Inspired by the example of Blessed Edmund Rice, we provide opportunities for our volunteers and participants to meet in a mutually empowering environment of fun, trust and growth.

Our Vision

In its operation and provision of activities ERCSA will:

• ​Provide positive recreational experiences for a targeted group of children and young people that empower them to grow in confidence, resilience, and hope through authentic relationships.

• Provide training, critical reflection and justice advocacy opportunities that empower young adult volunteers with the skills, knowledge, and confidence to engage in ERCSA activities as mentors, role-models, and leaders.

• As an organisation, establish and uphold the highest levels of professional and ethical standards in working with children and young people. 

• Develop collaborative partnerships with schools, agencies and relevant bodies, especially those who share the mission, vision, and values associated with the Edmund Rice story

• Participate actively in the Edmund Rice Network and the National and International Edmund Rice Camp’s movement.

Our Values

• In enhancing the self-esteem and personal growth of young people, ERCSA affirms the dignity and sacredness of all life.​​

• Through relationship with those whom society holds at the margins, ERCSA enables young adults to recognise their capacity to transform their world.​

• By welcoming all people, ERCSA forms an inclusive community based on openness, transparency and respect.​

• ​By listening to and learning from all those it encounters, ERCSA opens itself to the gift of authentic relationship

• Through attentiveness to the needs of all participants, their families and carers, its volunteers and staff, ERCSA commits itself to best practice standards in the care, safety and well-being of all involved.

Edmund Rice

Edmund Rice Camps take their name from Edmund Rice, a wealthy Irish businessman, philanthropist, and educationalist. Edmund lived an extraordinary life, filled with personal tragedy, that led him to a life dedicated to working, living with, and providing opportunities for the disadvantaged children of Ireland. From the first school he set up in Ireland, his ethos of education based on presence, compassion, and liberation, has since spread around the world through the two religious orders he set up in his time - the Christian Brothers, and the Presentation Brothers. 

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Today we are part of a global network, inspired by Edmund, of schools (both in Australia and abroad), charities, and organisations advocating for a better world, free from injustice and poverty. 

Our History

Edmund Rice Camps originated at a Christian Brothers School in Melbourne in 1979 to assist the development of community between new students arriving from Vietnam and existing students at the college. The concept and program were so successful that they began running camps for children from disadvantaged and marginalised backgrounds soon after. Edmund Rice Camps were born and began to spread over Australia and the world in the following years. The very first South Australian Edmund Rice Camp was held in 1990 and led by some extraordinary volunteers and Christian Brothers that have shaped camps today.

In 2020 Edmund Rice Camps South Australia will celebrate 30 years of service. Stay up to date via our newsletter, and social media channels, for more info on the ways we plan to celebrate. 

The camps take their name from the founder of the Christian Brothers, Edmund Ignatius Rice, who dedicated his life to working, living with, and providing opportunities for, the disadvantaged children of Waterford, Ireland. True to his spirit, we try to do it in a similar way but in a different time.

Edmund Rice Camps Today

Our balloon logo represents a few things about us: 

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• Edmund Rice Camps help kids and families rise above their challenges

• We offer volunteers the chance to view their lives from a new perspective

• The different shapes and colours are the variety of people we engage with; people from all walks of life

• The bright colours symbolise fun, vibrancy, and the energy on our camps
   

Edmund Rice Camps now operate in every state in Australia, and in various forms around the world. To see what's happening around Australia head to our national website.