The Squirrels Scouts opened as a new section for bright-eyed and bushy-tailed young people in September 2021 to help them gain skills for life at a time when it matters most and where it is most needed.
The 29th Southampton Scout Group, based in Portswood, were the first to officially open the 100th Squirrels ‘Drey’ (as referred to by members within the movement) within the county – the first county within the UK to reach this milestone.
And this moment was marked at Ferny Crofts Scout Activity Centre, in Brockenhurst, surrounded by hundreds of others engaged in a day of outdoor activities such as climbing, archery, bushcraft, bouncy castles and more.
Russell Andrews, Lead Volunteer at the 29th Southampton, said their group are the talk of the community as people are recognising the good work taking place.
“We are excited to open the 100th Squirrels Drey in Hampshire, and that cannot be repeated, which is quite a special moment. There are quite a few people keen to pop in and see what Squirrels is all about, which is lovely to see.
“We deliver many outdoor and adventurous activities, as well as indoor team building and new skills sessions for our young people to enjoy, so there’s quite a bit of a buzz going around, which is good to see.”
Russell Andrews, Lead Volunteer, 29th Southampton
Across the UK, The Scouts has been on a positive growth trajectory within its youngest section for youth members.
There were 3,348 Squirrels Scouts in January 2022, followed by 10,586 in January 2023, and most this year an impressive 16,691 in January 2024.
Eva Moreno, who witnessed her daughter being invested in the Scout movement, praised the work of volunteers, saying:
“I think the work of Scouts is really exciting. The Scouts is much bigger than I thought, and I really think this is a great opportunity for my daughter to build her confidence.
“It is lovely to see the young people enjoying activities in nature and gaining skills, so I am very happy that my daughter is involved. I love the community feel here and hope in the future; my son, who is very little, can be a part of that.”
Eva Moreno, parent
Amanda Wallace, who leads on Squirrels Scouts for Hampshire, said:
“It’s amazing to see the 29th Southampton Scout Group opening the 100th Drey within Hampshire. It has been an absolute huge success, and I’m really proud that we have come to this.
“The work our volunteers do across the county is really important, especially because of lockdown. So many children have so much time indoors, so it’s great to regularly be out in the open and engage with all the fun and friendship that’s on offer."
Amanda Wallace, Lead volunteer for Squirrels, Hampshire Scouts
Volunteer today and help Squirrels grow across Hampshire at scouts.org.uk/volunteer.
Text: Sam Poole.
Hosted at the home of Hampshire Scouts, Ferny Crofts Scout Activity Centre in the New Forest National Park, this annual tradition saw everyone having fun and making new memories by trying out something new.
When the first Fun Day was held just two years ago, Squirrels itself was only one year old. This year, Hampshire was celebrating having over 100 Squirrel Dreys in the county, the first County in the country to do so.
Alongside the Ferny Crofts favourites which many of our older Scouts would be very familiar, such as Archery, Climbing and Tomahawk Throwing, new activities especially for this annual event arrived such as carnival games, an area to express their own creativity and the ever popular bouncy castles.
Together, Squirrels reached new heights on Crate Stacking, or navigated their way through the dark in the Cave Bus or simply enjoyed some old Scout favourites like cooking dough twists over an open fire. For many this was their first taste of the thrill of adventure, and of the skills of life this brings for them.
Ian Browning is part of the Scouts team who helped launch Squirrels, and the years of Early Years pilots that preceded it, was at the event to see how Squirrels had grown. "As a Hampshire boy born and bred, I'm thrilled to see so many of you here and for here in Hampshire to be doing so well with Squirrels."
Amanda is Hampshire Scouts' lead volunteer for Squirrels, which spans the 4-6 years age groups:
This is our third Squirrels Fun Day, where all our Squirrel Scouts from across the County come together and do some amazing activities.
Giving young people the opportunity to get outside and do amazing activities today, like tomahawks, crate stacking and wall climbing among many others, to give them that great start in life is what we do. As Scouts we may talk about Skills for Life and this really does give them that, it's truly wonderful.
