Avon Scouts & Guides: County Jamboree 2004

Bristol Evening Post - 27th May 2004

Scouts pack their bags for Jamboree Weekend

Thousands of Scouts from the Bristol area are gearing up for an action-packed weekend and bank holiday. About 2,500 youngsters are taking part in the Avon Scout and Guide Jamboree at Woodhouse Park, Almondsbury.

Activities will range from traditional scouting skills like camping and fire-lighting to more modern skills such as photography and video production.

Scout leader David Thomas said: "The weekend has taken a great deal of planning and dozens of adults in Scouting and Guiding have been busy working behind the scenes for months. "Around 2,500 youngsters will be with us over the weekend."

Neil Salter, county commissioner for Scouting, said the get-together would celebrate 50 years since Bristol Scouts bought Woodhouse Park. He said: "In those 50 years the Scouts movement has grown in size, and thousands of youngsters have had the opportunity to develop their lives."

Bristol Evening Post - 29th May 2004

Scouts and Guides Jamboree

Marking 50 years since the region's scouting movement first went to Woodhouse Park, the weekend covers a wide range of skills and games.

Additional fields and volunteers have been hired to cope with the huge response from Scouts and Guides.

The jamboree, which is held once every four years, allows the youngsters to take part in learning new skills as diverse as sumo wrestling, music mixing and video production, alongside traditional scouting activities such as knotting and pioneering.

Since arriving last night the youngsters are already having fun and are looking forward to the rest of the weekend.

Bristol Evening Post - 29th May 2004

Thousands Lend a Hand

More than 2,500 Scouts and Guides are taking part in a massive jamboree in Almondsbury this bank holiday weekend. Youngsters from troops in and around Bristol have grabbed the chance to attend the event in Woodhouse Park, which is held just once every four years.

After months of planning, the event boasts a huge range of activities, from traditional scouting skills to modern technology.

Marking 50 years since the Scouts and Guides from the area first bought some land at Woodhouse Park, this year's event looks like being one of the most popular ever.

Scout leader David Thomas said: "This weekend has taken a great deal of planning, and dozens of adults in scouting and guiding have been busy working behind the scenes for months to plan the event.

"We've had to hire additional fields and facilities to ensure we have everything to hand."

Children were eating a hearty breakfast 100 at a time this morning at long tables - and learned a valuable lesson afterwards - when they had to wash up their own plates.

They headed out for the day's activities at 9.30am.

Dan, aged 11, of 227th Bristol, said: "It has been a really good weekend so far and we're all having a really good laugh. The weather has been a bit wet and we've not had a campfire yet, but when the activities get going today it will be really good."

Mark, 11, of 44th Bristol, was looking forward to taking part. He said: "I can't wait to have a go on the rifle shooting. It will be the first time I have ever done it, but I think I'll do really well."

Becky, of 167th Bristol Guides, played football last night. She said: "We had a good knock-about against the boys. They beat us but they were cheating!"

Philip Bird, assistant county commissioner, said: "It's going really well. There was a bit of rain yesterday and it's still a bit damp today.

"Even the traffic was all right yesterday - we had been expecting problems. Most people came and put their tents up during the week, so they were not putting them up in the wet."

Organisers are holding a double celebration after it emerged that the number of Scouts and Guides in the Bristol area has topped 10,000 for the first time in years.

Paul Brooks, assistant county commissioner for development for Avon Scouts, said: "We're delighted that the number of young people enjoying scouting across the Avon area is on the increase.

"Over the last few years we've suffered from a drop in membership, but this year it's encouraging to announce that not only have we stopped the slight decline, but also that we're able to provide even more scouting, for even more young people."

Some of the activities on offer this weekend include pole jousting, human table football, self defence, a scarecrow competition, giant dominoes, quizzes, code breaking, an inflatable assault course, screen printing, origami, glass painting, canoeing, abseiling, shooting, gymnastics, African drums, scouting skills, plasticine animation and radio.

To find out more, visit www.avonscouts.org.uk or call 01454 613006.

Bristol Evening Post 29 May 2004

Scouts set for a camp to remember

More than 2,500 Scouts and Guides are taking part in a massive jamboree in Almondsbury this weekend. Youngsters from groups in and around Bristol have grabbed their chance to attend the event in Woodhouse Park, which is held just once every four years.

After months of planning, the event boasts a huge range of activities, ranging from traditional scouting skills to the use of modern technology.

Activities include pole jousting, human table football, self-defence, code breaking and an inflatable assault course.

Camp chief David Thomas said: "This weekend has taken a great deal of planning, and dozens of adults in the Scouting and Guiding world have been busy working behind the scenes for months to plan the event."

He added: "We've had to hire additional fields and facilities to ensure we have everything to hand."

The organisers are also celebrating the news that the number of Scouts and Guides in the Bristol area has topped 10,000 for the first time in years.

Thornbury Gazette - 4 June 2004

We're moving with the times
Four-day jamboree shows the way Scouting and Guiding are evolving

Last weekend's Avon Scout and Guide Jamboree in Almondsbury was a demonstration of the way the movement is constantly evolving to meet changing needs.

Around 2,500 youngsters from South Gloucestershire and across the former Avon area attended the four day event at Woodhouse Park.

"It was a wonderful blend of the old and the new - from high-tech pursuitslike using computers for music making, to traditional activities like tent pitching and campfire sing-songs," said Assistant County Commissioner Philip Bird. "The Scout and Guide movements are forever moving with the times, but the core values remain unchanged."

He said the Jamboree - which also celebrated the 50th anniversary of the purchase of Woodhouse Park bu the Scout Movement - was a resounding success.

"The weather was fantastic smf the rain held off right until the closing ceremony on Monday. Brownies, Cubs, Rainows and Beavers visited the event on on Saturday and Sunday, and were able to sample what awaits them when they move up to senior Scouting and Guiding."

Despite the extensive facilities at Woodhouse Park, organisers had to hire additional fields and bring in other amenities to cope with the heavy influx of young people.

Further information on joining Scouting is availale from www.avonscouts.org.uk or by calling 01454 613006.

For further information on Guiding, visit www.girlguiding.org.uk or call 020 7834 6242.