About Camps

What is Diabetes Camps Victoria?

Diabetes Camps Victoria (DCV) is a consortium of Diabetes Australia – Vic (DA–Vic), Monash Children’s (MC) at Southern Health and the Royal Children’s Hospital (RCH).

Each year, DCV facilitates five camps for over 200 children aged four to 17 years with type 1 diabetes.

Diabetes Camps Victoria is funded by DA–Vic, the peak consumer body and leading charity representing all people affected by diabetes and those at risk. DA–Vic relies heavily on the generosity of caring community members and supporters to help fund diabetes education, awareness activities and research.

Philosophy of diabetes camps

At DCV, our goal is to teach young people to manage their diabetes in a fun, safe and supportive environment, and to promote a culture of independence through adventure.

Developing and building self-management skills that can help children live well with diabetes, centreing on the importance of self-reliance, whilst also providing an opportunity to meet others with type 1 diabetes. This is achieved through, not only the education and supervision from health professionals, but with the presence and positive role modeling of peer support from other children and volunteers with diabetes. Essentially, improving quality of life for children with type 1 diabetes and their families is our mission.

We believe:

•  in the power of peer support

•  in positive thinking

•  that emotional support is just as important as developing self-management skills

•  that diabetes is not the primary focus when having fun

Dates and venues for 2012