Ethics Policy | Lakewood Lodge

Lakewood Lodge Ethics Charter

16 September 2020

This document is provided to give clarity on our ethics of working.

The information here relates to all the services provided by Lakewood Lodge, including all events and camps under www.lakewoodlodge.co.nz.

What do we do?

Lakewood Lodge is New Zealand’s premier adventure farm camp and events on the north island. We provide adventure farm camps, events, retreats, away days, lessons, activities and celebrations. We have been doing so since 1995 and teaching  life skills and sustainability for the environment is what we were born to do.

What is our Mission?

To provide the highest quality educational and cultural exchange camps and events to enrich the lives of young people and adults. Lakewood Lodge is a safe homely environment where all guests can improve their self confidence, leadership skills and learn about caring for the environment and animals.

We care about children, we care about animals, we care about the environment. We encourage children to care too.

The wellbeing of all our guests is close to our heart as we welcome them into our Lakewood Lodge family. We are different because we are the largest privately owned Farm camp on the north island so we have been able to put our homely feel into everything we do. In our school, holiday, international, family camps, retreats and away days, we encourage the development of skills with all our activities from our Lakewood Lodge Skills Development Matrix as shown below:

SKILL DESCRIPTION
Dexterity Accuracy with fine motor skills, hand-eye coordination and development of physical skills
Confidence Building up a feeling of achievement of difficult tasks or performing in front of others, breeds confidence. We also throw people into positions where they learn leadership skills
Problem Solving The ability to solve complex problems and persevere until a problem is solved. This fosters a feeling of achievement and independence
Communication Some activities require communication skills to be developed, including the ability to negotiate and solve issues with other people
Courage Some activities stretch people beyond their comfort zone and through the achievement of that activity, a feeling of courage is instilled
Teamwork Working together with others is a great way to further develop communication skills and confidence

At Lakewood Lodge we believe that if you can change one child’s life and beliefs each week, this will help our world. In our International and Holiday camps we believe in mixing different cultures together to improve race relations and develop an understanding of each other’s differences. To that end, the Lodge has children visit from China, Japan, Taiwan, Malaysia, Korea and Tahiti as well as mixing with New Zealand children as we believe that if we teach our children to get on with people from all walks of life, they will develop into better adults.

What is our Service Promise?

We focus on training the best instructors and after studying camps internationally, we have created exciting cutting-edge teaching activities which focus on developing skills whilst everyone has a lot of fun. The Lakewood Lodge team is extremely passionate about ensuring we deliver an impeccable experience for all guests and every year they keep coming back for more. As Kiwis, we grew up around water and know how to swim, water-ski, sail, and jet-ski, not to mention all that tramping and camping we do as we grow up. It’s part of our culture and it comes naturally to a lot of us – so we don’t think twice about doing it at camp! That’s the reason most of our guests return year after year, as there is so much growth and development amongst everyone.

What is our Approach?

We believe in a very guest-focused customized approach. We have a range of activities and templates for camps and events we can put together so we can leverage this material and experience to offer the best experience possible for our guests: whether they are schools or companies. Usually someone will get in touch with us, tell us what they are looking for and our team puts together a completely customized solution including activities, catering needs, accommodation options and other extramural events which meets budgetary needs as well as outcomes to be achieved. All our guests are provided with a full itinerary and plan for the time they spend at Lakewood Lodge and from the moment they arrive, are right at home cracking on with what they are here to do.

Most camps in New Zealand are incredibly structured and formulaic, whereas we cater for our guests’ unique requirements.

Rated the Number 1 Camp in New Zealand by Kids

We believe our success records say it all and we refine and improve on everything we do all the time. Please read our testimonials to get an experience of why everyone keeps coming back year after year.

Our Core Values

Our core values reflect what we are, how we do things, and where we increasingly want to be.

  • Deeply Caring – We love our work. We love every journey that we take with every guest who visits Lakewood Lodge and our staff as well as instructors are charged with jumping into the trenches and helping our guests (big and small) achieve their outcomes and dreams.
  • Dedicated – We have a total commitment to making a difference and we don’t quit till we get the results we signed up to deliver.
  • Courageous – We take risks. We try new things. We take action. We will (literally) get in the mud with people and walk with them, supporting them to become courageous too.
  • You are our family – We treat everyone who comes to Lakewood Lodge as our family.

Our Code

1: Always conduct ourselves to the highest levels of ethics, integrity, accountability and responsibility.

2:Treat all guests and potential guests with absolute dignity, confidentiality and respect as free and equal individuals.

3:Maintain the good reputation of Lakewood Lodge.

4: Comply with both the spirit and the letter of any agreements made with guests, potential guests, and professional colleagues.

5:Make commercial agreements with guests and potential guests that are fair and will respect all parties to such agreements.

6:Represent true levels of status, title, competence and experience in order not to mislead, misrepresent or defraud.

7:Clearly state to guests and potential guests, the terms of any commercial agreement.

8:Make no unrealistic claims or implications of the services provided.

9:Respect the absolute rights of guests’ confidentiality except as expressly permitted by the guest or potential guest in writing or as required by law.

10:Comply with all laws and by-laws of New Zealand and all governing bodies who regulate us. All services are governed by the laws and by-laws of New Zealand.

15:Ensure that all advertisements and promotional materials, whether verbal or written, are legal, decent, truthful, honest and in compliance with the requirements of the New Zealand Advertising Standards Authority.

16:Make a copy of this Code freely available to guests if they request it.

Last updated: 16 September 2020