Supported by UJIA
TzofimUK Machane Tzabar 2021 – FAQs
General
What is Machane Tzabar?
Machane Tzabar is a five-day overnight summer camp designed for Hebrew speaking children here in the UK. It is a place of fun, meaningful connections and an Israeli atmosphere.
What are the dates of the camp?
The camp will run between July 26th-30th 2021.
Who can attend the camp?
Tzabar Camp is designed for Hebrew speaking children who live in the UK, finishing years 6-9 at the end of the 2020/21 academic year.
Where is the camp?
The camp will take place at a designated Scouts campsite in the Greater London area.
What is the price of the camp and what does it include?
The full price of Machane Tzabar is £550. This price includes full board and accommodation, all the programming for the camp, all staffing costs, and all measures to ensure the camp is COVID-19 secure. The price does not include travel insurance.
Early registration, until May 31st will give a discounted price of £500.
An additional discount will be given for a second child (sibling) - 10% and a third child - 15%
Who are your staff?
Our staff is comprised of Tzofim workers, young leaders and Alumni. All staff are DBS checked when applicable.
Can I join the camp for just a selection of days?
No. The unique camp experience is designed for 5 full days and cannot be partially handled.
Application Process
How do I sign up?
To sign up you need to complete a short application form which can be found here. This must be accompanied by a deposit which can be paid online via Paypal. A more thorough application and medical form will be sent later in the process.
How and when do I pay?
Payment will be made via Paypal/card.
A deposit of £50 is required upon initial application to secure your child’s place in the programme.
The full balance of the Programme must be paid no later than Monday, May 31st for early registration and no later than Wednesday, June 30th in general.
Contact Adi (info-europe@israelscouts.org) at the office to explore additional payment methods or for financial help.
What is the refund policy?
The deposit is non-refundable unless In case of ISWE cancellation of the programme.
In case of participant cancellation before June 26th, a full refund will be made not including the deposit fee.
In case of participant cancellation after June 26th and before July 15th, a cancellation fee of £250 will be deducted from the refund.
From July 16th, no refund will be given in case of participant cancellation for any reason.
In case of ISWE cancellation before the start of the programme, a full refund will be made.
In the case of ISWE cancellation after the start of the programme, it is expected most costs will be avoidable or recoverable. Depending on the timing of any cancellation there may be some unrecoverable costs., e.g. deposits and other fees already paid to the premises and other third-party providers. For clarity, if ISWE were to cancel the Programme all monies that were not spent and are recoverable will be refunded to the participants.
ISWE requires the participants to have a suitable travel insurance policy in place. It is the responsibility of the participants to take out this personal travel insurance and to check whether cancellations or curtailments for reasons relating to Covid-19 will be covered.
About the camp
Are there limited spaces?
Yes. The camp we reserve has limited spaces and can hold up to 40 participants. Although the UK Government is allowing residential camps for the youth sector to begin on 17 May (as of the time of writing) it is not yet clear what restrictions/guidance will be put in place as to the number of people that can share rooms, etc.
Will there be an information evening?
Absolutely. As there are likely to be things that will change based on government guidance ISWE will be setting dates for an online information evening closer to the time and will share this date and a link for the meeting with parents/guardians in due course.
Will the camp be residential or a day camp?
Machine Tzabar will be a residential camp. According to the road map out of lockdown, the government has stated out-of-school settings can operate residential camps as of 17 May 2021. If this changes in the future ISWE will adapt its planning accordingly.
What will the participants do at camp?
A detailed schedule will be sent to applicants and their families nearer the time of departure. There will be a mixture of fun, educational and team-building activities that will be safe and engaging. Most of the activities will take place on the large grounds of the site we are using, although we are expecting to leave the site on 1-2 occasions if guidelines permit.
How many participants will sleep in a room?
This may be determined in part by government guidelines. Rooming at the site ranges from two people in a room to 6 people sharing and almost all options in between. There will be separate rooms for boy and girls.
Will the participants be with their friends?
