Scouts take to the woods

Hundreds of children, young people and adult volunteers tested their map reading skills at an orienteering event in Wendover Woods.

The “Big O” attracted Beavers (boys and girls aged 6 to 8), Cubs (boys and girls aged 8 to 10), Scouts (boys and girls aged 10 to 14) and Explorer Scouts (boys and girls aged 14 to 17) from all parts of Buckinghamshire.

The Cubs’ trail was three kilometres, the Scouts' trail was four kilometres and the Explorers’ trail was five kilometres. The starts had to be staggered to accommodate the hundreds of participants.

Map reading skills, teamwork, and observation were three of the key skills the children and young people had to use. With some of the courses running closely together, the participants had to ensure they used the right clip for their score card. Time and accuracy were key elements for the event.

Cub Scout Ginny, when asked about the event, said it was “Fun, amazing and adventurous.” Beaver Scout Matthew said the trail his Colony followed was “Amazing, tiring and exciting.” He added, “It was great being out in the woods with my friends.”

Adult volunteer, Oana, who became involved in April this year, said, “Scouting has helped me learn more about teamwork and also improved my knowledge of working with young people.”

A recent survey detailed that 83% of the people asked thought that Scouting provided children and young people with “skills for life.” The poll also detailed that Scouting helps with character building, helps people learn practical skills and helps Explorer Scouts and volunteers with employability skills.

Please visit www.scouts.org.uk/join to find out more about Scouts.