29th July 2026
Brighton Half-Term Camp Supports Refugee Teens Through Sport and Community Connections
A Brighton‑based community organisation delivered a powerful and highly impactful half‑term camp for teenagers this May.
Led by Black Tri Tribe and its founder, Kelly Smith, the camp offered a week of sport, learning, and support for young people aged 14–18.
The camp, funded by Sussex Police and Sport England and held at Patcham High School, marked the organisation’s first dedicated programme for older teens.
Reflecting on their mission, Kelly explained: “We exist primarily for people of colour, and we’ve been doing work with children and young people for the last four years, partly funded by Active Sussex.”
This year’s camp was designed to be open to all children, with flyers shared widely across Brighton, including Patcham, Varndean, Brighton Table Tennis Club, the Old Boat Corner Community Centre, and community networks in Whitehawk.
Kelly emphasised their inclusive approach: “We opened the half-term camp to all children — all backgrounds, all ethnicities, both genders. We really tried to reach low‑income families, and we even put a blonde‑haired child on the flyer to make that clear.”
Despite this broad outreach, the final attendance reflected a very different picture: 100 per cent of participants were from refugee or asylum‑seeker backgrounds, bringing both unique challenges and profound opportunities for impact.
“All of the children were ESOL (English for speakers of other languages) to a varying degree. Some of the children had been with their placement families from the age of 14. Some have just been here for six months, some have been here for two years.”
Supporting young people facing significant barriers
In the end, the camp welcomed 14 teenagers, most aged between 16 and 18. Many had experienced trauma, including fear of water linked to dangerous journeys during their asylum process.
Kelly said the first swimming session was a real eye-opener.
“We were then confronted with the reality that many of them didn’t want to actually get in the pool and definitely didn’t want to get their face wet. A lot of them were genuinely terrified.”
To ensure young people could attend safely and confidently, Black Tri Tribe worked closely with Brighton & Hove Social Services, the Looked After Children and Fostering Team, and both council‑run and private group homes.
Attendance fluctuated throughout the week, with only two young people attending one day, but the camp still provided meaningful connection, routine, and support.
“By Friday, they started to build a bond,” Kelly reflected. “Had they been there every day, it would have been a lot tighter.”
A week of sport, learning and essential support
Every participant had access to tri suits, changing robes, pull buoys, trainers, swimming caps, goggles and bikes. They also received breakfast and lunch daily, ensuring no young person went without the basics needed to participate fully.
Each day included swimming and cycling sessions, with bikes borrowed from Bike It Ben.
Alongside these activities were a series of talks and visits designed to build confidence, life skills and future aspirations. These included:
- A health and nutrition session with Gloji Brighton & Hove
- An RNLI visit
- Talks from two Sussex Police teams – the motoring and crime prevention teams
- A music and DJ workshop with AudioActive
- A careers session
- An economics and life skills session
For Kelly, one of her favourite sessions was the one with the RNLI, where their role was properly explained.
“The two kids that did attend then opened up about their journey to England, and both of them recall there being confrontations with the police, and then recall being taken into the RNLI, so it was a really nice full circle moment for them.”
Challenges faced
The camp delivered significant impact despite several barriers:
- Eid ul-Adha celebrations affected attendance
- Lower numbers than planned (14 attending vs. 25 capacity)
- English as a second language
- Trauma‑related fears, including fear of water
- Inconsistent attendance
- Long day structure (10am–4pm), which some found tiring
- Due to their inexperience, the swimming sessions were reduced from two hours to 30-45 minutes, as they were too tired
Kelly shared the young people’s feedback: “All of them said a 10am start was too early in half term. My immediate response was: if we cut the day to 12–3, what do you want us to cut out? Because we can’t do everything we’ve done without a full day.”
Despite these challenges, young people shared honest reflections that will help shape future programme planning.
Successes and lasting impact
The camp created meaningful change for many of the young people involved. Highlights included:
- Three participants completed a triathlon the following Saturday
- Several young people learned to swim for the first time
- Many cycled for the first time
- Positive engagement with speakers and visitors
- Personal stories of growth, including Hussein’s journey, recently shared on LinkedIn
- Connected to local sport offerings, including Brighton Table Tennis Club and Freedom Leisure
Kelly spoke proudly about the young people’s achievements: “The three young people who took part in the triathlon on Saturday would have never done anything like that in their lives.”
A foundation for future programmes
This half‑term camp was Black Tri Tribe’s first for older teens, and despite the challenges, it delivered deep and meaningful impact.
Kelly summed up the scale of the effort: “With the amount of resource, funding, equipment, staffing, planning and consent involved, it was a lot of investment, especially for our first half-term camp.
“It was not the numbers we wanted, but I think in terms of impact, it made a real impact on those kids who did attend.”
The organisation plans to build on this learning to shape future holiday programmes that continue to support young people who face the greatest barriers to participation.
You can see more about 17-year-old Hussain and his experience with Black Tri Tribe here.