Our plan is to place participants with their friends whilst at the same time ensuring they get to be with some new people. As part of the application process, you will have the option to highlight some people you would like to be in a group/room with if you have a preference. ISWE will then attempt to split the groups and rooming as best as we can, based on friendship requests and ensuring groups that are balanced.
Will transport be provided?
At the moment, the arrival and departure to and from the camp are planned to be independent as the site is based less than an hour from north London and within the greater London area. Please approach us if you need help with transportation.
What are your staff to child ratios?
ISWE’s safeguarding policy dictates there must be at least one staff person to every ten young people. We plan to have a higher staff ratio so we can best cater for everyone’s needs whilst also overseeing the camp generally, dealing with the logistics, and managing the group leaders.
What food will be provided?
ISWE provides a kosher-style camp and will provide three substantial meals a day.
Can ISWE cater for special dietary requirements?
ISWE will cater for all dietary allergies/requirements if we are made aware of these in advance. The camp will be a nut-free environment.
Can participants use their phones?
We will encourage participants not to use their phones during programme time so they can socialise with one another and build lasting friendships. Participants will be able to use their phones, during their free time.
There will be a contact number for parents’ communication with us during the programme.
What happens with medication during camp?
ISWE will collect all medication at the start of camp to ensure this will not get lost or misused. A designated staff member will make this medication available to participants as and when required. Parents/ Carers will need to approve through the online application form the use of any medication that can be administered to their children if there is a need during camp, in case of a headache, etc.
Keeping the Machane Covid-19 Secure
Are you allowed to open your camp under current government guidance?
As things stand as of the time of writing, yes. According to the road map out of lockdown, as of 17 May 2021, the government has stated out-of-school settings can operate residential camps. There will likely be more guidance provided by the government in due course which will shape how we operate the camp. ISWE will always follow the government guidelines and regulations for all its programmes and will be directed by our number one priority: the health, safety and welfare of our participants and staff.
What steps is ISWE taking to ensure everyone’s safety?
The health, safety and welfare of our participants and staff is ISWE’s number one priority. Therefore, there are numerous steps that ISWE are taking now and will take in the future to make sure the camp will be Covid-secure. As the guidelines will likely change and be amended by the government before the start of the camp, nearer the time ISWE will send to families a full overview of how the camp will operate.
Will the participants be in a social bubble?
Possibly, although this is not clear yet. When the government provides guidance on how out-of-school settings can operate residential summer camps we will know more. We will update families nearer the time.
Will participants need to wear a face mask?
Possibly, although this is not clear yet. Currently, those people aged 11 or older who are in an out-of-school setting must wear a face mask indoors unless they are eating or playing sports. There will be a government review on this before the camp begins and based on the guidelines at the time ISWE will put in place its policy for face masks.
How will you reinforce social distancing?
Participants are expected to follow the UK government guidelines and adhere to the rules that ISWE has put in place. If there are social distancing requirements at the time of the camp, then these will need to be followed by the participants. Our staff will be there to remind participants of the regulations and to reinforce the rules wherever necessary. If there are participants that show themselves disrespecting the social distancing rules or any of the regulations that have been put in place to accommodate a Covid-secure camp, ISWE will remove them from camp.
What happens if someone in the camp has COVID-19 symptoms?
It is important that any participant that shows any symptoms of COVID-19 should not come to camp and should self-isolate according to the government guidelines.
Should these signs not be noticed until the participant is on camp, there is a full protocol in place to deal with this. In short, they will be immediately separated from the group and parents would need to pick them up ASAP. This participant would need to enter self-isolation and get tested for COVID-19. Unless there is a case where someone has tested positive for COVID-19 other participants will not need to self-isolate nor will the group or the camp need to be closed. However, we will always act according to the governmental and medical advice provided.
What happens if someone in the camp tests positive for COVID-19?
We sincerely hope this will not happen and are putting in several precautions to minimise the risk of this. However, should there be a positive test from one of our participants everyone from that group will need to enter self-isolation and be tested. It is possible other groups or even the whole programme will need to be closed, but that will be a decision taken by or with the health authorities. According to current guidelines, a positive test will not automatically shutter the entire programme, but it is a possibility based on several factors.