Adventure is at the heart of what we do, and our group executive recently agreed to fund our own minibus on any night away for any section in the group. This means more money will be available to ensure every young person will experience even more archery, kayaking and zorbing (to name a few). With over 420 nights away so far this year across the group, that'll mean we can get more young people experiencing fun, challenge and adventure by going on a night away.

Some nights away which will see the benefit include:

If you'd like to read more about the group executive, or see our accounts, click here.

Please visit their sponsor page at https://mydonate.bt.com/fundraisers/3rdwashingtonscouts

Sunday was spent getting to know each other a little bit more, with several teamwork challenges as well as archery and shooting on site. The final challenges of the day took scouts into the river, which gave them the chance to cool off and also to have a go on our huge water slide. It was great fun splashing about!

Monday was our first big activity day as everyone headed off site to How Stean Gorge, scouts spent the day caving and gorge walking, while explorers swapped the caves for canoes. The awesome gorge walk started with a 40 foot vertical abseil from the bride to the water below, which certainly got the adrenalin pumping. Some scouts had to dig deep to overcome their fears, supported by adult leaders, to successfully complete the challenge. Once in the water, scouts and explorers overcame waterfalls and were able to enjoy the plunge pools of How Stean. Scouts spend the other half of their day caving, exploring Goydon Pot with experienced instructors who led them in a circular route deep underground through the caverns and via the Smarties Tube, so named because it's a very narrow tubular section of the cave.

Tuesday took scouts and explorers out to Grassington for a day walk and an ice cream reward. Scouts and explorers took in the sights of the dale along the way, crossing the Hebdon suspension bridge and stepping stones as well as passing by the Linton Falls on the way into the town. Everyone worked extremely hard and the walking distance for the day was around 9 miles.

Wednesday was one of the most thrilling days of camp as the group headed to Light Water Valley for rides and roller coasters. Scouts were free to make the most of their day and go on as many rides as possible, from the swan pedalos to the Ultimate roller coaster. One of the highlights of the day was undoubtedly scouts our afternoon trip on the Ultimate where we filled an entire train. The Eagle's Claw and Whirlwind also provided a huge amount of stomach churning!

The last day of camp was much more chilled with scouts spending the morning in Ilkley, buying presents to take home and exploring the historic town, before heading to Ilkley Lido to cool off in the afternoon. After the Lido came the traditional huge end of camp BBQ and campfire, before scouts spent the night sleeping under the stars.

Scouts left the site on Saturday with so many new memories and new experiences, with highlights including everything from our day at the gorge, to having an awesome time with new friends, to the Sunday morning jog and dip into the river, to cooking a meal for themselves for the first time. Scouts formed memories which will live on with them for years to come!

You can check out photos from our week long adventure in the photos zone.

We've also had scouts learning judo, covering half of the north east as part of cyclist badge, swimming miles, getting creative and crafty, showing their athletic prowess and cooking up a storm in the kitchen. Another highlight was survival badge, which included a 24 hour survival exercise where scouts build their own shelter and cooked their food on the fire. All scouts earned at least one activity badge through the programme, which count towards the 6 they need to achieve Chief Scouts' Gold Award.

Badgefest is also a unique opportunity for leaders as they work with a group of scouts over a number of weeks and have the chance to see their group grow in confidence, in experience and in skills across the programme.

Steam powered adventure for scouts and explorers... Yes Please! The older Scouts and the Explorers climbed aboard the minibuses for a spooky action-packed weekend at an old railway station in North Yorkshire. Converted from Kettleness railway station in the 1960’s by the East Cleveland Scout District, Seeonee Lair Campsite and Activity Centre is a fantastic venue for our adventurous Scout and Explorer sections.

After a few tense minutes trying to find the power switch the Scouts and Explorers made their way into the accommodation and settled in for the weekend. With another fantastic effort by Tesco Home Deliveries, the group packed away the food for the weekend - this much adventure requires a lot of calories!!

The railway theme continued into Saturday with a trip on the North York Moors steam train into Whitby. Our group climbed aboard the Whitby express turning one carriage into adventure central. The train pulled out the station with a whoosh of steam and we were off to Whitby!

20mins later we arrived to spend the day scouring the shops for the perfect Mother’s Day present and wow, our Scouts and Explorers certainly found some unique items! Before heading back to Kettleness the group stopped at a local venue for some hard earned 'healthy' calories.

The group was lucky to celebrate two birthdays over the weekend, congratulations to Callum and Ali. There was plenty of cake and candles for all of the group, although the number of candles on Ali's cake could have been a fire hazard!

The famous ‘Ghost of Kettleness Station’ was never far away and would often close the kitchen door right in the face of a leader- what timing! Late one night two intrepid (and perhaps a little scared) group leaders went to investigate a strange knocking sound at the front door. On investigation the leaders confirmed that the front door was firmly locked although a regular knocking sound came from the door almost as if the Ghost had missed the train and was demanding entry!

A video was taken to prove the ghostly going-ons and the next day we discovered a strange whistling noise on the video which added a new level of suspense to the next day’s camp fire!

Sunday morning was spent at the local beach with Scout leaders running madly up and down the sand in an attempt to get our new kites to fly. The majority of the Scouts and Explorers sensibly watched from the side lines shouting encouragement! Eventually, but not before we lost one kite on the cliffs, we admitted defeat due to lack of wind. The group then faced the tough journey back to the old station climbing over 200 steps from the beach to the cliff tops.

Sunday afternoon was spent clearing away and the group reluctantly left for home but not before a group photograph on the old platform.

Another fantastic weekend away with 3rd Washington Scouts!

Photos from the programme are available in the photos zone, with more photos from scuba coming soon.

Collecting vouchers for the Scout Group helps us buy new games kit, tents and other camping equipment which young people enjoy throughout the year. Over the last 5 years, we've had some great gear and it helps us keep our kit fresh and new.

After a manic Friday night of games, stories and a film, Saturday morning is where the adventure really starts.

Rotating round a number of activities, scouts got a taste of archery, with some scouts showing some great skill, hitting the bullseye more than once. Scouts also tried their hands at geocaching, a high tech treasure hunt using GPSs to get out and about in the village and beyond. The third activity for the morning was pancake races, we might be a bit early for Pancake Tuesday, but it was flippin' brilliant! It's debatable how many of the pancakes were edible, but that didn't matter as our main aim was to flip them as high as possible.

In the afternoon we unpacked our boots for a scenic walk along the River Tees from Egglestone Abbey to Whorlton. The walk included a couple of hills which scouts were able to roll down. Luckily for us, the weather was good, although I think a few of us were hoping for snow. At the end of the three miles, the leaders looked more worn out than the Scouts!

Saturday evening challenged the imagination of our young people as we headed back to Egglestone Abbey for a wide game in the dark. The ruins of the abbey cast a ghoulish shadow across the playing area and provided hiding places aplenty for leaders.

Sunday morning was spent with a traditional scouting activity as everyone tried their hand at pioneering. After learning some basics, everyone worked together to build a set of monkey bars, which were strong enough to hold scouts (not leaders!). Once completed, scouts challenged each other to get across safely.

Visit our image gallery for more photos from the weekend.

Scouts can find out about more opportunities to experience nights away on our camping pages and can look forward to an exciting year of outdoor adventure.

Huge thanks to everyone who supported our celebration especially parents who made fantastic cakes for the group.