Byfield Scouts enjoy adventures by the sea

The boys made their own way to Brownsea Island and Swanage in Dorset last weekened.

To achieve the Scouts Expedition Award, Byfield Scouts needed to organise and plan their route for their chosen adventure and the scouts in Byfield set themselves a brave and fantastic challenge.

Sally Huband, of 1st Byfield Scout Group, said: “They did brilliantly to make their way without any adult help, using a combination of public transport and hiking, to get all the way from Banbury to Swanage in Dorset for an ice-cream on the beach via an overnight camp on Brownsea Island.

“After catching the train in Banbury the scouts caught a bus to Poole and hiked to the quayside before catching the Ferry over to Brownsea Island.”

She saidBrownsea is now owned by the National Trust and is where Lord Baden-Powell the founder of the Worldwide Scout movement held the first ever camp for 20 ‘lads’ in 1907.

“A couple of Byfield Scout leaders joined them there for dinner and a campfire before the scouts set off again this time catching two ferries to the mainland and then hiking along the South West Coast path to Swanage.

Scout Max Sewell said: “We knew it would be a long walk – and it was!

“But we kept going because we knew we’d get double ice-creams on the beach at Swanage.”

They got their ice-creams and were awarded their badges on Tuesday at the scout hut in Byfield, next to the pavilion.