Disadvantaged youngsters have benefited from a free camping trip this summer, despite the holiday being under threat from a lack of tents.

CHAOS – which stands for Children’s Holidays and Other Specialities – has put on the trips every summer since 1976.

The tents used to take the eight to 12-year-olds away had fallen into disrepair, but World Challenge stepped in to provide equipment for the charity.

The organisation, which runs student-led expeditions across the globe, handed over 64 of its tents that had become surplus to requirements.

It meant that children from four east London boroughs, including Newham, could benefit from a week out of the city.

Head of logistics at World Challenge, Rod Hicks, said: “By donating these tents we are able to make sure the charity can still continue to offer kids this experience and afford them the opportunity to have a truly amazing outdoor camping holiday.

“Their ideology is quite similar to that of World Challenge whereby they want to give school children a chance to learn a new skill, gain a different outlook on life and introduce them to the great outdoors.”

Norman Haynes, communications officer at CHAOS, added: “Our old tents were beyond repair and this year’s summer camps would have been impossible without the generous donation of tents from World Challenge.

“Our commitment was to provide holidays for 60 disadvantaged London children and we met this goal thanks to their help.”

The charity was set up by three school friends in 1976 and since then, more than 2,000 children have received a holiday, which typically includes team games, treks and trips to the beach.