When Jof Gaughan joined the business 18 years ago as a group leader, he would go on to work his way up to the position of Executive Director at Camp Beaumont. Having seen the business transform across the last two decade, Jof joins us to discuss his experiences.
Take it away, Jof!
o Name: Jof Gaughan
o Current Role: Executive Director at Camp Beaumont
o Starting Role: Group Leader
o How many years working with Camp Beaumont? 18 years
o What’s been the best thing about watching and and what have you enjoyed working on? There has been many parts of the my career with Camp Beaumont that I have really enjoyed; delivering activities and watching children having a fantastic experience whilst meeting new people and making new friends; managing a number of different camps throughout our portfolio and more recently enabling the business to grow without losing the magic of Camp Beaumont.
o What do you think we have always done well/best at Camp Beaumont? Partnering with outstanding schools with unrivalled facilities which enable us to give children incredible experiences that they will never forget.
o Where do you think the biggest changes have been over the years? The company has evolved from a family run business into a much larger organisation as part of the Inspiring Learning family. However, throughout this time I don’t think Camp Beaumont has lost its identity that started over 40 years ago. This is a real credit to the people that have come and gone over the past 15 years and how they have bought into the culture and values instilled in me when I joined the business in 2005.
o What are you most excited to see happen in the next 20 years? I am very much looking forward to seeing Camp Beaumont continue to grow, to build upon its new venture across Asia and explore new territories. I am sure Camp Beaumont will continue to offer unrivalled experiences and push the boundaries of what a traditional summer camp can offer both in terms of activities and type of facilities or location.
o What’s your best memory from the Inspiring Learning family? Whilst the world was gripped with Covid, Camp Beaumont worked incredibly hard to be able to offer summer camps in 2020. Other providers took the year off which left Camp Beaumont to play a vital part in getting children re-connected working on the resilience and giving them some memorable experiences in a time which was very difficult for all. I was proud of the whole business and Inspiring Learning for pulling together and supporting the efforts to get camps up and running once again at a really important time.
You’re the only camp in the area that has truly made an effort to provide a great offering during these current times. You have saved me from insanity and provided my children some normality during the summer holidays and half term.
