As we reflect on 2025, we’re proud to share the progress, achievements, and learnings from another dynamic and purposeful year. Our collective aim has remained steadfast: to champion a high-quality, inclusive, and engaging programme that empowers young people across Nottinghamshire to gain skills for life.
There was a fantastic number of top awards gained In 2025:
Each one of these awards represents true dedication, ambition and hard work, so a massive congratulations to everyone who earned a top award in 2025. A big thank you goes to our volunteers who have enabled and championed our young people to become high achievers!
It’s been another exceptional year for the Notts Scouts Adventure Team, defined by exciting milestones and meaningful impact.
In 2025, the team delivered an incredible 20,386 activity hours, enabling thousands of young people from across Nottinghamshire to experience the thrill of water and land-based adventures. Alongside this, more than 2,300 hours were dedicated to adult training and permit assessments — strengthening skills, building confidence, and making adventurous activities even more accessible to local Scout groups.
This year has also been a landmark one for Nottinghamshire Scouts, as work began on a new £500,000 activity centre building. Months of planning, design and fundraising culminated in construction getting underway, a major step forward for the future of our adventure provision. With an unprecedented £245,000 investment from Nottinghamshire Scouts, the project will secure the long-term future of adventurous activities in the county, enhance facilities, and provide a modern, environmentally responsible base for generations to come. We are also immensely grateful for the phenomenal support from local businesses, sponsors and individual supporters who have helped turn this vision into reality.
Looking ahead, the team is already preparing to support the return of The BIG Weekend in 2026, delivering adventurous activities at Newark Showground to around 3,000 members, a fantastic opportunity to showcase the very best of what we do.
None of this would be possible without the dedication, expertise and enthusiasm of our volunteers. A heartfelt thank you to the 114 volunteer instructors and members of the management team whose commitment continues to make the Notts Scouts Adventure Team such a tremendous success.
In March, we proudly returned to the prestigious stage of the Theatre Royal for our dazzling 75th anniversary Gang Show, a truly unforgettable celebration of talent and teamwork.
This milestone production saw a record-breaking number of young people take part. An incredible 123 senior cast members (aged 10+) and 63 junior performers (aged 8–10) lit up the stage with a high-energy, fast-paced variety spectacular that thrilled audiences throughout the run.
Behind the scenes, more than 70 volunteers, alongside our exceptional stage crew and live orchestra, worked tirelessly to bring the show to life. The scale of the production is reflected in an astonishing 21,000 total activity hours, including show week. Of these, 5,500 hours were contributed by our dedicated production team and leaders alone, remarkable figures that demonstrate the commitment, passion and professionalism behind every performance.
For many of our young performers, this was a week they will remember for the rest of their lives. Over the years, Gang Show has helped nurture confidence and talent, with former cast members going on to become regular TV presenters, perform in West End productions, entertain on cruise ships and achieve success in countless other fields.
We are especially proud that over 25% of this year’s cast had a medical condition requiring additional support or rest breaks during performances. That these young people felt confident and supported enough to take part, and to achieve their personal milestones, speaks volumes about the inclusive spirit at the heart of our Gang Show.
A huge thank you to our cast, crew, backstage teams, and production team for delivering such a phenomenal show and creating a programme opportunity like no other!
In July, we proudly launched an exciting brand-new event created exclusively for Explorer Scouts - The BIG Hideout.
More than 100 Explorers came together to take part in an immersive, live-action game built around strategy, resilience, evasion and above all, teamwork. Their mission sounded simple: reach the secret extraction point without being captured. Standing in their way, however, were highly organised specialist “hunter” teams determined to track them down.
Over eight intense hours of gameplay, teams navigated miles of countryside, carefully plotting routes and making tactical decisions in real time. To avoid detection, many chose to move away from roads and public footpaths, relying on map-reading skills, communication and trust in one another to stay ahead of capture. Throughout the course, several challenge bases tested their problem-solving, initiative and Scout skills, with opportunities to earn valuable bonus points that could ultimately make the difference between success and defeat.
The BIG Hideout proved to be a thrilling addition to our programme calendar, and a fantastic example of innovative, youth- shaped adventure in action. A huge well done to every Explorer who took part and rose so brilliantly to the challenge.
Preparations are well underway for the 26th World Scout Jamboree in Poland, beginning with the recruitment of our Unit Leadership Team. We are delighted to have appointed four outstanding volunteers, Heather Randall, Chloe Morris, George Evans and ‘Jeppo’ Jepson, who bring a wealth of experience, enthusiasm and dedication to the role. Since their appointment, they have been working tirelessly behind the scenes to plan, organise and shape what promises to be a truly unforgettable Jamboree experience.
Later in 2025, the team began the exciting process of recruiting the 36 young people who will form our Jamboree unit. Demand for places was phenomenal, reflecting just how special this opportunity is. A rigorous and engaging selection process helped narrow down applications to the final 36, an inspiring group of young people who will proudly represent Nottinghamshire.
Since their selection, the unit has hit the ground running. From creative and ambitious fundraising efforts to regular unit meetings focused on team building and developing international friendships, they are already building the strong bonds and shared spirit that will carry them through this once-in-a-lifetime adventure.
A huge thank you to our Unit Leadership Team for the time, energy and passion they are investing in delivering this life-changing experience for our young people. The journey to Poland has truly begun!
2026 is already shaping up to be an exciting and landmark year for the Programme Team. A major highlight will be the official opening of our new activity centre building at Hoveringham, a significant milestone that cements our long-term commitment to delivering high-quality adventurous activities across Nottinghamshire.
We’ll also be celebrating three very special birthdays within our Scouting family: Squirrels turning 5, Beavers turning 40, and Cubs celebrating an incredible 110 years. These milestones offer a wonderful opportunity to reflect on the impact of these sections and celebrate the thousands of young people who continue to benefit from them.
In May, we return to Newark Showground for The BIG Weekend, an action-packed camp bringing together over 3,000 members. Months of preparation are already underway, with the team working tirelessly behind the scenes to create an unforgettable experience. From exciting new activities and fresh challenges to opportunities to develop new skills and friendships, The BIG Weekend promises to be bigger and better than ever.
Alongside these headline events, we are expanding our Programme Team to strengthen the support we provide to sections week in, week out. With new resources, fresh ideas and a renewed focus on consistency and quality, we remain committed to ensuring that every young person in Nottinghamshire enjoys a high-quality, engaging and inclusive Scouting experience.