The young people have such an amazing time, they get so much out of it, but I think it's important to remember that volunteers also get a lot out of it too. I personally find it really rewarding watching the young people have an amazing time, knowing that we've been a part of that.
Amanda Wallace, Lead Volunteer for Squirrel Scouts, Hampshire Scouts
The fun day has become a firm favourite in the calendar of Squirrel Dreys and places for this years event sold out in record time. The Ferny Crofts team, who run and deliver the event, are key to the day's success.
It was great to host everyone here for Squirrel Fun Day, the third year in a row. We had 300 plus Squirrels and it was fantastic to see them having a great time. We're so happy that we can host this and run these events as it welcomes them to Ferny Crofts and gets them into the activities and Scouting, learning what activities they can enjoy here in the future.
A massive thank you to all of the volunteers that come to help us, we really couldn't run these events without them. This year, we've had 30-40 extra volunteers today helping run the activities and the day itself - without them we couldn't do it.
Nicole Smith, Senior Instructor, Ferny Crofts Scout Activity Centre
The number of Squirrels in Hampshire has already jumped over the past couple of years at a very impressive rate as more communities embrace the newest branch of the Scouts family tree. Across the county, we want to double the number of Squirrels groups in two years. Planning for future fun days with higher capacity, and more activities at Ferny Crofts in general is already being planned:
After we did the first fun day, we saw loads more enquiries from Squirrels carrying on their adventures, but it also made sure we stepped up and had enough activities on site, so that when they do visit there is always something for them.
Nicole Smith, Senior Instructor, Ferny Crofts Scout Activity Centre
The best way to help Squirrels grow, and to allow other 4-6 year olds enjoy the fun of Scouting is to volunteer. It's fun, builds your skills, and shapes a young person's future. Find out and volunteer at scouts.org.uk/volunteer.
Text: Steven Osborn
After a winter of rain, Hampshire Scouts of all ages have been able to put the copious amounts of mud and water to good use with a fun day out.
Now in its fourth year, Hampshire Scouts' activity centre in the heart of the New Forest has been host to the biggest and muddiest Ferny Crofts Mud Run ever. From humble beginnings to blow away the winter blues, it's now become a staple in the Scouting calendar for local groups and volunteers alike.
Open to Scouts of all ages across three sessions on Saturday 16th March, it is the largest run ever put on by the centre as it grows to meet the exceptional demand from Scouts and volunteers.
Across three runs, 750 runners took to the 1.5 kilometre-long course taking in the New Forest woodland, adventure course, themed areas and the infamous Ferny Crofts Pond to reach the finish line raining with paint flecks of a variety of vibrant colours.
Alongside the full Ferny Crofts staff team, a further 66 volunteers helped make the event a huge success, helping with everything from assisting around the course to First Aid, car parking to throwing paint (330 kilograms of powder paint to be precise).
After one of the wettest winters on record, and off the back of the very successful but very muddy Ferny Fest event for Explorer Scouts three weeks before, the course has been the muddiest and wettest in the history of the event.
None of that has stopped the runners, from the youngest Squirrel upwards, from having a great event. Each runner got a medal, which this year also doubled as a blanket badge so runners could choose how to celebrate their success.
Ferny Crofts Centre Manager, James Redfern, said:
"It's great to see so many young people, adult volunteers and parents getting involved and having fun in the great outdoors and banishing the winter blues. Getting stuck in, down and dirty and bonding as family and friends over the course is always a delight to see and key for building resilience and determination.
My thanks go to the staff and many volunteers who make the event a great success and have made this year's event our biggest, wettest and muddiest to date.
James Redfearn, County Operations Manager and Ferny Crofts Centre Manager
You can find out about other events happening at Ferny Crofts on their website at fernycrofts.org.uk.
