Luton Scout thrilled to fly to America for World Jamboree

Along with 35 other Scouts from Bedfordshire he will join 5,000 others from across the UK, and 40,000 more from nearly every country in the world, for two weeks of activities and skills development, while – best of all – making new friends at one of the the most truly international events on the planet.

The UK Scouts are flying to New York for 24 hours in the Big Apple. The city will be taken over by the Scouts getting to know each other, seeing the sights and learning to navigate the big city, before they travel to the Jamboree site in wild and wonderful West Virginia.

The World Scout Jamboree includes opportunities for Scouts to learn new skills with other young people from across the globe. They will experience high adventure in a community of new residents from nearly every country in the world.

Stephen, age 16, said ‘This is brilliant. I can’t believe we are actually here about to jump on the plane. The airport is full of Scouts. The people I am going with have become my closest friends and I can’t wait to make friends with Scouts from all over the world! I want to take part in conservation projects and try different national foods, including German and Spanish.’

As well as being a fantastic opportunity for young people, the event is an amazing chance for adult volunteers to take part in activities and learn new skills that they can use in other aspects of their life.

Chief Scout Bear Grylls said: ‘Scouts from Bedfordshire are travelling 3,800 miles to wild and wonderful West Virginia, USA for the 24th World Scout Jamboree. These are some of our brightest and best and every one of them will be an ambassador for the Scouts, the UK’s largest mixed movement, helping prepare girls and boys with skills for life.

‘World Scout Jamborees only happen every four years and tens of thousands of Scouts attend each one. They are incredible festivals of peace, friendship and adventure. Young people will make friends for life with people from over 150 countries, experience different food, language and culture while learning new skills. It will be the journey of a lifetime.

‘The 2019 Jamboree, jointly hosted by the USA, Canada and Mexico, is set to be one of the biggest and most exciting yet. The theme is “Unlock a new world” – focusing especially on how we can create a sustainable world together.’