Nationwide

How one Christchurch volunteer brought a camper’s dream to life

28 February 2025

News

Every picture tells a story – and this one shows us the incredible connection that’s brought together CQ Christchurch volunteer Hayden Cullen with camper Flynn.

A professional musician and trumpet player with the NZ Army Band, Hayden has been a Christchurch local for the last 10 years after moving down from the Waikato. Community-minded and deeply loyal, he’s the kind of guy that will go the extra mile for the people and the causes he cares about. 

Here’s his story about how he coordinated a real life NZ army uniform to be tailored for his camper. 

An experience unlike any other
After hearing about Camp Quality from his partner, Hayden was inspired to volunteer as a companion. “When you are in a hard place in life, there’s always someone going through something even harder. Joining Camp Quality gives you so much perspective, and of course is full of new connections and great memories.”

Since that first camp, Hayden was hooked. “I’ve absolutely loved it. With Camp Quality it’s not just the connection you make with your camper, but the whole whānau experience.” 

When his first camper got too old for camp, Hayden was paired up with Flynn, then a nine year old full of curiosity and a fantastic personality. One of the first things Flynn shared with his new companion was that his favourite move was Saving Private Ryan. When Hayden told him that he was in the military, Flynn’s eyes lit up.

Two years later, Hayden wanted to bring Flynn even closer to his dreams. He got in touch with the Commanding Officer of the NZ Army Band, Major Julie Richardson, to see if it would be possible to tailor a New Zealand Army uniform just for Flynn. Inspired by the story, Major Richardson agreed to support the idea. 

She commented, “When Hayden approached me about the possibility of getting an Army uniform for Flynn for the camp theme night, I had no hesitation in saying I’d do whatever I could to make it happen. After a few chats with people in the right places I was happy to be able to say “yes”, and Flynn and Hayden were able to go to theme night as Army men.”

Hayden invited Flynn to come to military camp to get measured properly – uniform, boots, a beret, and even his own name tag. “Flynn was just over the moon about the whole thing,” said Hayden. On the day before camp this year, he went over to Flynn’s house to get the final detail in place – shaping the beret. When it came time to show off his one-of-kind uniform, matching perfectly with Hayden’s, it was a spectacular moment.

“I was delighted,” said Major Richardson, “to see the photos of Hayden and Flynn together in their uniforms, and I will admit to a few tears having been shed when I saw the beaming smile on Flynn’s face! It was also awesome to be able to meet Flynn in person a few weeks later. I hadn’t known about Camp Quality before, but it’s such a fantastic initiative, and I’m also very proud of Hayden for volunteering for such a wonderful cause.”

Beyond the camp experience
Like many of our companions, Hayden has developed a connection with his camper that goes beyond just the time they spend together at camp. Throughout the year, Hayden makes a point to see Flynn every six weeks or so, keeping a professional boundary while still making sure Flynn feels really supported – not just when he’s at camp. His mom says Hayden has become a “hero” for Flynn, a title that Hayden wears with honour.

One day, just before Flynn’s 10th birthday, Hayden came by with a huge surprise – a cornet! Flynn had expressed interest in learning to play, and now he’s been able to start learning it with the guidance of one of New Zealand’s top cornet players. 

For Flynn’s family, the connection and support from Hayden and the Camp Quality organisation has been transformative. Getting cards with messages like “You’ve helped give him confidence, and some of the most memorable moments of his life,” and “thank you from the bottom of our hearts,” are treasures that Hayden holds close.

Beyond wanting the best for Flynn, Hayden reflects that it’s a blessing for him to get to know his campers. “They are going through so much,” he explains, “and they bring with them the life experience of someone much, much older. Seeing them flourish, and just be a kid in the environment that Camp Quality provides is one of the most inspiring experiences ever – and when you see them outside of camp, you see the impact there too. The happiness you get as a volunteer being part of that is so incredible.”

Even through the tough moments – and they do happen in and outside of camp – it’s about holding space for the kids to be seen, to feel, and to act like kids. “In most places, our campers are the odd ones out, the kids who have something ‘wrong’ going on, often being treated differently to everyone else. What we try to do is treat them normally, as the great kids that they are, and show them what they’re worth.”

Hayden says he’s 100% on board to come back as a companion again next year. It’s a week he wouldn’t ever want to miss. In the meantime, he’s also helping carve even stronger connections between his work – including the Brass Band National Championships – and his passion for Camp Quality, getting more people inspired and involved with our CQ whānau.