Flintshire Scouts finally get back camping after 18 month wait

Penyffordd Scouts recently returned from their first camp in 18 months.

Camping is at the heart of Scouting, but due to the pandemic, Scouts in the UK have not been able to go away with their groups since March 2020.

Scout Leader, Chris Williams said “Back in March 2020 we were told that residential activities were not permitted, due to the pandemic, at this point we also had to move all of our Scout evenings online, running our weekly sessions over Zoom.”

“Although we’ve been able to meet in person for our weekly sessions for the past few months, camping, or residential activities have not been allowed until very recently. ”

“As a Leadership team, we were really keen to get back to camping as soon as the rules changed, so we planned and booked our Summer camp, and waited for an announcement from the Welsh Government, and Scouts Cymru, and just over a week before our planned trip, we were given the go ahead.”

Due to covid safety measures, limiting the amount of Scouts allowed in each tent, the Leaders decided to run their week long camp in two halves, with fourteen Scouts, who are girls and boys aged 10 and a half to 14 camping for the first half of the week, and then fifteen Explorer Scouts, who are 14 to 18 years old swapping and camping for the second half.

Each day was filled with exciting activities, from caving, to an aerial assault course high up in the trees.

11 year old Scout, Dan Robinson said “I really enjoyed my first Scout summer camp. My favourite activity was axe throwing as I had never done this before. I Loved being able to camp again after so long in lockdown and loved enjoying the great outdoors with all the scouts! Best camp ever!

15 year old Explorer Scout, Ethan Davies said “It was just amazing to be back together to be honest, I loved all of it and just being part of a group doing fun things was brilliant. I enjoyed all of the activities that we did, but I was really pleased with myself for getting to the top of the Jacobs ladder. I want to say thank you to the Leaders for giving us such a great few nights away”

And Penyffordd Scouts aren’t the only Flintshire group who have managed to get away this summer, with groups such as Saltney ferry heading to Devon for a week of fun-filled adventure.