, participants excited to attend programs, our staff, our partners and the many people who give so much to Lord Somers Camp and Power House will all feel this disappointment. We share that disappointment.

Ultimately, however, we believe this is the right decision for the long-term future of our organisation. It allows us to move forward with integrity, with child safety and wellbeing at the forefront of every decision we make, and with the confidence that, when our regular programs return, they will reflect the very best of who we are and who we aspire to be.

The principal reason for this decision is to provide the organisation with the opportunity to complete the Program Review Process currently underway and properly implement its recommendations before resuming our external-facing, volunteer-led programs. The Program Review Process will formalise a culture of continuous improvement across all our programs and activities. While our programs have always evolved and changed over time, we want to become more deliberate and responsive in how we review, refine and strengthen them, ensuring they continue to meet the needs of our participants, volunteers and partners.

Once the review concludes, we anticipate there will be a significant period of implementation. This is likely to include redesigning aspects of our programs, strengthening policies and procedures, governance and organisational frameworks, embedding improvements across the organisation and ensuring these changes become part of the way we operate.

Rather than attempting to continue delivering our regular program schedule while undertaking this work, we believe it is more responsible to focus our collective efforts on getting these foundations right.

This will give our members, volunteers and staff the opportunity to understand the recommendations of the review, contribute to implementing them and ensure they are embedded throughout the organisation. Most importantly, it will help ensure that every participant, volunteer, staff member, partner and member of our community can have confidence that they are joining programs that are safe, child safe, welcoming, inclusive and of the high quality we know Lord Somers Camp and Power House is capable of delivering.

The Board and Management’s expectation is that our regular program schedule will recommence in early 2027, following the completion of this work and when we are satisfied that the organisation is ready to do so. While we cannot yet commit to specific timeframes, our focus is on ensuring we return with confidence rather than returning quickly.

Thank you to our community of valued members, staff, partners, volunteers and participants for your continued commitment to Lord Somers Camp and Power House.

If you have any questions about this announcement, please contact us at info@lordsomerscamp.org.au or by calling +61 3 9510 7066.