🌻BICAMP 2023 🌈
JUNE 1st-4th
KINVER SCOUT CAMP
Hi lovely BiCampers,
We are looking forward to welcoming new and old faces at BiCamp 2023.
BiCamp 2023 will take place June 1st-4th and we can’t wait to see you all there.
Please read the Code of Conduct before purchasing a ticket - all Campers must agree to abide by the Code of Conduct while at BiCamp. Read it here > https://tinyurl.com/5y5dacsw
BiCamp is set in Kinver Scout Camp, a gorgeous woodland site with a total of 23 acres to roam in.
BiCamp UK is run by Bi volunteers and was first organised by Brum Bi Group - a social community group aimed at connecting members of the bi community in Birmingham and the Midlands. It is a group where bi people can come together in a safe and friendly environment and welcomes those who may be questioning how they identify themselves.
The founders of BiCamp were inspired by the LNBi, the Dutch National Network for Bisexuals. Our first UK BiCamp was held in 2018 and each year it has been held we've further developed it.
Bisexual people in UK often feel isolated within their LGBT+ communities and we are thrilled to offer a place for them where they can feel able to be themselves, meet new people and find friends around the UK and beyond.
All BiCamp activities are run with the primary aim of inclusiveness and welcoming all members of the bi community and their partners/allies.
Activities available at BiCamp will include: Archery, Climbing, Abseiling, Zip-lining, Arts and Crafts - Facilitated Workshops and Skills Sharing, Boardgames, Bushcraft, Stick Whittling, Woodland Walks, Campfire Activities, Storytelling, Yoga, Massage, Meditation, Wildlife Observation and many more (some of which may be subject to favourable weather conditions.)
We have continued to include cabin accommodation which will be allocated based on need. We also will be asking attendees to pay based on a sliding scale.
Travel information will be issued closer to the time however we will be providing transfer transportation to and from Birmingham New St. We are also offering pickups from Stourbridge and Stourbridge Junction Train Stations which are both closer to site.
Once you arrive at site, the check-in desk will be located next to the car park.
FOOD OPTIONS
This year BiCamp will either be SEMI-CATERED or SELF-CATERED.
Default option: SEMI-CATERED. Two meals will be served each day, breakfast and dinner. These meals will be vegetarian and vegan. Please make provisions for yourself for lunch and snacks during the day. You are allowed to bring meat onto site and can use the designated kitchens for meat prep, however, please be conscious of cross-contamination and ensure these areas are thoroughly cleaned after use. We provide gluten-free options for all catered meals and will endeavour to look after anyone with food allergies or intolerances. Please inform the BiCamp Team of your food preferences and any allergies we may need to be aware of as soon as possible.
SELF-CATERED Option: if you wish to opt out of the regular semi-catered service, you may do so. In this case, you will have to make provisions for all of your meals. Please bring food for yourself for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snacks during the day. Where possible, please treat this as a camping experience in terms of food storage, and organise your own (i.e. cooling boxes or similar) as fridge space is limited; if transporting storage containers would be difficult for you because you’re coming on public transport, please do let us know and we can look at food storage options for you on-site.
If you are self-catered you will be refunded a part of your ticket after BiCamp has finished.
Camping stoves and cookers are permitted, however, they should be for personal use only and you are responsible for your own health and safety when using one. Always remember to cook food away from your tent for both fire safety, and to avoid the build-up of potentially hazardous fumes from camping stoves.
There will be campfires each night and supplied treats for cooking on the fire (baked potatoes, veggie sausages etc) for catered ticket guests. Please feel free to bring your own food items to cook.
What's new for 2023?
2023 THEME
The theme for 2023 is Bis In Space! Ever imagined a bunch of futuristic bisexuals floating around in space? …well now you can have it! Taking one small step into our Saturday Night Ball will mean taking one giant leap for bi-kind!
