INTERNATIONAL TRIPS

Celebrating the Queen's Platinum Jubilee in Belgium

Issue 6

Established in 1977 at the time of the Queen's Silver Jubilee, 1st Waterloo (International) Scouts Belgium, British Scouting Overseas, marked Her Majesty's Platinum Jubilee in style! They organised a day event at their local campsite and invited parents to join them in the evening for a Scout-style three-course meal and campfire fun.

​

Andrew Girvan

1st Waterloo (International) Scouts Belgium

British Scouting Overseas

www.britishscoutingoverseas.org.uk

Forterra jump starts Jamboree fundraiser

Issue 6

Meanwhile, over in Cambridgeshire, Forterra, one of the UK's leading building products' manufacturers, has donated £1,000 from its Community Fund to Whittlesey Scouts, Peter Easterbrook and Thomas Cox, to help them attend the same Jamboree as their fellow scouts in North Yorkshire.

Selected from among 125 scouts, Peter, aged 13, and Thomas, aged 16, have made it through the tough selection process to represent Cambridgeshire at the upcoming Jamboree. They will join 3,240 scouts from the UK at an event attended by more than 50,000 scouts from groups all over the world.

Serving in a mainly educational role, the World Scout Jamboree aims to promote peace and mutual understanding, while sharing much needed skills among the youth attending. The key theme for the 2023 event is how scouts can help to create a more sustainable world.

Peter, a Scout, and Thomas, an Explorer Scout, have both been involved in Scouting from a young age.

"We're looking forward to being able to make friends and work with other young people from different countries with different languages and cultures," said Peter. "We're also really excited to put on some activities of our own, so that we can share information about our local area, culture and customs.

"In order to attend the event, we need to raise a combined fee of £7,790. This will help cover such things as travel, insurance, accommodation and training camps."

Thomas added, "Forterra's donation of £1,000 has been a huge help toward this and has really aided us on this journey. It's great to have such a boost to our campaign, and we look forward to continuing our fundraising activities in the lead up to the Jamboree."

The Jamboree will raise the profile of the scouting community worldwide, encouraging more young people to join, while motivating them to broaden their horizons and challenge themselves to do something they ordinarily wouldn't have had the chance to pursue.

A portion of the fundraiser will also help underprivileged UK children as well as children from poorer countries attend the event, an initiative that will ensure the occasion is both truly inclusive and world-encompassing.

Forterra has strong connections with Whittlesey with its iconic London Brick made at the brickworks in the town for the past 145 years. "This looks set to be a really educational and inclusive event," says Stephen Harrison, Chief Executive at Forterra. "We're proud to get involved in events like these as part of our community fund scheme and to help out the local community. We wish the boys the best of luck with their continued fundraising efforts and look forward to following their trip."

The 'Forterra Community Fund' gives clubs, groups and societies the opportunity to apply for up to £1,000 for educational, environmental and charitable projects that make a positive contribution to their local community. If it is a building project it is also possible to apply for bricks, blocks or other building products instead.

For more information and to apply to the Forterra Community Fund visit www.forterra.co.uk/about-us/community/community-fund

North Yorkshire scouts prepare for a life-changing Korea!

Issue 6

In summer 2023 more than 40,000 Scouts from all over the world will gather in Korea for the 25th World Scout Jamboree. The World Scout Jamboree happens every four years, hosted by a different country each time. Fourteen year old Hazel Roberts has been in Scouting for six years and is a member of Copmanthorpe Tempest Explorers. She is delighted to be one of the thirty-six young people chosen from North Yorkshire and shares her exciting story with us.

"A few weeks ago, I took part in a selection weekend where thirty-six young people were selected out of those who applied. Whilst there we were put in random groups and given a number of tasks to complete, for example putting up a giant tent (to demonstrate our teamwork skills) and recording a video of ourselves answering the question 'Why do you want to be a part of the UK contingent and what would you take away from the Jamboree?'"

From Friday 8th to Sunday 10th April, Unit 41 (the North Yorkshire contingent) had their first training camp. Never having met each other before, they had to choose tents and who to share them with. They had to work as a team to erect their tents without any instructions.

