Lichfield Scouts Jet Off for the Adventure of a Lifetime
AFTER MORE THAN 18 months of fundraising, seven Lichfield scouts are off on their big adventure to join 40,000 others from across the world at the international World Scout Jamboree in Sweden.
The scouts have raised more than £14,000 to help finance their trip and also to contribute to the costs of scouts from developing countries to enable them to attend.
Speaking from Manchester Airport, sixteen year old Alex Grew from 7th Lichfield Scout Group explained: “It has been an amazing journey just to reach this time when we actually fly out. Nothing has been easy to get to this point, but everything has been worthwhile.”
Lichfield Explorer Scout Nick Russell, added: “It was not just a case of deciding we wanted to go to the jamboree, then paying the cost. We had to go through a rigorous selection process, as unfortunately there were many more scouts who wanted to go, than there are places at the camp.
“Once we secured our place then the really hard work began, as we had a fundraising target to meet, and hundreds of ideas on how to do it.”
Alex continued: “Our local community have really supported our activities as we knew in these economic times we had to provide services that people wanted and were happy to pay for, so our car wash with fire fighters from Lichfield was really successful.
“We also hosted a barn dance, and provided traditional bbq fare at school fetes and special events held by the George & Dragon pub, amongst many other activities.
“And we have been generously supported by a number of charitable trusts including the Swinfen Broun Trust, the Conduit Lands Trust and Lichfield Rotary Club. It has been very hard work, but has shown us all that nothing is outside our reach if we work hard.”
On 22nd July last year six of the scouts Oliver Pike (16) Edward Wills (15), Philip Glass (17) Christopher Owen (17), Alex and Nick were the first in the UK to be awarded a new Scout Association badge – The Entrepreneur badge, primarily for their business acumen in running the traditional bbqs, across the city.
This was the first time that business skills have been actively promoted by The Scout Association, however, values such as persistence, innovation and hard work are intrinsic to both enterprise and the Scouting Movement.
The scouts were surprised with a flying visit from Richard Harpin, Chief Executive of HomeServe, as he touched down in the playing fields of their school, King Edwards, to award the boys with their badges. Richard had spent nine months working with the Scouting Association to develop the badge, and speaking then he said; “This initiative aims to encourage teenagers in a non-school environment to get excited about setting up their own business in the future, making a real impact on the long-term prosperity of our country”.
The scouts are flying to Denmark where they will stay for three days, sightseeing and meeting other scouts from the UK. Then, they will travel on to the south of Sweden to the jamboree site, to take part in twelve days of activities, with modules based around global development, quests, people and the environment. One of the key elements of the programme will be using the natural environment as a learning tool, demonstrating both its vulnerability and what individuals can do to better protect the world we live in.
Chief Scout, Bear Grylls said: “Over the course of the Jamboree, Scouts will be able to meet people from around the world, take part in amazing adventures and experiences and be challenged to think about global issues in a new light. That is why Scouting is one of the greatest youth movements on earth and why I am so proud to be part of it.”
