Scout Activity Centre (The Scout Association)
A Scout Activity Centre is a campsite, hostel or conference centre of The Scout Association. They offer outdoor facilities and activities for the whole of the Scout Association and, in some cases, for other organisations. The campsites typically have capacity for hundreds of Scouts simultaneously, including buildings, camping pitches, fireplaces, etc.
The Scout Association has always owned numerous campsites and other buildings. They were mostly run by local groups or departments. In 2004, the Scout Association reduced their number of nationally administered Scout Activity Centres from some twenty to four, by divesting sites to the entities that are locally involved. There are now nine National Scout Activity Centres:[1]
Two sites, Great Tower in the Lake District and Woodhouse Park near the mouth of the River Severn became national centres on 1 April 2011.[2]
Baden-Powell House
Baden-Powell House is a Scouting hostel and conference centre in South Kensington, London, which was built as a tribute to Lord Baden-Powell, the founder of Scouting. From 1974 to 2001, Baden-Powell House was the headquarters of The Scout Association.
Downe Scout Activity Centre
Downe Scout Activity Centre was originally a camp site for Scouts from London, being controlled from 1987 by Greater London South East Scouts. In 2005, the site became one of the National Scout Activity Centres under the direct control of The Scout Association.
Ferny Crofts Scout Activity Centre
Ferny Crofts Scout Activity Centre in Hampshire is a new centre, having been recognised as one only recently.[3] Located in the New Forest, it contains 23 campsites, 3 accommodation units and many activities.
Gilwell Park
Gilwell Park, as well as being a Scout Activity Centre and Scout Conference Centre, is both a national and international Leader Training Centre. As Scout Leaders from all countries of the world have come to Gilwell Park for their Wood Badge training, it is one of the landmarks of the world Scouting movement. It is now the headquarters of The Scout Association.
Great Tower Activity Centre
Great Tower Activity Centre is located on the eastern shore of Windermere in the Lake District National Park and the Cumbria Scout Association County. The site covers an area of 250 acres (1.0 km2).[4]
Hawkhirst Scout Activity Centre
Hawkhirst Scout Activity Centre is a Scout Activity Centre on the shore of Kielder Water in Kielder Forest in Northumberland.[5]
Woodhouse Park
Woodhouse Park is sited in South Gloucestershire overlooking the Severn crossings.[6] The site has five large camping fields, and two buildings which can be used for accommodation or training purposes. Woodhouse Park offers a large range of activities, either on site or nearby. Site hosted activities include Abseiling, Pioneering, Tracking, Climbing, Archery, and Air Rifles. Off-site activities include Sailing, Kayaking, and Caving.
Youlbury Scout Activity Centre
Youlbury Scout Activity Centre is a Scout Activity Centre near Oxford. It is the oldest permanent Scout campsite in the world.
Yr Hafod
Yr Hafod is a Scout Activity Centre and the Welsh Scout Council's Mountaineering Training Centre based in the Nant Ffrancon Pass in Snowdonia, Wales. The name Yr Hafod is Welsh for Summer house and the scouts of Wales opened the training centre in 1959, with Bill Tilman performing the opening ceremony. Its main purpose is to train scouts and their leaders in mountaineering, and it hosts summer and winter courses each year.[7]
References
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