Enfield Explorer Scouts will be part of 35,000 other Scouts from across the world when they attend the Denmark Scout Jamboree next July.
Twenty-four of them came up with a unique fundraising event to help pay for next summer’s trip of a lifetime. They spent 24 hours living in their own self-designed cardboard box. They had their own small space mapped out on
the floor of their Turkey Street Scout hut and that became their total living space.
Apart from giving them all the opportunity to raise a total of £5,000, the event also helped them to understand the plight of many people who have to sleep rough on the streets.
Alice Hillier, aged 16, (pictured in her red and white scarf) said “Whilst living and sleeping in our own tiny cardboard houses has been great fun, it’s really sad to know there are people less fortunate than us who have to do this all the time”.
Jags Bharth, aged 16, said “It’s been really cosy in my cardboard box next to all my mates. Being a Scout has given me so many different opportunities, and this has been just one of them”.
Kiera Whitbread, aged 15, said “It’s been amazing to raise money in such a fun way. I can’t wait to meet up with so many Scouts from practically every country in the world”.
Mike Thurston, Explorer Scout Leader and the event organiser said “These young people are boys and girls, all aged between 14 and 18 and have had a really good time raising money for this huge international Scout camp next summer”.
Stephen Ward, who lead the Southgate Hatters ESU expedition to Namibia in the summer, has sent this update:
Just to confirm the latest news from Namibia. The plantation is really going well. We now have 202 trees as 2 trees have come back to life from the failed project 4 years ago! The headman Geelbooi Thameb has now retired from the job he had working on the roads and is now dedicating his time to the plantation. Cash crops are growing well around the tree area as a result of the irrigation, which is great and will supply food to the community immediately. The best crops are growing in the area where we had our toilets!!!! Although the community struggled initially to buy diesel for the pump Geelbooi manged to get a 300 litre barrel donated by the road company on his retirement and they have also received a donation of 3,000 namibian dollars from another charity to buy diesel. Jim is planning a camp later this year with the Tsumeb and Tsintsabis scouts to plant the next section of trees and increase the irrigation area. The Tsintsabis scouts would like to start a Rover unit (over 16s) as there are many young people of this age in the community where there is almost 100% unemployment. The hope is that this will give these young people some purpose. I will be launching an appeal to supply the Tsintsabis scouts with a shirt and scarf as they have no money. This will cost about 100 namibian dollars per person (about £12).
Southern 50 entries are looking good, but there is still time to enter for this year’s event on 11th February 2012. New changes mean greater flexibility with team members. Each team must now comprise of between 3 – 5 participants.
We have chosen a brand new school for the 2012 event which we have never used before, which should give us plenty of space. Although we cannot disclose the location, we can say that the venue is close to a good rail link, so that will help teams who may wish to use public transport.
It’s easy to enter via the online booking system on www.scouts-gln-southern50.org.uk. Just click into “S50 Challenge” and “How to Enter”.
Please let me know if you are an Explorer Scout Leader and would like anybody from the organising team to come along one evening and give a talk about the event to your young people.
Any questions to secretary@scouts-gln-
Message to all GLN Explorer Scout Leaders – Are any of your Explorer Scouts interested in creative activities, performing arts or theatre studies? If the answer is yes, then they could play a really useful role with the Haringey & Southgate Pantomime Team.
A new Explorer Scout Pantomime Unit has been formed with members stretching from right across the County. We are always looking to increase the Unit with any young person wanting to learn new skills on how to operate a spotlight, be part of the back stage crew or support props and stage make-up. This year’s production of Aladdin runs from 9th-17th December. Further information can be obtained from Fozzy on cesc@gln-scouts.org.uk
There are still a few places left on the National Scouts Speak Up training course at Gilwell. These courses are designed to give you the skills to talk about your experiences to a wide variety of audiences and teach you how to carry out campaigns. Previous attendees have found themselves on radio and TV talking about Scouting and other issues.
The training will help you gain the confidence to encourage young people to join, adults to volunteer, or raise the profile of Scouting in your community.
These skills will be useful for the rest of your life, will be a great help with job and university interviews and will look great on a CV. And of course, you’ll enjoy a fun-filled weekend with other Scouts your age.
