Scouts

Summer Camp 2025

In my opinion this years summer camp wnt quite well.
There are a few things that could have been better such as the weather, and I know nobody can change the weather but it rained every single day, apart from the last day, and like I said nobody could do anything.

On the better side I lived every moment of the treain ride it was so exciting and when we stopped and went into the shop I had a fun time looking around and picking what to buy.  Later we hiked back and played warewolves!

And that is my summary of the 5th Risca Summer Camp 2025

Friday 27th Jun – Sunday 29th June 2025
We went on a Scout camp to Plas Dolygaer Scout Camp.

We put up the tents on the Friday afternoon and it started raining so that was not so fun, then we played some games, had food, then went to bed.

On Saturday morning we all got up had a nice breakfast then walked an hour long hike to the Torpantau train station where we got on the train, stopped at the Pontsticill station and played some games in the park, then got back on the train and at the Pant stop there was a shop so went in there before getting back on the train to go back to the first station and then hiked back to the camping site played some more games and had food then more games then bed.

On Sunday morning we got up and packed our kit, tent, and then got picked up by out parents.

Overall it was really fun.  Thank you to the leaders for sorting it all out.

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Editors note:

I've added the station names for Huw.  He also missed out that they had breakfast on the Sunday - we weren't cruel enough to send them off without breakfast!

The Spring Term will see 5th Risca Scout Troop tackling their World Challenge Award, each session we will complete a part of the challenge.
The World Challenge Award is one of nine awards that Scouts must achieve in order to get the highest award a Scout can earn: The Chief Scout's Gold Award.

Already this term we have:

• Discovered New Years traditions from other cultures, including the local tradition of the Mari Lwyd
• Debated on a variety of topics in order to discover and discuss our beliefs and values
• Connected with two Scout groups outside of the UK to learn about Scouting in Australia and Chile

For the rest of the term we will be exploring where everyday objects are made, getting outside and cooking on a fire (weather depending!), and looking at local environmental issues.

We also have a number of sessions and activities planned that are not directly related to the World Challenge Award:

• Contributing designs for the 80th anniversary of scouting in Risca
• Designing badges and plaques for the Risca branch of the Royal British Legion
• Monopoly Run
• Kicking off the Personal Challenge Award
• And of course lots of fun and games amongst it all!

Struggling for something to do during the lockdown? Want to do something that keeps your Scouting values going whilst also having some fun and keeping fit?

The Scouts have partnerned with BBC's Big Day In and Big Night In this Thursday (23rd April) to have a virtual 'Hike to the Moon'. 23rd April is a really important day for us every year in The Scouts as this is St George's Day. St George is the Patron Saint of Scouts!!! So every year we renew our promises and have a big celberation of Scouting, usually on the nearest Sunday. This year, we are doing something different as a national organisation and are supporting Comic Relief and Children In Need for the Big Day In and Big Night In.

Together with Beavers, Cubs, Scouts and Explorers from across the UK, the plan is simple: Hike 1 mile inside your house or using your allocated exercise for the day, and when put together we will have hiked enough miles as Scouts in the UK to have hiked all the way to the moon!!

To put it into perspective, this is roughly 20 minutes of walking on the spot or continually walking around the house. 

Here is a message about this from our own Chief Scout, Bear Grylls: https://youtu.be/7gkcPGghInQ

Our Scout Leader, Skip, would love to put a video together of 5th Risca participating in the Hike To The Moon, and so please do make sure that you are wearing your 5th Risca necker and take a photo or video  and send it through to rhys@5thrisca.org.uk by 5pm Thursday and we will get it complied and published on our Social Media! 

Here is more information about the Hike To The Moon, together with some cool Lunar themed activities as an alternative. 

Whilst you are filming, we have got another video that we would love you to take part in:

• Necker challenge - This simply involves having someone off-camera throwing a necker towards our Beaver, Cub or Scout, and then they throw it off camera in the opposite direction. Here is an example: https://twitter.com/MynyddIsaScouts/status/1249955676413210624. (You might want to make this a little more interesting by adding a 'Necker flip' into it, where you kick the necker off your foot and catch it straight onto your head. Here is an example. Just don't forget to still have the necker being thrown in and back out!)

If you could get the Necker challenge video to us by 5pm Friday we can then put that video together seperately. 

With both of these videos, here are a couple of handy tips:

• Film in landscape - phone on its side
• Don’t zoom on your phone/tablet – move the camera closer instead!
• Make sure it’s well lit
• Keep the camera steady

Lets show the world what 5th Risca have been doing in lockdown!