Selection
In November of 2021, the Scouts and Explorers in the unit were selected from over 200 young people who descended on Belchamps Scout Activity Centre in the heart of Essex to spend 2 days doing a wide variety of activities to prove to the leaders what they were made of. After many team building games such as the human knot, blindfolded assault courses and DIY ping pong ball catapults, a wild disco and enough hot chocolate to fill a lake, 27 Scouts and Explorers were chosen to embark on their adventure of a lifetime to the 25th World Scout Jamboree. Another 36 young people were selected to be part of GLNE’s other unit, Unit 31.
Fundraising
The first and the largest challenge we have faced was the seemingly unattainable £3,800 needed to attend the Jamboree. The challenge seemed impossible at first, but with a lot of work (and support from our families) we have slowly seen how much our hard work has paid off and through the events we have run both individually and as a unit, the money has been rolling in and the challenge has quickly become more and more achievable.
Most of the fundraising we have done has been either by ourselves or with our friends we have made (or had before) the jamboree started. From car boot sales to cake sales and quizzes to pizza nights we have had to put in a monumental effort to make the money we need in order to attend the Jamboree.
As well as running our own events we have run 2 fundraisers as a unit which proved to be a great opportunity for us to get to know each other and learn about everyone’s strengths and weaknesses.
Our first event was held at the Scout hut by Snaresbrook Station where we ventured into the forest surrounding Hollow Ponds to eat our lunch and play the now unit classic “capture the flag”. The actual fundraiser consisted of a cafe style event where we sold cakes, tea, coffee and a variety of other food which went down a treat with the people who attended, there was even an appearance from 2 dinosaurs doing a particularly crazy Jurassic jig!
The next fundraiser we ran was at the Roland Phillips Scout Centre in Stepney, where we did the same thing as the previous fundraiser. However, we also had a surprise when amidst the chaos of a football game, the London Air Ambulance landed in the middle of our make-shift pitch! After a reasonably successful pop-up cafe, we sat down to make some plans for what we wanted to do in the future and how we could go about doing this.
Preparation Camps
In order to prepare for the Jamboree, we had 4 camps where we had an opportunity to get to know each other, how we can best support each other when we are so far from home and learn about South Korean culture and life.
Camp 1 – Frith Grange
In April of 2022 we came together for the first time at Frith Grange Scout Campsite. We planned and cooked a feast for the unit in ‘test patrols’ so the Leaders could see who worked well together. This included planning the recipes, budgeting, buying the food and then preparing it, making sure to meet the dietary needs of participants. We also had a campfire, decorated Chingu (the UK Contingent mascot) biscuits, made some unit themed crafts, had a campfire and tried bubble tea.
Camp 2 – Frylands Wood
Our second unit camp was in October 2022 on a very wet and muddy weekend. We made tie dye t-shirts, tackled the assault course and practiced our public transport skills with a trip to Croydon for bowling and McDonalds.
Camp 3 – Fairmead
Our third unit camp was in March 2023 at Fairmead in Epping Forest. By this time we were in our patrols and as well as cooking Korean food together we had sessions on sexual health and healthy relationships, and a practical first aid session. We also thought about what we’d like to do in Seoul, had a surprise birthday party and watched a Korean film called ‘Miss Granny’.
Camp 4 – Thriftwood
Our final camp was just before the Jamboree was in July 2023 at Thriftwood. We slept in hammocks and prepared for jamboree life with a trip to “Heathrow Terminal 6”, celebrated Pride in London and had a chip shop hike.
“The experience of the Korean Jamboree was unique for a number of reasons. The rollercoaster of events that the press focused on was only a tiny fraction of what really summed up the experience, what you couldn’t see from behind the camera lens was the people at the heart of it all. I can say with confidence that the events that happened on the news did nothing to falter the amazing experience of exploring a country with lifelong friends. From the sea to the city every moment was filled with laughter, curiosity and the knowledge that such an opportunity would never be replicated in all its glory ever again.”
Dylan (Unit 32)
How Have We Come Together?
Over the past year and a half, we have all developed new friendships within our unit. As a collective we have come together to bring light and joy into the unit to make everyone’s jamboree experience amazing. Throughout the time we have known each other, we have had meetups that include a magnitude of team building exercises stemming from putting up tents in the rain to CPR recovery position learning whilst creating the memories that will last forever.
Everything our leaders have planned for us to enjoy throughout the time leading up to our actual event has made the jamboree opportunity that much memorable. We have created unbreakable bonds, had many unforgettable days, we share many inside jokes and we have created such an amazing and unique unit!
Our Time At The Jamboree
In July of 2023, we set out for South Korea and the adventure we had been looking forward to for over 2 years! We arrived after over 20 hours of travelling and spent the next few days exploring Seoul and learning all about Korean culture, food and history! On August 2nd, we arrived at the Jamboree site for the start of the 25th World Scout Jamboree.
Unfortunately, we had to leave after only 3 days due to unforeseen circumstances, however that did not stop us! We went back to Seoul to continue our epic adventure and make the most of the remaining time that we had left in this wonderful new country – a new place for the vast majority of the unit! We spent our remaining time exploring Seoul and meeting other Scouts from across the world who had also travelled from all corners of the world to be in South Korea.