As well as hosting event, volunteers are use throughout the year to put on events and keep the site looking its very best. Find out about future opportunities by getting in touch or following them on social media: Facebook Instagram
Explorer Scouts from every corner of Hampshire have been getting stuck in with a full festival experience at Ferny Crofts Scout Activity Centre.
It's a weekend at the end of February 2024 and the entire centre is abuzz with excited teenagers. The sky may be dull and grey, occasionally brightening up and occasionally dropping more water onto the already soggy grounds. It may have been a damp month but it has done absolutely nothing to drown out the enthusiasm of the Explorer Scouts, volunteer leaders and organisers who make Ferny Fest happen.
The journey to this event began two years ago with the very first Ferny Fest, designed as a celebration. Explorer Scouts, the Scout section for 14 to 18 year olds, had reached its 20th anniversary and was near new heights of popularity. With Young Leaders to help guide our young people, awards to encourage them to reach for new heights and a great deal of activities so they can try something new and make new friends while doing so, Explorers was in fine health.
Immediately after this one-off event, filled with glitter, dancing and activities of all sorts, the Explorers themselves were calling for a sequel. It arrived after a very wet February and months of intense planning involving Explorer leaders from across Hampshire, Explorer Scout Ambassadors having their say and the staff team at Ferny Crofts doing their level best to make the magic happen.
Over a bumper weekend, the Explorers had their run of the site, able to choose which activities they took part in at what time. For the adventurous, the activity zone was open for archery; Jacob's ladder, leap of faith and free-fall simulator high ropes; adventure obstacle course and crate stacking.
For those looking for a more fun and active time, aeroball and inflatables such as bucking bronco, bouncy castles, beam jump could satisfy that taste for adrenaline. Plus with laser clay pigeon shooting, Segway's and crazy golf to hone some target skills and try something new. All with the surrounds of friends, music and copious amounts of mud to make it feel like a full on festival.
As the nights drew in, different activities such as a disco, movie, campfire and arcade games area were ready to entertain with different activities to suit everyone.
"It's like a holiday with my friends. Clay pigeon shooting and frisbee golf have been my highlights, its the first time of doing them properly and its great to try them out with friends. I'm really looking forward to the Segways - last time I fell off and I want to improve."
Lily, 17, from Arrow District in Eastleigh and Chandler's Ford
"The Segways were good and the laser clay pigeon shooting was very fun. Sumo wrestling sounds really good so I want to try that out."
Finley, 15 from Itchen South District in Southampton
"Doing the activities with your friends, like the wipeout, where all of my mates went flying, has been the highlight so far. I'm looking forward to the activities at night like the disco and the arcade."
Asim, 14, Arrow
"I loved Aeroball, that was brilliant. They're really bouncy you know and much better than just a trampoline. Plus the bungee run was so awesome."
Ollie, 15, from Odiham District
"My highlight was the Bruno Mars mosh-pit at the disco last night and sitting around the fire for part of the day today with my friends. Obviously I'm looking forward to tonight's disco too!"
Oscar, 16, from New Forest District.
"Seeing so many people together and having the freedom to do what I want has been a highlight. It's good fun.
Emily, 16, from Arrow District
"Getting slammed by inflatables was so fun and the movie was an extra highlight."
Willy, Arrow District
"The nights are the best bit when everyone is happy and jamming."
Seb, 16, from New Forest District
"I liked the archery and the gladiator challenge as they were so fun. Any chance to get the life skills and experiences with friends is great."
Ali, 14, from Fareham West District
"The bucking bronco was really good, I think I've got the hang of it, along with the aeroball that was good fun with my mates. Can't lie, I'm looking forward to dinner and the food, it's been great so far.
Jack, 14, from Odiham District
We'll leave the last words to Jacob:
"I'm really looking forward to coming again in future year, it's so much fun with your mates."
Jacob, 14.