What does the course cover?
• Talking to journalists
• Giving radio interviews
• Delivering presentations
• Supporting a campaign
• Online campaigns/direct lobbying
Who would you work with?
• Media Development Managers, HQ Media Relations Team, HQ Public Affairs & Campaigns Team
What qualities do you need?
• Enthusiasm
• Motivation and the ability to motivate others
• Background knowledge of Scouting
• Effective communication skills
• Willingness to be trained to develop communications and campaigning skills
The next course is on November 5/6 at Gilwell
The course is free but you will need to pay your own travelling expenses. Some participants will camp; others will stay in indoor accommodation. Full pre-course information will be distributed prior to the events.
Please note that the ideal age of attendees is 15/16 but there are no age restrictions in place.
If you wish to attend, please download the Scouts Speak Out Booking Form and send it to the County Media Development Manager (that’s me, Steve Way) at communications@gln-scouts.org.uk. If you can’t scan it in to email, send it to me at
16 Lincoln Road Enfield Middx EN1 2RX… and contact me if you have any questions.
There are several opportunities for Explorers to take part in some interesting and exciting activities available – but make sure you book early!
Find out about chances to help at the Olympics next year by becoming a Young Games Maker: http://www.london2012.com/get-involved/volunteer/young-games-makers/index.php
Become a Cast Member of the Olympics Opening or Closing ceremony:
http://www.london2012.com/games/ceremonies/get-involved/casting-information.php
And make sure you book up to celebrate 10 years of Explorers at GLMW’s fantastic Blast! festival – places are going fast, it’s only a couple of weeks away….
http://www.blastfestival.co.uk/
Join the UK’s largest county Jamboree in 2012!
The Essex International Jamboree happens every four years and is the UK largest county Jamboree. Join thousands of Guides and Scouts from all over the world between 18th to 25th August 2012 for a week of fun, freedom and an active and energetic programme of activities and opportunities.
What is different for 2012?
New location! In 2012 the Essex International Jamboree will have a new home in Roxwell Quarry, Chelmsford. In the heart of Essex Chelmsford is only 40 miles from London and has good links for the A12 and M25 making it an ideal location. Five miles North West of Hylands Park that hosted the 21st World Scout Jamboree in 2007 the site is 120 acres including an eight acre lake- perfect for holding water based activities.
The change of location has provided the opportunity to take a fresh look at the needs of the event to make sure that it is even more spectacular. Plans for the event will be announced in the near future.
Activities
Ten programme zones covering adventurous, creative and cultural activities. Embodying the true spirit of the Jamboree encouraging young people to try something new and make friends.
Entertainment
Full Jamboree entertainment will be announced to include live performances, dance, cinema and a circus experience in the near future.
Volunteers needed
Help make it happen! Donate your time and skills and be apart of the UK’s biggest Jamboree. There will be jobs for all. You could volunteer for one day, one week, or the whole period.
If you are 16 and over join in the festival atmosphere by helping ensure the smooth running of site facilities, assist with the running of the programme or provide support to the event team. Soak up the environment and benefit from adult volunteer training.
Visit our website today to see how you could help.
Booking places and costs
The online booking system will be available during Spring and Summer 2011.
Participants £160
Be one of thousands of young people aged 10 to 18 to have the opportunity to take part in a huge range of Jamboree activities throughout the daytime and evening during week.
Group Leaders £75
Get involved as hundreds of adult volunteers to support young people in Groups on the sub camp. As well as supporting your Group, Group Leaders are encouraged to get involved in assisting the sub camp team in the smooth running of the Jamboree.
Jamboree Staff £100
Be among hundreds of adult volunteers who will help make the Jamboree happen. Have the opportunity to work with a specialist team. There is a £50 reduction for self-catering.
Further details
For further information about the Essex International Jamboree 2012 please contact us by visiting http://eij.org.uk/about/contact-us
The Acorn E.S.U. and 1st Islington Scout Group in CCI took part in Bookbridge this summer. The project was collecting books to send to two new libraries in Cambodia.
