We know there is a lot of terminology used within World Scout Jamboree’s so hopefully this should help clarify. There is one Contingent that attends from the UK Scout Association and this is call the ‘UK Contingent’. The UK Contingent, is made up of a number of ‘units’ from across the UK, these come from our counties, nations and British Scouting Overseas. Whilst a county or country might have a number of units attend they are not classed as a ‘Contingent’ (after-all we are one UK Contingent). A unit is made up of 4 adult volunteers and 36 young people. A patrol is a smaller group within the unit and this is normally 9 young people and 1 adult volunteer. 

The UK Contingent is expected to be made up of 90-100 different units from around the UK. Ontop of this there will also be a number of International Service Team (IST) and Contingent Support Team (CST), who are voulenteer adults who help make the Jamboree run and enable all our young people to take part in the event. 

The Kent Contingent is typically made up of 3 units of 40 people (4 leaders and 36 Young People), so 120 people in total. This is yet to be confirmed for the 2023 Jamboree and does not include any IST or CST who are managed on a national level. 

The final number of young people being sent by Sevenoaks is not yet finalised but currently stands at least 7 young people. In previous years we have sent anywhere between 3 and 9 young people to be part of the Kent units. This number may not be fully known until after the selection event when spaces are offered to Young People.

Young people have to be selected to attend a World Scout Jamboree due to the limitation on the number of spaces. Sevenoaks/Swanley Scouts will hold a Selection Event which young people in Sevenoaks/Swanley can apply to take part in. From this event we will select the most appropriate individuals to send to the Jamboree representing Sevenoaks!

Adults also have to be selected to attend a World Scout Jamboree. But these selections happen at a national or county level depending on the role they wish to take. From Contingent Support Team (CST), International Service Team (IST), or as a Unit Leader. Unit leaders have to apply with Kent Scouts, and CST/IST though the UK Contingent. 

The final number has not yet been published by the UK Contingent, and depends on a number of factors they are currently confirming. 

The last Jamboree in America cost £3945 each. Please don’t fret about this number though! In Sevenoaks and Swanley we encourage every young person we send to the Jamboree to fundraise the entire amount of the trip, with a majority of previous attendees doing just that! The young persons group or unit typically helps them fundraise for their trip, while all young people are encouraged to work together in their fundraising!

The cost for Adults varies. Unit leaders will typically spend the same as Young People, whereas IST have a number of options as they are more independent and have the option of whether they would like flights and pre/post experiences included. Typically the base fee would be £1500-£2000. 

The cost of the Jamboree typically includes many things. Not all these are confirmed but in previous Jamborees have included:

• The Jamboree Itself
• Flights & Transfers
• Pre/Post experiences in the host country
• All meals
• Preparation camps and events
• A set of UK Contingent branded equipment. Typically:
  • A spare uniform shirt
  • UK Contingent Participant Badges
  • A UK Contingent Holdall and Day Rucksack
  • A UK Contingent Participant T-Shirt

The 25 World Scout Jamboree is planned for the summer of 2023, given this, we have the best possible chance of this event going ahead. The World Scout Jamboree (WSJ) Organising Committee are working hard to ensure that the event will proceed as scheduled and are putting in place plans if certain restrictions still remain. The UK Contingent’s Leadership Team are working closely with the organisers around their plans.

As a UK Contingent we are looking at travel and insurance policies and once these are secured we will update participants and their supporting Counties / Nations / British Scouting Overseas

Our selection event will happen on the weekend of the 20th-21st of November 2021. Applications for the selection weekend will be open from the 1st October 2021 to 31st October 2021.

You can attend one of our information sessions on either the 26th September 2021, 2nd October 2021, or 13th October 2021! You can book these by clicking here… Otherwise send us an email from our contact us page.

You will normally go to activities as a whole Unit, or sometimes in your Patrol of 9 Scouts and 1 Leader. There are a huge variety of amazing activities in a typical Jamboree programme, too many to list here!

In the evening, after the duty Patrol has cooked dinner (maybe with some visiting Scouts from another country), there is still lots to do on site. You might choose to go badge swapping, trying to find the rarest badges out there. Or, you might join in some of the evening entertainment, watching a traditional performance from another country or even getting up on stage yourself!

It wouldn’t be a Jamboree without the Opening and Closing Ceremonies! It is quite incredible to have Scouts from all over the world sat together in one field.  The atmosphere is electric and it is likely to be a very special part of your Jamboree experience.

The UK Contingent typically organises a 2-3 day experience for UK Scouts just before or after the Jamboree. We don’t have any details yet for this for 2023, but as an example, the UK Contingent to the Japan 2015 Jamboree spent 3 days exploring the sights of Tokyo and in USA 2019, units went to New York and Washington DC.

