Frequently asked questions
Q. What is Cottage by the Sea?
A. Cottage by the Sea is a non-government, not-for-profit organisation that empowers disadvantaged children by supporting them in developing their mind, body and wellbeing by providing leadership and outreach programs in a positive, healthy, seaside environment.
Q. How are children selected to attend the Cottage?
A. CBTS offers camps to children disadvantaged or lacking opportunities for a wide range of reasons. Children are usually referred by school welfare officers, welfare agencies, government health departments or council services. All referrals are checked with the child’s school before they are accepted.
Q. How are bookings made?
A. Our Referral Co-ordinator at the Cottage in Queenscliff assists families, schools and agencies with bookings, information packs and enrolment documents. Our Enrolment Package is also available online.
Q. How many children attend each camp?
A. Generally there are between 15 to 20 children in each camp, with some bigger camps being run throughout the year. In total approximately 1,000 children attend camps each year.
Q. What age groups do we cater for?
A. Take a Break camps are offered to primary school aged children. Children selected for the REEF program are in Grades 6 & 7. Graduates of the REEF program are invited to participate in the Mentor Program and can continue until any age.
Q. How long is each camp?
A. Cottage by the Sea offers short term care (camps) for children in primary school and beyond. The camps are usually from three to five days, between Monday and Friday. Some specialty camps are longer and may go over weekends. There are approximately 45 camps run each year, throughout the year, not just in the school holidays.
Q. Who looks after the children?
A. The children are supervised twenty four hours a day. All staff are qualified/in training outdoor recreation leaders, teachers or child care workers. At night staff members are on duty to take care of the children and all aquatic and adventure activities are run by fully qualified leaders. We also have a number of selected volunteers assisting with camp activities. All staff and volunteers have Working With Children Checks.
Q. What do the children do during their stay?
A. The children are kept active and occupied during the day and, depending on the season, visit the beach and many local tourist attractions (e.g. Marine Discovery Centre, Jirrhalinga Wildlife Park, Maritime Museum, Point Lonsdale Lighthouse, Queenscliff Harbour, steam train) and experience numerous outdoor activities (e.g. beach games, swimming, surfing, paddle boarding, canoeing, rockpool rambling, bike riding) as well as indoor activities (e.g. art, craft, cooking, music, drama). Educational and recreational activities, along with rest and plentiful nutritious food, are the order of the day. Strong emphasis is placed on co-operation, teamwork and respect for self, others and the environment.
Q. How much does each camp cost?
A. Assuming the Cottage has already raised the necessary funds (around $10,000), the cost to families or schools per attendee is usually free but families and referral agencies often contribute around $50 to help cover insurance and excursion costs. It costs the Cottage approximately $500 per child per camp.
Q. How are individual camps funded?
A. Our five day camps cost around $10,000 for a group of 17 – 20 children. There are a couple of options for a group holiday at CBTS – the process for us is to first try to locate a potential grant or donor, if this fails then we may need to fundraise the necessary amount through a series of events over a period of time. In many cases the groups themselves will assist us by either identifying a donor or raising the funds (or part thereof) themselves.
Q. Where is the Cottage?
A. The Cottage is in Queenscliff, Victoria, Australia. It is 90 minutes from Melbourne and 30 minutes from Geelong.
Q. What percentage of donated money goes to administration costs?
A. Less than 15%
Further information
If you have any further questions or comments email us – info@cottagebythesea.com.au
