Group Summer Camp 2026

At the end of August, the 14th Walthamstow Scout Group came together for what was a very special weekend in the group's history — our Group Summer Camp at Skreens Park Activity Centre.

From Friday 28 August to Monday 31 August, more than 90 young people and adults came together for four days of camping, adventure, food, games, friendships and, perhaps most importantly, the opportunity for all of our sections to spend time together.

This was the first time our Beavers, Cubs, Scouts, Sloths Explorer Unit and Raptors Explorer Unit had all come together for a group camp, making it a particularly exciting event for everyone involved.

Arriving at Skreens Park

The camp got underway on Friday, with our Cubs, Scouts and Explorers arriving at Skreens Park and getting settled into their tents for the weekend.

For some, this was familiar territory — putting up tents, organising kit and getting the campsite ready. For others, it was their first experience of a large group camp.

On Saturday, the Beavers joined us, staying in the centre's accommodation rather than tents. Although the sections had their own camps and programmes, the weekend was deliberately about bringing everyone together.

During free time, young people from the different sections could be found playing together, chatting, exploring the site and generally enjoying being part of one very large Scout camp.

It was fantastic to see younger Beavers mixing with older Cubs, Scouts and Explorers, while our leaders worked behind the scenes to keep everything running.

Four days packed with adventure

There was certainly no shortage of things to do.

ost of the activities were provided and run by the fantastic team at Skreens Park, giving our young people the chance to try activities that many of them wouldn't normally get to experience.

Across the weekend, groups took part in:

🧗 Climbing

🌲 High Ropes

🛶 Kayaking

🚣 Rafting

🏹 Archery

🎯 Air Rifles

🎯 Mini Crossbows

🟨 Wobbly Ladder

🚌 Cave Bus

🌉 Bridge Building

With different groups rotating through activities throughout Saturday and Sunday, there was something for everyone.

Some activities tested physical strength and balance, others required teamwork, and some simply required a willingness to have a go.

And there were plenty of opportunities to do something that was just a little bit outside everyone's comfort zone.

Getting wet, getting muddy and getting stuck in

The water activities were a particular highlight, with kayaking and rafting giving young people the chance to get out on the water.

The rafting sessions were a brilliant example of the teamwork that makes Scout activities so much fun. Getting a group of people to work together in a raft requires considerably more cooperation than simply climbing into one!

Meanwhile, on land, the climbing, high ropes and Wobbly Ladder provided plenty of challenges for those who preferred to keep their feet slightly closer to the ground.

And then there was the weather.

For the most part, we were treated to some lovely sunny weather, although there were a few very heavy rain showers over the weekend. Fortunately, they were generally short-lived and the site dried remarkably quickly — meaning that the rain became more of a temporary inconvenience than a camp-ending disaster.

Of course, a little rain is hardly enough to stop Scouts having fun.

A weekend of trying something new

One of the best things about a group camp like this is seeing young people attempt things they may never have tried before.

For some, that meant getting up high on the climbing wall or high ropes.

For others, it was getting into a kayak or raft for the first time.

Some discovered a talent for archery, while others found themselves enjoying air rifles or mini crossbows.

And, as always with Scouting, the most important part wasn't necessarily whether someone was the fastest, highest or most accurate.

It was having a go.

Watching young people encourage each other, cheer each other on and celebrate when someone finally completed something they had been nervous about is exactly what these weekends are all about.

Food for a very busy weekend

Of course, all that activity requires a considerable amount of food!

Our camp menu was a huge success, with meals designed to keep everyone fuelled throughout four very busy days.

Breakfasts included fry-ups, cereal, pancakes, pastries and fruit, while snacks of juice, fruit and biscuits helped keep everyone going between activities.

Lunches included wraps, sandwiches, salad, crisps and fruit, with the evening meals providing something a little more substantial.

There were chicken fajita wraps, spaghetti bolognese and burgers with hash browns, alongside the usual camp favourites.

The young people certainly seemed to approve, and the menu was a real success.

A huge amount of work goes into feeding more than 90 people for an entire weekend, so the catering team deserve a special thank you for keeping everyone well fed and ready for the next activity.

More than just activities

Although the timetable was packed with activities, some of the best parts of camp happened in between them.

Free time gave the young people the opportunity to simply enjoy being at camp.

Games, conversations, exploring the site and spending time with friends are just as much a part of the camping experience as the organised activities.

For the first time, our different sections were all sharing the same camp environment.

The Beavers had their own programme, as did the Cubs, Scouts and Explorers, but when activities finished and everyone had some free time, the age boundaries became much less important.

It was brilliant to see young people from across the group getting to know each other and creating memories together.

A very special moment for Bob

There was also a particularly special moment during the camp which deserves recognition.

Our longest-serving leader, Bob Howard, was presented with the Silver Acorn in recognition of his outstanding contribution to Scouting.

The Silver Acorn is one of the Scouts' Good Service Awards and is awarded for at least 20 years of service that is considered specially distinguished and appreciably better than outstanding.

Bob has now been supporting the group for more than 51 years.

Fifty-one years.

That is an extraordinary length of time to have been giving his time, knowledge and experience to generations of young people.

While we'll be publishing a much larger article about Bob's incredible Scouting journey separately, it was wonderful that such a significant recognition could form part of our group camp.

It was a fitting reminder that while our young people are at the heart of everything we do, the group itself is built on generations of volunteers who have given their time to make Scouting possible.

Congratulations, Bob — and thank you.

A huge thank you to our volunteers

A camp of this size simply doesn't happen without an enormous amount of work from our adult volunteers.

Behind every activity, meal, tent, timetable, medication check, equipment run, headcount and bedtime is a volunteer making sure everything happens safely and smoothly.

From the leaders who arrived early and stayed late, to those helping with activities, catering, transport, administration, first aid, campsite management and everything else that happens behind the scenes, we owe you a huge thank you.

And with around 20 adults supporting more than 90 people, there was certainly plenty to do!

So to every leader who gave up their bank holiday weekend to make this camp happen:

Thank you.

Your time, energy and enthusiasm made the weekend possible.

Four days, five sections and countless memories

Perhaps the biggest success of the weekend wasn't any individual activity.

It wasn't who climbed the highest.

It wasn't who built the best raft.

It wasn't who hit the most targets.

It was seeing the whole group come together.

Beavers, Cubs, Scouts, Sloths and Raptors all had their own programmes and activities, but everyone was part of the same camp.

For many of our younger members, it was an opportunity to see what awaits them as they progress through Scouting. For our older Scouts and Explorers, it was a chance to help create an environment that younger members will hopefully remember for years to come.

And for our leaders, it was a chance to step back and see just how much our group has grown.

After four days of adventures, activities, food, sunshine, rain, laughter and probably a little bit of tiredness, it was time to pack everything away and head home.

The tents came down, the equipment was packed away and Skreens Park slowly became a little quieter.

But everyone left with plenty of stories to tell.

Until the next adventure...

Our 2026 Group Summer Camp was a huge success and a fantastic demonstration of what 14th Walthamstow Scout Group is all about.

A group made up of different sections, different ages and different personalities — but all sharing the same spirit of adventure.

We hope everyone who attended had as much fun as we did, and that the memories made at Skreens Park will stay with our young people for a very long time.

Thank you to everyone who came, everyone who helped and everyone who made the weekend possible.

And, of course, thank you to Skreens Park for helping us provide such an incredible programme of activities.

We'll see you on the next adventure!

📸 And now for the photos...