District Camp
Information for Group leaders
We are looking forward to welcoming you to District Camp . Please read carefully through the information below to make your arrival and departure as smooth as possible.
Routes
Gilwell Park is situated approximately 5 minutes from Chingford and 10 minutes from the M25 J26. The postcode for Gilwell Park is E4 7QW
Arrivals and Parking
The site will open from Thursday (14:00 – 20:00) for groups who wish to arrive early to set up camp. Arrivals after 20:00 are not possible. If you are arriving on Thursday please call Tracey Smith on 07534748402 for your pitch allocation details. For those arriving on Friday, see “Registration” section below.
When driving on-site, please be conscious of pedestrians including children in the car parks and road ways. Speeds must be keep to a minimum. Max speed on-site is 5 mph. If you have parents dropping young people off, please encourage them to share vehicles and make them aware of all of the above.
Registration
For Friday arrivals, the event check-in is located in the Jack Petchey Lodge. The event reception will be open from 15:00 – 20:00 on Friday and 09:00 – 10:00 Saturday and Sunday morning. Where possible, please register before pitching your camp. Outside of these times please call Tracey Smith on 07534 748402.
On arrival you will be issued with a pack containing ID cards and lanyards, event passport and other useful information. Please ensure leaders and young people wear their ID card and lanyard at all times.
Camping Space Allocation
In order to ensure smooth arrival and to maintain health and safety, all groups will be allocated a campsite on arrival by a member of the District Team, this process may take a few minutes.
Security
There is no formal security team at Gilwell Park. For this reason, we supply lanyards and name badges to everyone on-site to ensure we can easily identify who should, and more importantly, should not be there.
Please keep your lanyard visible at all times, and show it to anyone who asks. Everyone is entitled to check, so please remember to be friendly if you are asked. The land is private property, with public access roads and footpaths on the borders and many entrances and access points. All adults should be vigilant and make known to the Centre Management anybody who appears not to be part of the camp. We suggest the following precautions for your own safety:
- Do not leave valuables unattended in tents
- Ensure that you can be seen by other groups on-site
- Ensure that you inform the other groups around you if you are leaving your pitch unattended
Activities
Friday: Cubs and Beavers will start the weekend with their own Silent Disco between 19:15 – 20:15.
Saturday: Activities and District bases will run from 09:15 and finish at 16:45, with a designated lunch break between 12:30 and 13:30.
Scouts and Explorers will have their own Silent Disco between 22:00 – 23:00.
Sunday: Activities and District bases will run from 09:15 and finish at 12:30, with a designated lunch break between 12:30 – 13:30. Some groups will be leaving in the afternoon. For those staying on Sunday night, we will be running a Barnet Tournament in the afternoon.
Due to the nature of some activities, participants may get particularly muddy – please ensure that your group have adequate changes of clothes and shoes. For water activities, please ensure they have swimwear and a towel. Certain activities require parental consent in order for young people to participate, and permission forms must be signed by the parent or guardian. Evening activities will run on Friday and Saturday. Further detailed information will be in the leader pack that you will receive at Registration.
Some activities run at an offsite location. Off-site activities require sign-up in advance; please complete the forms for sailing and/or horse riding and email to Tracey Smith by 15 May. The times for off site activities will be shared on arrival. Please note that participants who take part in the horse riding activity must wear appropriate footwear such as hiking boots or wellies – trainers are not permitted.
Campfire, Promise Renewal and Through The Decades Parade
Campfire will take place between 20:00 – 21:30 on Saturday evening. Leader participation is very much encouraged. All sections will renew their promises around the campfire and the evening will close with the Through the Decades Parade.
Departing
Some groups will be leaving on Sunday and others on Monday – Please be considerate to others still camping when you break camp and pack away your kit. Parking on Branchett Field is not allowed. Those leaving on Monday must vacate their pitches by 16:00.
Shops
If you run low on supplies during the weekend, there are local supermarkets in both Chingford (Tesco Express, Co-op) and Tesco Superstore (including fuel station) in Waltham Abbey.
Gilwell Park
