Confidence at Camas

When I was 15, I was in a really bad place. The summer before, I hadn’t left the house because of bullies who lived in my street. My mental health has started to rapidly decline, I had recently been diagnosed with autism and I needed support.

That came in the form of the theGKexperience  a youth work organisation working in Glasgow to support young people living in deprived areas of the city. I didn’t fit into that category, but as GK was founded through the Church of Scotland, I had a connection through my dad as a minister. I’d been on one residential with them previously, in 2012, which my dad accompanied me on. I decided to try another trip to see if it would make any positive change to a dire personal situation. That trip, in July 2013, was to Camas.

I have many connections to the Iona Community throughout my life and have visited the island a lot during my childhood, but this was a new experience for me. I didn’t know what I was walking into. All I’d been told before was that it was a hut in the middle of nowhere where you couldn’t go on your phone or eat meat. (I was vegetarian anyway so that didn’t matter). I had low expectations.

It’s fair to say Camas far exceeded all my expectations pretty quickly. I felt this wave of relief and calmness wash over me as soon as I stepped onto the grass. My anxiety didn’t matter here. No one was going to judge me for who I was or the way I looked. No-one would laugh at me or isolate me as they so often did at school.

I have good memories of that initial trip. I tried kayaking for the first time. I hated it and wanted to get out the boat after about five minutes. I got told: “Keep trying. Just a little bit longer.” It somehow got easier and I was sailing smoothly. That’s until I turned around and two youth workers were pushing my boat from the back.

I found most peace in the Chapel of the Nets. I would sit there in solitude, taking time to soak in the silence. I like silence. When you’re struggling to cope with the sensory overload that comes with living in a city, the silence of island life (for the most part) is a blessing.

I loved it so much that I came back for multiple consecutive years, and I think from 2013-2024, I have been a total of roughly 10 times. It has felt magical every time, and every time I have found something new in it. I could see the confidence change in myself. As I went from young person to young leader to adult volunteer youth worker, having the solidity of a place that has become very familiar meant I could focus on the work itself.

Being autistic, change is something I struggle with and having to get used to a new centre set up as well as the day to day life of working with young people is stressful, but by visit four I knew Camas inside out and it was a problem I didn’t have to contend with. I had the safety of being secure in my space which meant I could work on being secure in myself.

Seeing what GK and their relationship with Camas did for me, I saw it reflect in other young people experiencing it for the first time like I did all those years ago. Our young people have gone on to become Camas volunteers and staff as well as youth workers in other capacities.

In the two years since its closure, we have struggled to find a place to hold residentials that has the same feel or produces the same response. Camas is vital to organisations and its future should be secured for future generations.

Becca Galloway – a former Camas guest and young leader with GKExperience and currently a volunteer at Iona Abbey.

What you’ll receive as a Camas Companion

🔔 An invitation to an online Camas Companions ceilidh, coming soon from the Chapel of the Nets at Camas.

🔔 Regular Camas Companions updates from Down the Track – beginning with progress on both fundraising and maintenance!

🔔 An invitation to the Camas reopening – you can come and hit the Camas bell for yourself!

🔔 And by becoming a Camas Companion you’ll find out the story behind the Camas Bell. (Shhhhh those who know, we want folk to join…)

🔔 And more…this will be the community we all make it, so bring your best ideas and contributions to the Camas comeback! Send your suggestions here: [email protected]

How to become a Camas Companion

We’d love to have your support with a pledge for up to five years.

There are a range of ways to donate and support Camas:

• Make a direct one-time payment by credit or debit card
• Set up a Standing Order – you’ll need to contact your bank directly to do that and please let us know your plans so we can make sure your donation is correctly assigned
• Make a bank transfer which can also work for international donations

The Camas Companions bank account is with Virgin Money:
Account Name: Iona Community
Sort Code: 82 20 00
Account Number: 901 712 21
IBAN – GB68CLYD82200090171221

Please use as a reference last name, first initial or name  / Camas

If you’re in the USA, please send a check payable to:
Iona Community New World Foundation to:
MTG Accounting
c/o Maria Guevara – Iona Community New World Foundation
3119 Route 611
Bartonsville, PA 18321

Please make your donation or set up your pledge by clicking the button below:

Please contact us if you have any questions or need any support with your donation [email protected]

One more thing

If you know someone who loves Camas, or who would love it if they only knew it existed, please tell them about Camas Companions. Forward this e-mail to them. And share your own story of what Camas means to you.

We need to reach our target of £125,000 in regular giving by 31 July 2026. Every Camas Companion brings us closer. Every conversation you have could bring in the next one.

Let’s do all we can to keep the Camas bell ringing for years to come. Thank you,

p.s. We do have a plan B to keep youth at the Heart of the work of the Iona Community, if we don’t manage to hit the target for Camas. But let’s give plan A our best shot.

We are committed to raising funds in an open and honest way as per the law by following the Fundraising Code of Practice. We are additionally members of Scottish Fundraising to demonstrate our dedication to practicing ethical fundraising.