TOM’S ROAD TO THE WORLD SCOUT JAMBOREE 2027…..

Tom, one of our Scouts, has secured a place at the 26th World Scout Jamboree in Poland next summer. We caught up with him to find out what it’s all about, how the training is going, and how he’s raising the money to get there.

What actually is the 26th World Scout Jamboree?
It’s basically the biggest Scout camp in the world. It only happens once every four years and in 2027 it’s in Poland, on Sobieszewo Island just outside Gdańsk. It’s in early August. We’ll be there for about 10 days. 40,000 Scouts turn up from more than 170 countries, so you’re camping next to people from all over the planet. The site is so massive it takes about half an hour to walk from where we’re camping to where the main activities are, and it’s split into loads of different zones and subcamps.

Where do all the Scouts come from, and how does the UK fit in?
Every country sends its own group, called a contingent. The UK sends one big national contingent, and that’s split into lots of smaller units. I’m in Unit 62, the “Surrey Seals,” with Scouts from all over Surrey. There are 36 of us in the unit and we’ll all travel and camp together.

How are you getting there?
By coach, the whole way. It’s a massive drive: around 16 hours each way. We break the journey up by stopping in a city break for two nights and a day on the way out and again on the way back, so we get a night’s sleep and a chance to look around before the next leg.

Have you done any training yet? How’s it going?
Yeah, we’ve had three training camps so far. They’re all about team building and getting the unit to work together before we go. The funniest one had us being pushed/flung around on small removal trolleys by our team. I’ve met some great people too. One of them is really into mountain biking, and we’re planning to meet up and ride together.

An event that big can’t be cheap. How much do you need to raise?  The whole trip costs somewhere around £3,200 per person, and I need to fundraise about £1,700 of that myself. Part of the reason it costs so much is that the money also helps Scouts from less well-off countries get there. For a lot of what we raise, our share is matched so that someone who couldn’t otherwise afford it gets to come too. That’s a big part of what the Jamboree is about, everyone getting a chance to be there.

What have you done to raise money so far?
A bit of everything. Edison and I have flipped a car (cleaned up and sold a car), helped out at a local fair, ran refreshments at The Gang Show. Coming up, the whole unit is doing a sponsored “Walk to Gdańsk” challenge, so people can sponsor us for every kilometre we cover.

What are you most looking forward to?
The activities and meeting Scouts from all over the world. There’s adventurous stuff, water sports, trips off-site into Gdańsk, and loads more. But meeting Scouts from all over the world is the part I think I’ll remember most.

Will you tell the Group about it when you’re back?
Definitely. I’ll come and share everything once I’m home, so the rest of the Group can hear what it was actually like.

Support the Surrey Seals: Walk to Gdańsk
To raise money for unit kit, clothing and fun days, our whole unit is Walking to Gdańsk this July.  Every one of our 40 unit members will walk, run or swim 37.5 km (23 miles).  Cumulatively this will be  1500km (932 miles) the distance from Bentley Copse to the Jamboree site outside Gdansk.    Sponsor us here:      justgiving.com/page/wsjsurreyseals

Follow the unit: linktr.ee/surreyseals · Instagram @wsj2027unit62 · #UK26WSJ    Please share it far and wide.