Over 130 young people from across Milton Keynes came together at The Quarries Campsite in Cosgrove from 17–19 October for an action-packed weekend of adventure and global friendship.
Hosted by the Milton Keynes District Scout Team, the annual JOTA/JOTI (Jamboree on the Air / Jamboree on the Internet) event saw Scouts connect with others around the world through amateur radio and online chat — sharing stories, traditions and plenty of laughter along the way. Over the weekend, Milton Keynes Scouts exchanged greetings with fellow Scouts from America, Chile, Tanzania, the Seychelles and Malaysia, discovering how Scouting unites people everywhere.
Between calls across continents, Scouts also challenged themselves with climbing, caving and pioneering, building confidence and teamwork while trying new activities that some had never experienced before.
“JOTA/JOTI has been an amazing experience for all the young people of Milton Keynes — building new Scouting friendships over the air and internet, trying new activities some young people may not have done before, and building those Skills for Life,” said Jason, District Lead Volunteer for Milton Keynes Scouts.
A Scout said “It was amazing to speak to another Scout in a completely different country and realise we do some of the same things. It made me feel part of something much bigger,”
Another Scout loved all the activities that were on offer saying “My favourite thing today has been archery. I’ve never done it before and when I pulled the bow back and shot the balloon, it just felt so fun!”
The weekend captured what Scouting is all about — friendship, adventure and discovering the confidence to give things a go.
