My name is Alex Taylor and I am a 14-year-old Explorer Scout from Wootton.

I belong to the Alps Explorer Scout Unit which is part of the Northampton District Explorers. I am one of 36 young people from across Northamptonshire Scouts who have been chosen to attend the 26th World Scout Jamboree (WSJ) in Gdansk, Poland in the summer of 2027. World Scout Jamborees are camps in which many Explorer Scouts from around the world camp together for a week. This is a special opportunity as World Scout Jamborees only happen once every four years.

The process started by making an application. This in turn led to a selection day, where we took part in team-building exercises. After this, we waited to receive a call telling us whether or not we had got in. Once I was told I was in, I started preparing for my first of five training camps that occur across the next 18 months.

The cost to go to the WSJ is over £3,000, which we have to fundraise ourselves as part of attending.