This weekend the our Easter Camp took the Scouts to Ferny Crofts Activity Centre in the heart of the New Forest.
We were really lucky with the weather, with it staying dry until our return journey home, so we took full advantage, with the Scouts enjoying a host of activities including cycling around the New Forest, a visit to the National Motor Museum and estate at Beaulieu, wide games, camp fires, high ropes Gladiator challenges, a trip to the South coast and beach, and even caving in a bus!
There were many tired Scouts (and Leaders!) on our return home!
Winter Camp 2023 took the Scouts to an Activity Centre in Bristol.
On a chilly Friday evening, we traveled by minibus down to site, and played a wide game, before finishing the evening with supper, a camp fire and marshmallows.
It was a cold start to the Saturday morning, but the Scouts donned their woolies and set out for a host of warming activities, including Climbing, Abseiling, and Archery.
The fun didn’t stop after lunch, with the afternoon packed with Go Kart building, and High All-aboard, before everyone sat down for a well earned Xmas party meal and games.
After an early rise on Sunday, we packed up and headed into Bristol to visit Clifton Observatory, the Giants Cave, and Clifton Suspension Bridge, before grabbing some lunch and heading back home.
This October saw the return of the 3 Towers Hike (https://hike.org.uk) – a challenging hiking event for Scouts and Explorers, run by the Reading Central District.
We have had some great results in past events, and this time was no exception – with our Scout team posting a first place win, with a remarkable time of 5h44m – way to go guys!!!
The 12.5+ Camp is designed for the older Scouts and Explorers, and we try to do something a little different.
This year, our camp took the Scouts via Brownsea Island – the site of the first Scout Camp.
Over a gloriously sunny weekend, we traveled by minibus down to Bournmouth, where we split into sleeping groups, and was given a tent for the weekend. We setup camp for the evening and had a roaring campfire and supper.
The following morning, after breakfast, we packed everything away, and with the tents in our rucksacks, headed into Poole on the local buses.
After a short look around the town centre, we grabbed lunch from the local supermarket, and all the food we would need to last us for the next 24 hours, before walking
down to the harbour and catching the ferry over to Brownsea Island.
A walk across the island took us to the spot where Baden Powell held the first Scout Camp, and we pitched our tents right there, overlooking the beach!
We then went for a walk to explore the island and shoreline, before cooking our evening meals, playing some games, and settling in to watch the beautiful sunset.
We packed up and returned to Poole the following morning, and had a hearty meal at the local Weatherspoons, before heading back home.
Easter Camp 2023 took the Scouts to stay in Purbook Fort just outside Portsmouth.
A windy weekend awaited us, but everyone was in high spirits, as the Scouts took on the Fort assault course, climbing wall, team building, and laser tag, went for a walk on the coast down in Southsea, and tackled the high-ropes at Go Ape, Southampton.
A fun-packed weekend was had by all. And now for a well-earned rest!
To celebrate, we had a Group family day on the Thames where our young members enjoyed a range of water sports including Raft Building, Kayaking, Paddle Boarding & Dragon Boats.
Just hangin’ about. Yes, that’s what we were doing in Swindon for the Cub Easter Camp! We had high winds but this didn’t put any of the Cubs off the high rope activities at PGL Liddington Activity Centre. We had a weekend of fun on the Giant Swing, Abseiling, Vertical Challenge, Crate Challenge and Archery. This was a great opportunity to complete activities we find difficult to do during normal sessions and have managed to work as a team learning new skills and make new friends.The accommodation at PGL is excellent. It was a Residential Stay with en-suite facilities, a luxury which made for a comfortable nights sleep after a camp fire and songs.
It was a fabulous morning by the river, followed by a brilliant win at lunchtime. We were not sure whether we had won and had to wait for the photo finish to be checked.
The results were:
Race 1, Boat 3, Finish 2nd
Race 2, Boat 1, Finish 1st
Race 3, Semi Final, Boat 4, Finish 2nd
Race 4, Final, Boat 4, Finish 1st!
The Cubs adopted Woody, the dog, as their mascot and motivation for winning.
There were only 9 Cubs in the boat.
The organizers praised Reading 3rd especially, highlighting their behaviour, which was polite and attentive. That’s always good to hear.
