From 2nd to 9th August 2025, Shackleton ESU in Crawley attended the West Sussex International Jamboree (WSIJ) at the South of England Showground. The event brought together over 1,200 participants from 13 countries, creating a week-long celebration of scouting, guiding, and international friendship.
Daytime Activities
WSIJ was organised into themed activity zones, each offering a range of challenges, skills, and experiences:
- Adventure Zone – Segways, mini golf, bubble zorb football, dart football, and land boards.
- Creative Zone – Myth and Magic-themed crafts, creative performing arts, DJ sets, silent disco, and musical activities.
- High Adventure Zone – Mobile climbing wall, mobile high ropes, slack lines, inflatables, jump bag, cave bus, and abseiling.
- Splash Zone – Lake zorbing, dunk tank, canoeing, kayaking, paddleboarding, and cardboard canoes at Ardingly Reservoir. At Weirwood, sailing, wild swimming, rowing, and a Tuff Mudder water challenge.
- Challenge Zone – 90ft obstacle course, Beat the Buzzer, Hungry Hippos, unclimbable ladder, Last Man Standing sweeper, and Rodeo Bull World.
- Discovery Zone – Royal Navy STEM outreach activities, Generation Ocean messy fun, Defence Equipment and Support LEGO robots and microbots, Cambridge Hands-On Science, CHaOS!, and SSAGO giant kerplunk.
- Skills Zone – Young Driver sessions offering real driving experiences.
Wednesday Morning – Explorer Volleyball Tournament
On Wednesday morning, Shackleton ESU took part in the Explorer Volleyball Tournament. After a series of competitive matches against teams from across the jamboree, our team proudly finished 2nd place out of 9 teams.
Evening Programme
Evenings at WSIJ were just as lively as the daytime, with a packed schedule including:
- Karaoke and Open Mic Night – performances ranging from singing to comedy.
- Neon Night – UV lights, neon face paint, and dancing.
- Discos – opportunities to meet and dance with participants from all over the world.
Skills and Friendships
Throughout the week, Shackleton ESU members developed skills in teamwork, leadership, problem-solving, and communication. They also built lasting friendships with scouts and guides from across the UK and overseas, embodying the spirit of international scouting.
At the close of the jamboree, our unit returned to Crawley with new skills, unforgettable memories, and friends from around the world – ready for the next adventure.
