Good afternoon,
I hope you’re well.
Here is a summary of the information in the email below:
- Scouts of the World Award – Ghana Expedition
- Oxon Gathering 2025
- Is it Safety or Safeguarding?
- Safeguarding and Nights Away
- First Aid
- Oxfordshire Scouts AGM
- Iceland 2026 Young Persons Applications
Scout of the World (SOTW) Award – Ghana Expedition
Some very exciting news! HQ are launching their first UK SOWA expedition to Ghana giving 20 Network members the chance to earn their SOWA. They’re also looking for three incredible leaders to join the leadership team too.
Oxon Gathering 2025
What is Oxon Gathering?
Oxon Gathering is an all-adults weekend that has a balance of workshops, networking and having fun! It’s a fully interactive camping weekend that any adult volunteer can attend for as much or as little as they want.
When and where?
Oxon Gathering is taking place at Jubilee house, Horton Road, Beckley, Oxford, OX33 1AQ
From 5pm Friday 12th – 2pm Sunday 14th September 2025
What’s happening at Oxon Gathering
We have put together a very exciting programme of up skilling, learning and interactive workshops all brought together to help you get the most out of your weekend.
During the day we have workshops, whilst the evening is more around relaxing, networking and having some fun.
Here is our programme for the weekend: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1rAF3IeUnUtxIqD6mfngJo6JZA52R1rsN/edit?usp=sharing&ouid=111609285873056394504&rtpof=true&sd=true
How do I book?
The event is a flexible one, you can dip in out of. You can attend for the whole weekend, one night or two. Meals are available on a per meal basis to enable to plan your visit.
The event is free and meals are available at £2.50 each.
Bookings can be made through our online form here – please let us know if you are attending and how much of the weekend: https://forms.gle/bU7PwvvWoSyC5AkJ8
Is it Safety or Safeguarding?
Our County Safety Adviser and County Safeguarding Adviser are keen to support you all with any concerns you may have. Recently we’ve seen some confusion around who to contact, so wanted to clarify the two roles.
County Safety Adviser (Ian Broome) can provide help and support with risk assessments, any questions or queries on the Purple card, near misses and accidents.
County Safeguarding Adviser (Steph Fawdry) can provide local help and support where the headquarters team ask for local actions/conversations to take place around the Yellow and/or Green card. This covers concerns for the wellbeing of young people and actions/behaviour of volunteers. Please remember that any breaches of the yellow card should always be reported to Headquarters (https://www.scouts.org.uk/volunteers/staying-safe-and-safeguarding/reporting-a-concern-to-safeguarding/)
Safeguarding and Nights Away
New guidance has been released with regard to Safeguarding whilst undertaking a nights away activity. The new guidance can be found on this page: Nights away and safeguarding. It includes the following in more detail:
Have a code of conduct for young people. Setting clear expectations about behaviour can reduce incidents and keep Nights Away safe and enjoyable for everyone. oor or inappropriate behaviour.
Discuss sleeping arrangements and personal privacy for young people and adults. Make sure everyone is aware of, and comfortable with, sleeping arrangements for Nights Away before you go. There are lots of reasons why young people and adults may have different requirements when it comes to sleeping arrangements.
A key message for the safety and privacy of all young people, is to respect each other’s private space and bodies; nudity and inappropriate touching are not acceptable. Use NSPCC resources for support when talking to younger sections about PANTS (the Underwear Rule) to reduce the risk of problems (with the consent of parents and carers). For older sections, the NSPCC have some great advice on talking to young people about healthy relationships.
Plan for young people and adults with additional or support needs. It’s important not to make any assumptions about the support someone will or won’t need, so have a conversation to find out whether they already have an established individual support plan, or to identify needs and agree a suitable plan. For more information, see our guidance on planning individual support.
Make sure adults know what’s expected of them. For instance, all adults who stay overnight at a Nights Away activity must have a criminal record check in place.
This rule doesn’t apply to non-members attending the event during the day, but it’s good practice to make sure that all adults are aware of our Yellow Card, Purple Card and Green Card so they know what to do to keep young people safe and what’s expected of them.
Discuss mobile phones. If you decide young people may bring mobile phones to the Nights Away activity, provide guidelines to support them to use them safely, and include these in your code of conduct for young people. There’s more advice on mobile phones in our Nights Away and safeguarding guidance.
Support young people’s wellbeing. Involve young people, parents and carers in your planning and encourage them to ask any questions and raise concerns beforehand to allay any worries they may have. For instance, young people tell us they feel safer on Nights Away activities when they stay in pairs if they go to the toilet in the night. We know from young people themselves by having a ‘buddy’ system, it helps make them feel safer as they support each other.
Communicate with parents and carers. Share plans for your Nights Away activity with parents and carers beforehand – including who they should contact for questions and concerns. Holding a meeting beforehand is a great way to discuss all the key points and reduce the risk of problems arising. It’ll also help give them the reassurance they need to know their child is safe when away from home.
Report any safeguarding concerns
Remember, the Yellow Card applies wherever in the world you take UK Scouts.
Should anything arise, you must report any safeguarding concerns during your Nights Away activity to the UK HQ Safeguarding Team (always within 24 hours).
Always follow the Safeguarding Code of Conduct for Adults (Yellow Card) and if a young person is at immediate risk of significant harm, call 999 (or the local emergency services if overseas) and ask for the Police. Then contact the UK HQ Safeguarding Team to tell them you’ve done this.
If you have any questions or queries about this topic, please do get in touch with Steph on Safeguarding@oxonscouting.org.uk.
First Aid
Looking for a first response course – all those available can be found at https://bookwhen.com/oxfordshirescouts
We have a number of courses planned for the rest of the year and they are happening across the County. The courses include Module 10 A&B & 16hr Outdoor First Aid.
Don’t forget that all Section roles (both Section Leaders and Sections Members) now require first response training together with all roles who work directly with young people on a regular basis. We encourage all our volunteers in the County to undertake the first response learning as it’s an invaluable skill that can be used at any time not just within Scouting.
Oxfordshire Scouts AGM
The Annual General Meeting of the Oxfordshire County Scout Council is to be held on Tuesday 23rd September 2025. Everyone is invited to attend. If you would like to join us the AGM is being held at Beckley Village Hall, Woodperry Road, Beckley, Oxfordshire, OX3 9UZ – 7.15pm for 7.30pm start.
Iceland 2026 Young Persons Applications
Join Explorer Scouts from Oxfordshire on an Epic Journey to the Iceland International Jamboree 2026
Are you ready for the adventure of a lifetime?
In July 2026, a unit of Explorer Scouts will be heading to Iceland for an unforgettable international Scouting experience.
What to expect:
- Meet Scouts from all over the world
- Explore Iceland’s stunning landscapes – volcanoes, waterfalls & glaciers
- Take part in adventurous activities, cultural exchanges, and unforgettable campfires
- Build lifelong friendships and memories
When: Saturday 18th July 2026 until Tuesday 28th July 2026
Where: Hamrar Campsite: Akuyeri, northern Iceland
Who can apply:
Explorer Scouts (aged 14–18 by July 2026)
Motivated, adventurous, and ready for teamwork
How to apply:
Applications are now open!
Fill in the form by 30th September to secure your chance to be part of the Unit.
Link for form and for more information: https://bit.ly/4p0KcNd
Spaces are limited and subject to references and the attendance of a Selection Camp 17th/18th/19th October don’t miss out on this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity!
Have a great month!
