12 Scouts, 3 Explorers Scouts (Girls & Boys, aged between 11-15yrs) and 5 Leaders from 12th Cambridge Scout Group have travelled all the way to Ottawa, Canada to visit the Canadian 12th Cambridge Scout Group. This is part of our ongoing twinning program between the two groups.

“It all came about from when we set up a website some years ago [www.12thcambridge.org.uk]” Graham Steed, 12th Cambridge (UK) Scout Leader explained “We looked around for domain names, and realised there was another group with the same name as us in Canada. Naturally we dropped them a line, they were friendly and got back to us and things built up from there.”

“Back in 2013 we did a two way exchange. 4 of their scouts came to us for summer camp and 4 of ours went to them. It was a fantastic success. In 2015, 12 of the Canadian scouts came to us for summer camp and a week of home hospitality and this year it’s our turn to go back to them.”

Our first week is a week of home hospitality living with their host families, similar to School exchange trips, but also including a day trip to Niagara Falls and a day trip to Toronto which will include the CN Tower and seeing a baseball game at the Toronto Blue Jays.

Week 2 is Summer Camp: Canadian Style!
Based within 5000 acres of the Canadian wilderness in the Halliburton Scout Reserve, arranged around a large lake with most areas of the site only accessible by canoe. “Our scouts will actually be camped on an island in the lake. Showers will consist of swimming in the lake or ducking under a waterfall” Graham continued “Even all their cooking will be done on fires. And with a healthy population of black bears, wolves and moose – it’s all very different from what they are used to at places like Gilwell or Thriftwood.”

  • Photo Credits: Jesstinna Sherhod