Gunge tanks, puppets and praise in store for kids as The Lighthouse returns to Burnham

The gunge tanks are back in Burnham this year as The Lighthouse Christian holiday camp for kids makes its return.

The popular summer holiday pastime for primary school-aged children will take place over the first week of the summer holidays at a new location, Phoenix Rugby Club on Institute Road, Taplow.

The week-long camp that originated in South Bucks in 1987 took at hiatus due to the COVID pandemic and logistical problems but is back for 2024 albeit on a smaller scale.

Burnham St Peter’s parish administrator Pam Rogers is excited for the relaunch.

“It’s great that it’s back and we are really looking forward to it,” she said.

“Lighthouse is a Christian holiday week for anybody of any faith or no faith. Everyone is welcome.

“During the week the children learn about God and do crafts, sport and drama and generally have  a lot of fun.

“There’s a daily timetable so each age group will have some time doing crafts and some time doing drama some time watching a puppet show performed by our puppet group here at St Peter’s.”

Each year there’s a theme to the Lighthouse this year’s theme is ‘the seaside’

“There will be lots of seaside inspired crafts for the children to make and take home,” said Pam.

“The day starts with worship and they are fun and all have actions, there’s lots of dancing and then there’s the activities. We even have a gunge tank where the children vote for which leader is to be gunged. It’s all good fun.”

Lighthouse is operated by seven Burnham churches working together and relies on volunteers to make it happen.

Parents keen to get their children in one of the 150 are encouraged to volunteer and young volunteers are sought as well.

“We also have teenage volunteers which is absolutely fantastic. They are called ‘lamplighters’,” said Pam.

“Children are split into age groups and into ‘lighthouses’ and there’s a lighthouse keeper who is responsible for about ten-12 children and they are helped out by the lamplighters.

“The volunteers enjoy it as much as the children do.”

Volunteer registration opens in February and participant registration opens in May.

For more visit: /lighthousecentral.org