Christchurch Day Camp builds connection and confidence

On 11 October, the day before World Arthritis Day, Arthritis NZ hosted a Christchurch Day Camp at Living Springs. It was a day filled with laughter, courage, and connection for tamariki and their parents.

The theme for the day was connection, and it truly came to life. Families across Canterbury took part in outdoor challenges, team activities, and creative play. From climbing the Big Tree and tackling the low ropes course to swimming, monorail rides, and free recreation time, every child had a chance to step outside their comfort zone and discover their own strength and mana.

Camp is a place to feel belonging, so children who have juvenile idiopathic arthritis or other autoimmune conditions like lupus or scleroderma feel included, encouraged, and supported by peers who truly understand what it’s like to live with a long-term condition.

Feedback from families spoke of connection, fun, and freedom:

“Seeing the kids connect and having lots of fun together.”
“The freedom the kids have to be themselves.”
“Amazing day — the kids love them, and it’s lovely having smaller groups.”

We’re deeply grateful to Living Springs Camp for hosting us and making the day memorable for our families. Our dedicated youth leaders, Jasmine White and Rihanna Gaskell, created a welcoming and empowering environment at camp. These incredible rangatahi demonstrated exceptional leadership and resilience while managing their own health challenges. Jasmine has rheumatoid arthritis, and Rihanna has Chronic Recurrent Multifocal Osteomyelitis. Both youth leaders have attended past camps and are locals to Canterbury.  

For families, camps like the Christchurch Day Camp are about much more than a fun day out. They offer belonging, friendship, and a chance for children to explore what’s possible when they’re surrounded by understanding and aroha.

For health professionals and funders, these experiences are a reminder that self-determined wellbeing — whānau oranga — is built through community, confidence, and opportunity. For donors and supporters, they demonstrate the real-world impact of your contributions: lives uplifted, mauri strengthened, and futures brightened.

We’re proud of what our young people achieved at the Christchurch Day Camp, and we look forward to hosting more opportunities like this across the motu.

Thank you to everyone who made this special day possible.