No. Imagine taking nearly 4,000 young people abroad, individualising pick-ups/meet-ups is just not possible. IST members are able to add their own trip, just select a payment option that includes booking your own flight.

We don’t know exactly how may preparation camps there will be yet. Your Unit leaders will normally try to rotate around different campsites in Kent so the same people don’t always have to travel the furthest. There should usually be about 3-4 pre-jamboree camps.

You are expected to attend every camp unless it is unavoidable.  They are really important to ensure that every member of your Unit can work as part of a team to make sure you get the most out of the Jamboree experience.  The camps are also really fun!

We know from experience, that Unit members who don’t make it to all the activities don’t get the most out of the Jamboree. You should think about this before applying, as it will be expected that Jamboree activities will take preference over pretty much anything else you might have planned.

Typically Kent includes the preparation camps in their jamboree fee, though this isn’t confirmed and there may sometimes be extra fees. The Fee also usually includes some basic unit gear with the option to buy more!

As an attendee from Sevenoaks or Swanley, you will be expected to attend certain events to represent the Jamboree. Particularly, after the Jamboree an important part of your role will be to spread the message about International Scouting, by getting out and talking about your experience to younger Scouts across the District.

We know from all of the past World Scout Jamborees that you will form lifelong friends with the other Scouts from Kent in your Jamboree unit, so you shouldn’t worry if you don’t know anyone else. Your Unit leaders will spend lots of time on getting-to-know-you and team-building activities to help everyone become firm friends.

The UK Contingent fee is usually between £3-£4,000.  This is a lot of money but, as with all Scouting activities, we don’t want people to be put off applying to attend the Jamboree on financial grounds:

• Your Group and District may be able to offer financial support or help you with fundraising activities.
• Past participants have found it possible to fundraise in the lead up to the Jamboree through things like bag packing, themed evenings and sponsored events can also be lucrative.
• Other bursaries and financial support may be available.
• The fee will be paid in instalments across around 1.5 years.
• If you have concerns, in the first instance you should contact your District to discuss the fee, in confidence. Please do not let it put you off applying.

The Scouting ethos is that Scouting is open to all, and the Jamboree is a good example of this.  We will need to know, and may need to carry out a risk assessment and put in place a care plan. This process may identify additional requirements that we need to put in place but if you are selected, we will do everything we can to make the Jamboree happen for you.

To apply to be a participant you must be born between 22nd July 2005 – 31st July 2009. You don’t need to have been in Scouts for long, as the Jamboree isn’t a reward for being a Scout since the age of 6 or having all of the badges.

IST applications are managed at a national level. IST applications usually involve an application form with some Questions, along with attending a IST selection event.

Applications for IST are not yet open. We expect more information on this around November 21 2021. We recommend you periodically check the national UK Contingent website for updates!

Applications will open on the 1st October 2021 and close on the 31st of October 2021!

You must be able to attend our selection weekend on the 20th-21st November 2021 unless you have exceptional circumstances. 

World Scout Jamborees are now very technical, and even have apps to let participants know what is going on, track their program, ques, and awards, and so much more! So yes mobile phones are permitted at the World Scout Jamboree. There’s even Wi-Fi onsite!

You may consider whether you want to send your participant with their current smart phone or get a cheaper one encase it gets lost. The price of the Jamboree includes basic travel insurance which should have a basic level of cover for lost devices (check this before you go!). 

There are however some restrictions on phone use at the Jamboree. While you may make the odd call home or update a blog on what you are doing, usually you are asked not to directly contact home if there is a problem, and parents/guardians at home are also asked not to directly contact participants if there is an issue at home. This is for several reasons, including that usually parents cannot help with a problem that a participant is having onsite so the best people to speak to are their unit leaders (who will contact home if needed), and if there is a problem at home, there is a procedure for getting in touch with leaders to ensure there is support for any bad news for participants. There is nothing worse for the leader team being contacted by a parent about a problem they have not been told about by a participant, or a young person having been given bad news from home without leaders knowing about it. 

Yes! Usually there will be either charging lockers or stand and charge points for your devices so you can keep charged. We recommend taking a powerbank with you though so that you can charge that up once and keep all your devices charged without having to visit the charging station too often. 

Though we cannot fully answer this at this time, usually the UK contingent will manage the process of applying for Visas and any other documentation required to visit the host country. If any documents have to be applied on an individual basis for any reason then there would be support for this as the UK Contingent will be in contact with the UK Embassy in South Korea.