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- Discover Snowsports
- Snow Camp
Our Mission
To use snowsports to engage young people facing barriers, offering them life-changing opportunities to grow, thrive and succeed.
Our Vision
A future where all young people, regardless of their background, have the support, skills and self-belief to achieve their full potential.
Snow camp was founded in 2003 by Dan Charlish; a youth worker from Stockwell who made it his mission to allow underprivileged, vulnerable young people to experience the joy of going to the mountains after overhearing a group of young people say that a videogame is as close as they’d ever get to real snow.
In 2007, Dan changed focus from going to the mountains, to UK based training for these individuals. This sparked a partnership between snow camp and 4 indoor snow centres across the UK. This allowed snow camp to evolve into what it is today and offer 3 programmes that accumulate to a years’ worth of snowboarding or skiing including spending a week in the mountains.
The main aim of snow camp is to make snow sports more accessible and to give young people alternative life pathways. The programme is a way to learn how to ski or snowboard, but through Snow Camp’s other projects, such as the apprenticeship, you gain a first aid qualification, a BASI qualification, and have the opportunity for so much more.
For example, these apprentices got the chance to become chalet hosts with fresh tracks chalet school, allowing them to gain vital hospitality skills and hands-on experience that will help them in future seasons
Young people effectively and maintain a positive involvement with them through our youth-led journey of accredited programmes, delivered in new environments where they can thrive.
Young people from a diverse range of backgrounds and communities, enabling them to build friendships and experience inclusivity.
Young people the skills they need and raise their aspirations through new qualifications, vocational training, employment opportunities and apprenticeships on our programmes.
Life skills through learning to ski or snowboard, building resilience, perseverance and determination whilst overcoming fear and instantaneously gaining a sense of achievement.
Positive mental health and wellbeing by providing advice and support, workshops and 1 to 1 counselling sessions on all our programmes.
Young people through opportunities to experience new mountain environments to widen their horizons and achieve long-lasting inspirational impact.
Accessibility and participation in snowsports to promote equality and inclusivity.
I’m Angus Maclellan, Programme Manager with Snow Camp London since July 2024. In my role I work day to day with Youth Groups and Young people from across London whether they are joining up with us for the first time on our entry to Snowsports First Tracks programme, developing their skills further on our Graduate and Excel Youth Instructor Training programmes or taking an active involvement in making it all happen through our Youth Forum and Apprenticeship.
Snow Camp is about expanding access to Snowsports for all and empowering youth to train and find opportunities within Snowsports. Whether that be through participation within the Snow Camp community or actively working within the industry we want Snowsports to be on everyones radar.
Our partnerships with organisations working within the UK Snowsports community are integral to this and The Ski Club of GB have been actively involved with Snow Camp for over 20 years now. Over the last few years there has been some great learning opportunities for our apprentices while taking part in an office-based work placement with the Ski Club. The placements have offered a unique insight into the community and how the Club interacts with its members both during and outside of the Winter months aswell as a great learning experience of the demands of working in the office environment. The understanding and support provided by Ski Club GB staff has made this possible and allowed our apprentices to grow in confidence and pick up valuable experience along the way. I believe this relationship continues to grow in strength and I’m excited for what the future holds.
– Angus Maclellan
Our Impact
- we engaged 1108 young people through our core snowsports programmes 55% of which came from 30% of the UK’s most deprived post codes.
- 1066 young people accessed Snow camps mental well being workshops.
- 93% of which confessed that they learned new coping strategies.
As the Community & Events Director for the charity, I’m in the privileged position to collaborate with all corners of the snowsports industry – not only to create meaningful partnerships which help Snow Camp turn more young lives around, but to ensure each of our partners audiences are fully aware of their game-changing support for our work.
Keeping our supporters’ objectives in mind at all times, whilst working closely with many talented and passionate people behind the scenes, is why there are never two days the same in my role. From brands to snowsport facilities, training academies, media platforms, communities, governing bodies and the wider snowsports industry, the pleasure’s all mine to ensure that every partnership, event, campaign or fundraising activation is fully tailored and maximised for everyone involved.
On the Events side, the pre-winter shows, Inter-Livery Ski Championships and of course the AJ Bell 3 Valley Rally for Snow Camp are all huge highlights in my calendar – bringing together many Snow Camp supporters in one of the best resorts in the world to round off the season in style whilst raising a significant amount of funds to support thousands more young people across the UK.
We’re grateful to everyone involved with The Ski Club for sticking with Snow Camp and supporting our cause for more than two decades. We’re looking forward to everything that’s still to come together over the coming years!
– Dan keeley
3 Valley Rally
And if you are interested in supporting snow camp in other ways, they will be hosting a 3 valley rally between the 12th –15th April 2026. In this event, teams of 4 will partake in 6 snow challenges including ski orienteering, a biathlon, a snowshoe hike, a zip wire challenge, a team distance challenge and a duel giant slalom as the finale of the event.
Registering a team only costs £400! So if this seems of interest to you, please email Dan Keeley at
Snow Camp on Instagram
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