To reflect current times this year's Stay Home National Camping and Caravanning Week, supported by Julia Bradbury, President of the Camping and caravanning Club, will encourage people to camp at home in the comfort of their own garden or lounge.

In her role as Club President, TV presenter and outdoor enthusiast Julia Bradbury has taken part in a range of daring activities to launch National Camping and Caravanning Week in previous years.

She has spent the night in a caravan on the Thames in 2019 and created the first ever campsite on the famous riverway; in 2018 she led 600 volunteers to light up the Great Ridge in the Peak District at night using headtorches to illuminate the beautiful natural landmark; and Julia was the first person in the world to camp overnight on top of the iconic dome of the O2 arena in 2016.

This year of course things are different. With the current restrictions on daily life still in place, Julia and the team are inspiring people to re-connect with the love of camping, or try it for the first time at home. The ‘Stay Home National Camping and Caravanning Week’ kicks off in her own back garden on Bank Holiday Monday (May 25).

Julia said: “Given some of the more adventurous launches we’ve had for National Camping and Caravanning Week in past years, I’m actually looking forward to a more back-to-basics approach. For the Stay Home National Camping and Caravanning Week we want to welcome new friends into the camping family, and encourage old ones to dust off tents hidden in the garage, and have a good old camp-out with us.
“All of our holidays will look a little different in the future, and when we are allowed to explore a bit further, I think the UK is where we’re all going to feel comfortable for a while. The staycation is here to stay. This is the perfect opportunity to get in the mood and a chance to discover or re-discover the joys of camping. All week we’ll be offering tips, advice, and some virtual campfire comradery, with competitions and quizzes to keep everyone amused.”

Julia added: “We’re encouraging people to find out more about camping during the Stay Home National Camping and Caravanning Week. You can take part by camping in the garden, or even in the lounge, which is a great way to start if you’re new to the pastime.”

While campsites across the UK remain closed, this year’s National Camping and Caravanning Week from Monday May 25 to Sunday May 31 is now a virtual event featuring a range of online content published by the Club to help people discover – and in some cases rediscover – the joys of camping, caravanning and motorhoming. The Club will also be publishing online fun things to do at home with the children, competitions and videos, and refreshing a range of handy guides including its New to Camping website pages.

The Club has also teamed up with Ian Alcorn, who is behind the Great British Camp-out for NHS Staff and has currently raised more than £170,000. Ian, his family and many supporters will take part in the Friendly Club Camp-out on the bank holiday Monday and the Club is encouraging garden campers to donate their ‘pitch fees’ to his fundraising efforts for NHS Charities Together.

The Club’s Director General Sabina Voysey said: “Even though our campsite network remains closed following Government requirements, we still wanted to mark our annual celebration with a camp at home or in the garden event.
“We believe the great outdoors will never feel greater and we can’t wait for the day when we’re able to welcome people back to our campsites. By sharing our handy guides, top tips and online content we hope we can introduce even more people to the joys of camping and caravanning.”

If you’re ready to start thinking about your next camping holiday, remember...

• Stay in the open air – there are many physical and mental well-being benefits of camping and caravanning thanks to spending time in the fresh air
• Stay with the Club – our campsites (including our network of Certificated Sites) will soon be open again once we have the Government’s permission. As a member of the Club you get a host of benefits
• Stay local – there will be a campsite near you, there’s no need to travel far for a change of scene and the local economies will benefit too
• Stay comfortable – there will be social distancing measures in place when we’re able to re-open our campsites
• Stay reassured – any bookings made while our campsites are closed are fully flexible and we’ve opened up our booking window to 18 months for our members.

For more information about The Stay Home National Camping and Caravanning Week, visit the NCCW website. You can find further details about The Great British Camp-out for N.HS Staff here, and on the Just Giving page here.