Hazel explains, "We worked well together so it only took about thirty to forty-five minutes and we all felt very pleased once it was up. The first evening was a bit of a blur and we had quite a late night as we were chatting in our tent because we had a lot to learn about each other. On Saturday morning we were all quite slow getting up; it had been a cold night and nobody wanted to get out of the warmth of their sleeping bags."

After breakfast the group designed potential badges and names for Unit 41 then went on a six kilometre circular walk, taking it in turns to practise their map-reading skills. This gave them a chance to get to know their new friends better. The group then voted for their favourite designs and name for Unit 41 - the North Yorkshire Roses. In the evening everyone sat around a campfire - you can't have Scouts without having a campfire!

Hazel commented, "The food was amazing and the leaders really put us at ease. Next time we have to practise cooking for ourselves, which I'm really looking forward to. I've loved the experience of being part of the UK contingent so far and I'm truly grateful that I was selected. I can't wait for the next camp!"

Antarctic Voyage
Kent Scouts complete a successful trip during January 2022

Issue 5

The ReQuest2021 project is a wider programme of activity centred around the expedition to Antarctica to commemorate the Shackleton-Rowett Expedition of 1921-1922. One hundred years after Sir Ernest Shackleton's ship Quest sailed to Antarctica, a ten strong team of Scouts and leaders recreated the original ethos of the expedition by undertaking their own voyage to the frozen south.

The Shackleton-Rowett Expedition included two Scouts: James Marr and Norman Mooney. On 30th December 2021 the team of ten scouts and their leaders followed in Marr and Mooney's footsteps and departed from South America for Antarctica.

The project was based upon three key principles: -

1. PEACE - Young people will form relationships with each other, their communities, other Scouts around the world, and their environment.

2. ENVIRONMENT - Young people are more concerned about nature than ever and want to protect our environment - one study found that 60% of young people are worried or extremely worried about climate change.

3. HERITAGE - A way for young people to connect with intrepid explorers from the past, through an innovative programme of events, and mark those who went before.

The ten participants undertook research projects whilst in Antarctica on issues such as climate change, energy, exploration, education, health and the environment. Findings will be presented in due course in a range of engaging formats including photography, soundscapes, reports, artwork and interactive forums.

Bear Grylls, Chief Scout, sent the team off on their expedition with these encouraging words:

"You are truly following in the footsteps of many legends including the great

Sir Ernest Shackleton who set off on his Quest expedition. You are also doing vital work in how we can protect the world around us, which is so important."

The team finished by enjoying a few days relaxation and reflection time in Buenos Aries before heading home to the UK.

We successfully achieved all our objectives for the voyage including taking up a last-minute opportunity to visit Port Lockroy which was established by Scout Marr during Operation Tabarin in World War Two. There is just some work to do on our other project objectives now we are back in the UK – outreach to young people, developing the legacy fund and taking the commemorative plaque to Scotland.

​

Alan Noake

 About the Project

• For more information about the ReQuest2021 expedition and the research projects, please visit http://www.request2021.org.uk

• The ReQuest2021, Antarctic Research Project Team sailed on board Bark Europa tall ship from Ushuaia, Argentina to the Antarctic Peninsula from 30th Dec 2021 to 20th January 2022.

• Over the past four years the ten Scouts have undertaken fundraising activities including a rowing challenge, grand auction and online merchandise sales to raise £140,000 for the expedition.

• A key sponsor of the Request expedition is the East and West Kent Freemasons who have the same core values of supporting young people www.eastkentfreemasons.org and www.westkentmasons.org.uk

• Group Project: THE ANTARCTICA SCOUT KRILL project. Partnership with British Antarctic Survey to study and raise awareness of the importance of Antarctic krill to the Southern Ocean ecosystem.

Participants

Alan Noake, Deal, Walmer, Sandwich & District, Kent

Cathy Mummery, Weald District, Kent

Matt Wood, Malling District, Kent

Helen Smith, Gravesham District, Kent

Lucy Morgan, Sevenoaks District, Kent

Genevieve Scullion, Deal, Walmer, Sandwich & District, Kent

George Stonor, Faversham District, Kent

Darcey Holmes, Thanet District, Kent

Sam Payne, Inverurie, Aberdeenshire, Scotland

Alex Maciver, Aberfeldy, Perthshire, Scotland