MORE than 1,600 Cub Scouts from across Essex, including many from Basildon-based packs, gathered together at Skreens Park Activity Centre, last weekend, for the highly anticipated Pirate themed Mega Camp. The largest Essex Scouts event following the pandemic.

The three day, two night camp, run by the Essex Scouts Cub Team, delivered fun, challenge and adventure through a series of fantastic zones and activities for the excited 8 to 11 year olds. With popular activities such as canoeing, archery and climbing running across the weekend, young people could also visit a planetarium or try their hand a drumming and circus skills or create their very pirate inspired artwork in the craft tent.

Across the site a field of inflatables allowed the Cubs to bounce away to their hearts content and the go-karts proved very popular by all. Whilst garden games encouraged the Cubs to challenge their friends.

The sites high and low ropes also proved popular with many as laughter and cheering echoed across the site.

Down by the lake a troop of Pirates had invaded, setting up their own camp. They welcomed the young people in to explore a variety of traditional pirate skills including semaphore and rope making. The merry band of pirates were also our entertainment for the weekend, providing swashbuckling shows in the arena by the lake. The echoes and flashes of muskets and cannons certainly surprised the excited Cub Scouts.

After dinner on Saturday groups put on traditional Penny Fayre stalls along the 'quayside'. Favourite games such as splat the rat, Pin the moustache on Baden Powell and hoopla offered the award of sweets and prizes. The Mega Camp Team are pleased to announce that it raised over £1000.00 which will go to Butterflies children's charity, as chosen by the young people.

With over 200 volunteer staff and 400 Section Leaders attending, Mega Camp was Essex Scouts biggest individual event for three years. This weekend clearly demonstrated that Scouting truly has bounced back after the pandemic and proved that more people than ever feel the need for Scouting opportunities in their lives.

Camp Chief, Wendy Bye explained "It was brilliant to see four years of hard work finally come together, after the event was postponed due to COVID. It was great to see so many young people challenging themselves, making new friends and developing new skills. The young people should be so proud of themselves and a great thanks goes out to all of the amazing volunteers supporting the event."

Support was also given by Units 19 and 21 of the World Scout Jamboree Contingent, who helped to run activities for the young people, demonstrating how important the volunteer time is that they have received in their Scouting pasts, and helping them to gel as a team before they head off on the adventure of a lifetime in South Korea, next summer.

With over 3,000 young people across Essex still waiting to join this adventure scout groups are always looking for more Volunteers. Whatever your skill set there's a role for you visit essexscouts.org.uk for more information on how to get involved.