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Scouting opens doors to thrillseekers

01/02/2010

Yesterday evening on the BBC One Countryfile programme, a campaign was launched to get individuals and families off the sofa and out having an adventure. ThrillSeeker has been set up to enable young people and adults to find out about adventurous activities near them, give them a go, and get a taste of the excitement that an active life guarantees.

Visitors to the ThrillSeeker website at bbc.co.uk/thrillseeker, will be able to look up thousands of adventurous activities. By entering their postcode an Event Finder feature allows them to discover exciting activities taking place within their local area.

Something for everyone


Activities are tiered according to their level of difficulty, from hiking and cycling to canyoning and kite surfing, so there really is something for all ages and abilities. Trying out a new activity doesn’t have to be expensive as most which are found using the Event Finder are free or charged at a cost recovery reduced rate. All events are organised and run by external partner organisations who are specialists in their field.

The Scout Association will be getting in on the act by offering a variety of activities at its Scout Activity Centres. Spokesperson Eleanor Brown said, ‘We’re really excited to be opening up the doors of our centres to even more people, giving them and their families the chance to experience some outdoor adventure.  Through introducing people to the range of experiences Scouting has to offer, we hope that people will be encouraged to become actively involved in the Movement – either as a member or an adult volunteer.’

Missing link


The campaign started after the BBC found out that people felt something vital was missing from their lives, as BBC Learning Executive Sean Kirkegaard explains. ‘Recent research we carried out found people had a real desire for more adventure in their lives.  It’s my avowed hope that the ThrillSeeker campaign helps people fulfil that desire by offering a wide range of free or reduced price adventures for all.’

As well as the website and events around the country, the campaign includes a pocket guide of adventure, which encourages children to experience a mini-adventure close to home. The guide includes two classic Scouting activities: make a sundial and tracking.

The campaign runs throughout the year, with many activities centred around the Easter weekend.

Further information


BBC ThrillSeeker website
Scout Activity Centres
Countryfile

 

 

Comments

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By TONY JAY, ADC Activities Colchester Estuary Dist / GSL 26th Colchester Sea Scout Group
on 06/02/2010 22:01

First thing that popped into my head on reading this was (a) will all these adults need to get CRBd to safeguard Scouts already using the facilities or (b) are Scouts to be exclude from said facilities whilst these thrillseekers are in attendance. Please don't get me wrong, I'm not against trying to get more folk interested in Our world, or even just off their butts for once, I'm just concerned as to how it'll be worked.

regards

TJ

By Asa Gurden, Head of Scout Activity Centres Operations
on 09/02/2010 11:52

TJ - good to hear you are thinking about keeping our young people safe!

These events will need to be managed by the Centre providing the Thrillseeker activities - I'm sure most Centres and campsites at some point have to manage a mixture of users, and this is no different.

The Thrillseekers are all day visitors and will need be "supervised" all the time they are on centre - this doesn't mean watch towers and barbed wire, just having Scout people around!

This won't be that different to Scouts going out to do a publicity event at a country show or in a town centre - This is a factor that I'm sure all the host centres involved will consider.

I hope that helps ease your mind - and I agree that this will hopefully get people "interested in our world" or at least off their sofa!

Hope that helps

Asa