🛸🧑🚀🚀👽🚀🧑🚀🛸🧑🚀🚀👽🚀🧑🚀🛸🧑🚀🚀👽🚀🧑🚀🧑🚀
🧑🚀🧑🚀🧑🚀🧑🚀🧑🚀🧑🚀🧑🚀🧑🚀🧑🚀🧑🚀🧑🚀🧑🚀🧑🚀
💖💜💙💖💜💙💖💜💙💖💜💙💖💜💙💖💜💙💖💜💙💖💜💙
The 'glow up' will also be back, this year in space edition. This is an opportunity to get ready with your friends and get all the accessories you could need. The only limit is your imagination, and watch this space for updates 💖💜💙
VOLUNTEERING
This year, we are asking all attendees to volunteer at least 1 hour of their time during camp.
Why the change?
We have a history of the same people getting burnt out at BiCamp - we are trialling making volunteering an expectation to protect everyone from the shortcomings of previous years.
How will we make this fair?
We ask you to consider your own physical and mental capacities carefully. We hope that everyone will find something they will enjoy doing. We aim to divide labour fairly across the weekend, taking into account everyone's abilities. Even if you are not sure of the times you will be available - to tell us what jobs you are able to do.
We will work with each individual to make sure you can contribute - if you need a break every 20 mins, that's okay - if you need to be seated while you work, that is okay, if you need a whiteboard to communicate - that is okay.
We ask that you contribute a minimum of an hour (which is less than 1% of camp!)
And a maximum of 16 hours (which is just over 13% of camp)
Many of us in the team are disabled and/or neurodiverse. Being disabled does not automatically mean you are incapable of volunteering.
Why should I?
- Volunteering is a chance to give back to the community, especially if you have attended BiCamp in previous years and not volunteered. If that is you, you have benefitted from the free labour of your fellow campers.
- If you have volunteered before, we know that the system has not always worked. Having the most amount of people volunteering this year will allow us to trial this system to its fullest.
- Newbies sometimes feel isolated at BiCamp. If you are a newbie, we recommend volunteering - this is a great way to build new relationships.
ACCESS & COVID
We are continuing to improve accessibility year after year and we always work with the venue to ensure as many areas as possible are wheelchair accessible.
After you purchase your ticket, your booking confirmation will contain a link to our access form, so you can tell us about your accessibility requirements in as much detail as you feel necessary. It is, however, important to bear in mind that this is a camping site that:
Was not originally planned for individuals with alternative needs, and we are limited by the original building designs;
And extends onto partially hilly, uneven terrain that is not all smooth due to the nature of being a woodland, parts of which can become muddy or slippery as a result of rain and foot-traffic
Here at BiCamp, we are passionate about access. The overwhelming majority of the organisers are either disabled and/or neurodivergent and we will go out of our way to accommodate your access needs. If we are limited in the adaptations we can provide for you, it is either because of factors dependent on the venue (hence out of our control) or because we don’t have the people-power or resources (we are all volunteers!).
A Covid Mitigation Plan will be prepared in accordance with the most recent government guidelines. Whilst we don’t expect these to evolve much further, we won’t know for certain until closer to the event some of the specifics. It goes without saying that if you do notice an onset of covid-like symptoms, please stay at home. We will communicate our final Covid plan to attendees as the event approaches. Whatever happens, we will encourage outdoor socialising as much as possible. It is camping after all :-)
Our covid policy can be found here-
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1wwDMivJsb2z47TCwq2vLI7majc3zrdhH/edit?usp=sharing&ouid=113194210367670816635&rtpof=true&sd=true
If paying all in one go would prevent you from being able to buy a ticket please talk to us and we can arrange alternative methods of purchase to allow you to send partial payments until the ticket is fully paid. You can email bicampuk@gmail.com to discuss this. We want to enable anyone who wants to come to BiCamp to be there, so please reach out if this option is needed.
BiCamp is free for children but a suggested donation of £5 if you are able would be greatly appreciated.
🌈🌈🌈 We can't wait to see you there! 💖💜💙