An adventure camp set in the countryside aims to provide entertainment for teenagers during the summer holidays.

In its 22nd year, Firestarter Festival gives youngsters the chance to go kayaking and hiking alongside peers at Ardwhallan Outdoor Education Centre.

About 70 secondary school students will set up their tents on the West Baldwin site as part of the non-profit festival which runs from July 22 to July 25.

Tommy Harrison, one of the original founders, said: ’The teenagers are given a lot of freedom, they are never told to go to bed. We worked out in the first year that telling them when to go to bed doesn’t work, so we have a 24 hour cafe to keep them entertained at night.

’They turn up shy and quiet and leave confident and happy and have hopefully learnt something new about themselves and that Firestarter will be a happy memory for them to look back on.’

The festival provides games including quidditch, three meals a day, a water war with 5,000 water balloons and there is 24 hour security to ensure the strict rule of keeping to the correct camping area is respected.

’There is also the "Grill a Christian" session. We get ministers and vicars from around the island and they can be asked any question that a teenager wants to ask,’ he added.

’This part of the festival, like the rest of it, is entirely voluntary.

’Firestarter is run by Christians from around the island and we have a strict rule of not sharing our faith unless asked specifically. There is simply no Bible bashing.’

Although it started as an event for young Christians, the direction changed in 2003 as more non-Christians came along, he said. Find out more at www.firestarter.im