• If you are up for an ACTIVE, ADVENTUROUS CAMPING holiday, Odyssians is the holiday for you!

  • Odyssians is not a respite service. We provide an active and adventurous camping holiday for adults with disabilities.

  • We have well-trained and enthusiastic helpers skilled in assisting with various disabilities, including mobility, sensory, communication, learning, and behaviour. We assign someone to manage your medicine but do not have qualified nurses, so we cannot assist with complex medical needs requiring a nurse, such as catheterising you.

  • The cost for a full week of activities, meals, and accommodation in 2025 is £240 for campers and £100 for helpers.

    Details regarding payment will be provided upon acceptance of your application.

    Should the cost present a financial difficulty, you can apply for assistance through our Friendship Fund on the application form.

  • Odyssians is regularly oversubscribed with people who require care during their holiday. As a result, we are not able to accept everyone who applies, as we can only accept you if we have enough helpers to cover your care needs for the week. We therefore place you on a waiting list whilst we wait for more helpers to apply.

  • It’s great! We keep busy with lots of fun activities including swimming and crafts. You can find out more on our Camp page, and our Photos page has lots of pictures of previous camps to give you a flavour of what to expect.

  • Yes, Odyssians has a cancellation policy that considers both individual circumstances and pre-incurred costs for planned activities. Here are our refund levels based on notice given:

    ·       More than 42 days: Full Refund

    ·       More than 21 days: 40% Refund

    ·       Within 21 days: No Refund

    Refunds for additional donations will be discussed with the donor. If concerned about potential cancellation we recommend participants consider taking out holiday insurance.

  • You can bring your own tent or share one of ours. If you share one of our tents, we will probably ask you to share with other people. See the What to Bring section of our Camp page to find out more about what you’ll need.

  • Yes, all meals are included in the price. Our skilled volunteer cooks diligently prepare two or three hot meals daily, including at least one vegetarian option and a variety of desserts. Our food is highly regarded. We accommodate food allergies, religious dietary needs, and can puree food if required. Please indicate any specific dietary requirements on your application form.

    You can see an example menu from a previous camp here.

  • We expect you to work hard but understand everyone tires at different times. We schedule quiet time most afternoons, and you can also relax in the evenings or talk to your patrol leader about resting in your tent during the day.

  • Yes please, unless you receive personal care for your disability. We will often accept a certificate from the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) from the last three years, or we can use the DBS Update Service if you’re already member of that. Don’t worry if you haven’t got one, we will send you everything you need. If you’re a volunteer, we’ll pay for it, too.

  • Our Camp page has these details for both campers and helpers.

  • We welcome you to bring friends who would enjoy Odyssians, however, we cannot accept applications based on the offer of bringing your own assistance, as it may disadvantage those who do not communicate verbally or have higher care needs. We always need more helpers at Odyssians and encourage you to submit your application.

    Additionally, Odyssians discourages paid carers from attending due to the long days (often around 7am to 11pm) and irregular breaks/downtimes. We also promote working as a patrol, meaning you may work with different individuals throughout the day, fostering new friendships. Having a paid carer may limit these interactions. If you wish to discuss this further, please Contact Us.

  • We arrange for someone to visit a local supermarket at least once a day, and they can pick up any essentials for you.

  • Odyssians Camp is organised by a group of volunteers who manage all the planning of activities, our menu for the week, and our application process.  Behind this, Odyssians charity is managed by trustees who ensure our finances are stable, legal policies are in place, and everything necessary for camp happens.

  • Unfortunately, Odyssians does not have access to Woodlarks Campsite before our week of camp. If you need to visit the site before our allotted week, you’ll have to discuss this directly with the Woodlarks Caretakers who can be contacted here.

    The Odyssians members who organise the holiday are spread far and wide over the UK, so meeting anyone face-to-face can be difficult. However, please feel free to Contact Us and we may be able to arrange a video call.

  • Of course. You can use our Contact Us form or alternatively for non-personal questions our facebook group has lots of members including previous campers and helpers.