A charity helping young people with learning disabilities and complex additional support needs in north east Scotland.
Empowering children and young people with learning disabilities and complex additional support needs to reach their full potential.
More than 100 children and young people rely on Camphill School Aberdeen’s sector-leading care to provide a safe and nurturing environment where they can thrive.
Many of these pupils have struggled in mainstream education but excel in confidence and independence here at Camphill.
Your support can have a lasting impact on young lives.
"When Sam first came to Camphill he wasn’t in the best of places. He hadn’t gone to school for nine months, he refused point-blank to go. When he started transitioning to Camphill, he was very nervous, he didn’t trust anyone. But we persevered, and a little bit at a time, he eventually managed to settle. He just loves it, he was like a different boy. His mood just lifted, and it was easier at home as well.
It was like I’d got my old boy back."
Gillian Gartshore
"When Sam first came to Camphill he wasn’t in the best of places. He hadn’t gone to school for nine months, he refused point-blank to go. When he started transitioning to Camphill, he was very nervous, he didn’t trust anyone. But we persevered, and a little bit at a time, he eventually managed to settle. He just loves it, he was like a different boy. His mood just lifted, and it was easier at home as well.
It was like I’d got my old boy back."
Gillian Gartshore
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We’ve seen demand for our services increase by 250% since 2020.
This, combined with a critical shortage of residential care placements, means children and young people are often placed hundreds of miles away from their homes and families.
We are committed to changing this.
Our Building Futures, Transforming Lives capital appeal has already seen us build a new residential home, social enterprise, with plans for an inclusive play park underway. Now to protect our worldclass care we must modernise our facilities and construct new buildings.
For Wilf, a residential pupil, our structured environment has been life-changing for him and his family. Wilf thrives in hands-on activities, especially in our onsite bike workshop, where he has unlocked skills he hadn’t had the chance to explore previously. Wilf's mum has also now been able to return to work after years as his full-time carer, comforted by the fact her son is settled at Camphill School Aberdeen and that his needs are being met.
Bekki, a Learning for Life Day Services student, thrives through the charity’s tailored support and opportunities. With a keen interest in gardening, Bekki spends time in our garden workshop, where she learns to grow seasonal, organic fruits and vegetables, gaining practical skills and confidence. Through initiatives like these, we continue to provide Bekki with valuable experiences that nurture her growth, independence, and self-confidence.
Before joining Camphill School Aberdeen, Seth had struggled in an additional support needs wing within a local secondary school. It was advised that residential care would be the best fit for him. Since joining us as a residential pupil, Seth has flourished, gaining practical skills and developing socially. Seth’s mum, Dawn, expressed that this was the “best decision” she ever made.