Believe it or not, an American holiday tradition could help us fight diabetes

Sometimes our expectations can be dramatically confounded. A little while ago, I was intrigued by an email that was headed "Don’t Ever Ring the Bell".  Thinking it must be some sort of advice against whistle-blowing in the NHS, I opened it and found nothing of the sort  – instead, it was news of a very interesting venture.

In this instance, "Don’t Ever Ring the Bell" an expression in the American military that means ‘never give up’. The phrase was adopted by the educator Nicholas Grogan as the title of a new type of summer camp for children in the UK. Concerned by our school system's focus on exam results, Nick realised that parents were wanting something which would give a broader perspective to their children’s developing years.  So, in 2016, Don’t Ever Ring the Bell proffered a solution.

Thirty-five children, aged between 12-16, would have the chance to emulate an American summer camp by staying for two weeks away from home. During this time, Grogan hoped, they would be able to develop the confidence to involve themselves in projects that they would enjoy without necessarily excelling. This is the opposite to our education system in which students are only allowed to study subjects at which the exam grade will reflect well on the school. Last summer saw the first participants enrol, climbing aboard a coach that took them to the Welsh Brecon Beacons National Park.

Don’t Ever Ring the Bell allows the children to explore all sorts of skills through a huge range of experiences – abseiling, mountain biking, expedition planning, climbing, communication skills, canoeing, presentation skills, wild camping, leadership skills, caving, strategic thinking, archery, public speaking, debating, mountain days and listening to guest speakers – all of which are overseen by carefully chosen educators and led by specialists in the respective activities.

The children call members of staff by their first names so that no-one feels this is an extension to school. Teamwork, communication and leadership are the buzzwords for the workplace, but they are not always part of the school curriculum, and nor is the writing and delivery of presentations.  Presentations are often a terrifying prospect for school leavers, and a bad experience can severely damage their confidence.

I notice that one of the key components of the programme – alongside physical activity, academic activity and pastoral care – is high quality nutrition. There is no fast food and children are taught the importance of the phrase "you are what you eat." They limit the children's use of mobile phones, which essential for the development of communication between the participants. Whole sentences will be the order of the day – no text speak! Perhaps the art of conversation will return home with the participants. I hope so.

So much of what Don’t Ever Ring the Bell promotes is very close to my heart.  I have seen too many appallingly bad presentations, each of which illustrated the great need for these skills.  Indeed, I have coached many a nervous student or senior executive. At one time, my own company – Act One – delivered drama classes to the under-fives and acting classes to older children. Some were naturally confident, but to see the self-belief build in a shy child was extraordinarily satisfying, and the benefits for such children were social as well as professional.

However, as important as this confidence might be, even more important is the good nutrition taught by the camp. We should all take note. The rise in cases of Type 2 diabetes – with its horrifying side effects of limb amputation and sight loss – will only be combated by children acquiring an early understanding of the harmful ingredients of fast food.  Just watch the documentary Fed Up, in which Katie Couric investigates the American food industry. You might never eat a supermarket pizza again.

I am so pleased I opened the email. Don’t Ever Ring the Bell is a fascinating addition to the summer holidays. The more funding of this and similar projects the better.