The Big Lottery Fund has awarded £12.5m to the government’s Get REAL (Residential Exciting Active Leisure Time) campaign, which will make the US-style summer camp concept available for children in Britain.

In America, summer camp has long been a traditional activity for millions of teenagers, complete with a range of character-building activities and the chance to interact with young people from across the USA.

Last year, a summer camp pilot scheme for 1,640 young people was launched in Britain, funded by a £1.7m Lottery grant.

Following the success of the pilot scheme, this year’s camp scheme will see 2,500 young people, aged eleven- to 17-year-olds participating across 21 regions in the UK.

Initiated by the Department of Education and Skills (DES), Get REAL aims to increase young people’s confidence, interests and aspirations, improve their life skills and enable them to develop new friendships by mixing with a range of new people from a variety of backgrounds.

During the camp, children will be able to choose from a range of activities, including canoeing, robotics lessons, dance classes or camping in the mountains.

The £12.5m grant means that, next year, more than 20,000 children are expected to take part in the expanding scheme.

If the camps were run on a national basis, there would be the potential to offer up to 600,000 places each year at an estimated cost of around £150m.

Culture secretary, Tessa Jowell, said: “Get REAL is another example of how the Lottery is giving something back to the communities across the country.

“While keeping kids busy can help reduce problem behaviour, summer camps are about a lot more than that. They bring people from different backgrounds together, helping them develop their social values and benefiting the whole of the community.”

Six provider organizations will run this summer’s activities; Outward Bound, ExSportise, ATE, PGL Travel, Brathay Hall and BTCV.

The camps will be run in 21 regions across the UK, including Lancashire, Birmingham, Leicestershire and Durham.

A ten-day Get REAL break will cost the children’s parents between £25-£100. Details: +44 (0) 845 4 10 20 30