Summer of adventure for West Coker Scout Group
Between Fri 22nd July – Sunday 31st July 2022 West Coker Scouts along with their partnership Explorer unit took part in a Summer of adventure with an international trip to Kandersteg International Scout Centre in Switzerland.
The Centre is a World Scout Centre visited by Scouts all over the world. The centre was discovered and set up by Lord Baden Powell after 1st ever World Scout Jamboree, with the intention of creating a place where young people could experience the jamboree feeling all year round.
And it did not disappoint. For some of our Scouts, this was the first time abroad and although challenged with 24 hours of travelling due to the border control issues at Dover, they were met with the giant mountains that surrounded the picture postcard site at Kandersteg. Words cannot describe the stunning countryside and views from the wooden lodge and campsite that would be our home for the week.
The Scouts got stuck straight into making friends from all around the world with flag break activities, an international sports afternoon and promoting and showcasing what it is like to live in West Coker and Somerset at our International evening as well as getting to know other cultures and countries by visiting their stalls and activity zones.
Other activities throughout the week saw the Scout swim in an Alpine Lake, walk down a mountain, visit a local castle in Thun, take a train to Bern, challenge themselves on the high ropes adventure centre in Interlaken and take part in iconic events on site such as the Kander challenge, Messenger of Peace BBQ and the world famous Kandersteg Campfire.
Some of the adults even got to have some down time as we rotated scout supervision, giving them a change to play themselves with some high adventure activities including paragliding, white water rafting, a Via Ferreta climb.
For many of the young people the trip was the experience of a lifetime and the collimation of many years of planning and fundraising. We would like to thank everyone who has supported the Scouts to make this trip possible and especially the parish council as to come home to a new hall has just topped of the year perfectly… this facility will provide a platform for the group to grow and operate for many years to come.
The trip has been such a success that the group have already pre-booked to return in 4 years’ time (2026) with the next generation of Scouts and Explorer Scouts to experience what we have this year.
“Soon the fire of friendship spreads from one to another, and bonds are tied which will last a lifetime and everyone on returning home is the richer for memories and dreams of Kandersteg” – Lord Robert Baden Powell (1931)





