Five Cumbrian youngsters have represented the UK in Norway in a European Scout event.
The 15-day Roverway is a gathering of 5,000 Scouts aged 16 to 22 and saw them take part in an expedition across southern Norway and immerse themselves in Scandinavian culture.
Phillipa Giles, 16, Connor Beck, 19, Joseph Birkett, 18, Jake Bode Flemming, 18, and Ben Walker, 20, also visited Copenhagen in Denmark.
Phillipa said: ‘’Roverway was my first international Scout trip, and it was amazing. It started with a three-day expedition across the Norwegian countryside, it was tough, but we showed grit to complete it. We even cooked reindeer stew.
“I’ve made new friends from Poland and Switzerland, and they taught me to carve spoons from pieces of wood, a challenge but I did it.’’
Ben added: ‘’I’m proud to have represented the UK at Roverway. The expedition was a real personal challenge making my way through, bogs and rivers and along trails. I made friends for life with Scouts from Switzerland, Poland and Cyprus that were on my team. It was great to sit down together and share stories of our experiences in Scouting, a real inspiration.’’
Roverway aimed to help participants develop independence and resilience on its young participants.
Chief Scout, Bear Grylls wished the team well by saying, ‘A massive congratulations to Philippa, Connor, Joseph, Jake, and Ben.
“Roverway is an amazing opportunity to discover yourself and make new friends, whilst participating in a programme that demonstrates true Scouting spirit by developing skills for life.”