You can find out more about Ferny Crofts, the Hampshire Scout Activity Centre in the heart of the New Forest and their various events from age 4 up on their website and social media channels. fernycrofts.org.uk
Laughter filled the air and smiles covered the faces of Squirrel Scouts from across Hampshire celebrating the newest branch in the Scout family tree.
Standing out proud in their red jumpers, more than 200 four and five-year-olds and their adults came to Ferny Crofts Scout Activity Centre for their first of many Squirrel Fun Days. Music, activities and fun was readily available to the Squirrel Dreys attending from across Hampshire with a number of fresh activities on offer in addition to Ferny Crofts favourites enjoyed by all ages.
Whether it was conquering the heights of the climbing walls, learning patience as they lined up that perfect shot in crazy golf or simply bounding the highest at aeroball, plenty of fun was on offer for all. The special Squirrel Fun Zone for the event also boasted carnival games, circus skills, a Nerf target practice and plenty of inflatables to get lost in!
Adult volunteers were on hand to support with crafty challenges such as making rope from balls of wool and using hammers to create beautiful leaf prints to take home.
What do our volunteers say? ‘Days like this give them the ability to push their adventurous side’, 'they have so many different opportunities to try out new things'; a true realisation of the Scout's outdoors dream reflected in the smiles of all the young people enjoying the activities at Ferny Crofts.
Amanda was part of the Early Years pilot schemes and was among the first Squirrel Dreys in both the county and the country at large. For her, a day like this marks the close of their first year and the beginning of a new adventure as we spread the Squirrels message to more communities and more Scouts.
Today, Hampshire Scouts are calling on more adult volunteers to help us bring Scouts to more people. As well as bringing Scouting to more people, it also builds our adult volunteer's skills and brings them just as much joy as our Scouts! We're aiming for more Squirrels in every community by the end of next year.
Be part of the Squirrels revolution! Join us today.
Over 400 young people accompanied by around 70 adult volunteers had a fun filled weekend at Ferny Fest - Explorer 20 to celebrate the 20th birthday of the Explorer Scout section.
Back in 2002, the section for those aged 15.5 to 20 was called Venture Scouts, then in 1976 it was the first program of The Scout Association opened up female participants. The Venture Scout program was replaced by the Explorer Scout (14-18) section and Scout Networks (18-25) in 2002.
Fast forward to 2022, after having to be online for near 2 years and with face to face scouting seemingly back for good, a team of adult volunteers and the staff at Ferny Crofts Scout Activity Centre came together to plan the first Ferny Fest.
Friday
The weekend started with an opening ceremony complete with pyrotechnics soon followed by the choice 2 films. Some of the Explorer scouts sat down to enjoy Guardians of the galaxy whilst the majority made a beeline for the Bee Movie.
Saturday
Saturday morning kicked off the first day of activities. From high ropes, inflatables and archery, to Go karts, laser clay pigeon shooting and trek cart racing. There were so many options so everyone had something to enjoy.
The atmosphere around the site was alive with music, cheers and laughter.
Saturday Night
After a long day of activities the Explorers rolled in the night with a campfire, arcade and a disco. With the addition of a photo booth, glitter art and a free ice cream van the party kept going through till midnight.
Sunday
Sunday again saw the start of another action packed day. With new high rope activities and the addition of Zorb football and sumo wrestling to name a few. As lunch time rolled by tents started to come down and the camp came together to reflect and celebrate what an amazing weekend they all had.
Tom an Explorer scout said “All the activities were really fun and everyone was super nice. Meeting all the explorers from other groups was an amazing experience."
"The weekend at Ferny Fest was very eventful and fun, lots of cool activities to do. I enjoyed my time and made some good friends there." Bethan said, she went on to say "I enjoy being an explorer because I can chill and hang out with my friends but also get to do things I wouldn’t normally do"
Explorer Scouts are young people aged 14-18 and we have groups all across Hampshire. Visit our Explorer's page to find out more and to get involved.
Article by: Michael Doncom
Contributions from: Tom, Bethan
Photography by: Dave Jenkins, Adam Russell