In many schools around the world pupils are taught without any books at all. Bookbridge aims to change that by building libraries with donated books. In the summer of 2010 the first Bookbridge Library was built in Mongolia – it has 13,000 books and to date more than 25,000 children have benefited. In 2011 they are aiming to build six more libraries. The UK Scout Association has twinned up to help find books for the library in Cambodia.
As a group we collected in excess of 300 books which we sent off to the project. The whole group were all involved in the effort from Beavers to Explorers – the Beavers helped us count, the Cubs designed posters and Scouts sorted through the books to check they were appropriate. The Explorers and Leaders also made the 3hr trip to the national sorting days in Nottingham – whilst we were there we sorted through nearly 40,000 books, loading hundreds of boxes into containers! Across the country in excess of 70,000 books were collected.
You can find our more about Bookbridge, the libraries and our links with Scouts at www.bookbridge.org/scouts. The books collected will be a huge boost to children in Cambodia – thank you to every one that helped!
On July 10th, the Jamboree Unit (some straight from Gilwell 24) went down to Dorset to visit Brownsea Island just two weeks before they leave for the Jamboree proper. As well as giving the Unit members the chance to learn about the birth of Scouting, the experimental camp and hear about the lessons learnt by the participants, the four Patrols all had the opportunity to pitch and strike an example of the tents they will be using on the Jamboree – on the site of the 1907 camp.
Here is a report on the trip from Explorer Scout Emily Au: 
With rich scouting heritage, copious rare wildlife and panoramic landscapes, Brownsea Island is a haven full of adventure, fun and even challenges. As the birthplace of Scouting and Guiding, the island holds extensive significance for us, as members of the worldwide movements, adding a sense of perpetual enthusiasm and enthralled admiration to our adventure. Ever since Lord Baden Powell hosted the first experimental camp at 1907, for 20 young boys of contrasted social conditions, Brownsea Island has become an indelible and integral part of the largest youth movement of the past millennium. The success of the camp visibly demonstrated a vision of possibilities of bridging the social divide of a society facing social influxes- an apt moment as a contingent of 4000 scouts are participating in the 22nd World Scout Jamboree camp in Sweden this summer, joining scouts all over the world.
Stepping onto the island on a bright summer’s day, thirty six Explorer Scouts discovered the variety of captivating features at Brownsea, visiting monumental locations, such as the heath where the first camp was held in 1907, and the commemorative stone laid in the 1960s to celebrate the founding of Scouting.
Visiting Brownsea Island is not simply a pilgrimage, it is also an inspiring moment to revitalise youthful ideals, dreams and aspirations; we promise that we will do our best. We have one world, one promise.
Twenty-eight Scouts and Leaders from the Hatters Explorer Scout Unit in Southgate are headed for the summer camp of a lifetime, in the remote northern part of Namibia. They are on an expedition to the village of Tsintsabis, where they will undertake a project to plant a grove of orange and mango trees, complete with irrigation and fencing, to create a sustainable source of income for the community. The Scouts will also train a team from the village to care for the fruit trees and harvest the fruit.
The Explorer Scouts have been working to raise the funding for the expedition and for the orange grove project by holding Quiz nights, cake sales, sponsored activities and even sponsored leg-waxing (for the boys!). The expedition has also received grants from the Jack Petchey Foundation and other organisations and businesses.
As well as setting up the orange grove, the Scouts will spend time in the Etosha National Park, working with the Park Rangers on conservation projects, including the white rhino project. They will also visit the Skeleton Coast and the Cheetah Conservation Project in Otjiwango.
The Scouts will be camping with local children of Scout age in Tsintsabis to assist the Scouts of Namibia in establishing a Scout Troup in the community. The English Scouts hope to raise sufficient funds to be able to leave all their equipment behind for use by the Namibian Scouts.
Explorer Scout Leader Stephen Ward said: “This trip will not only be an amazing opportunity for the Explorer Scouts, but we hope it will also make a difference to the lives of the Namibians, where after only 21 years of independence there is still a huge gap between blacks and whites and rich and poor”.
Explore
r Scout Andrea Sanderson said: “I’m really looking forward to the adventure, although I’m going to miss having a proper bathroom and toilet”
Explorer Scout Gina Cooney added: “I want to help conserve cheetahs and stop them being turned into coats”
The Hatters leave for Namibia on the 2nd August.
