Hi, my name is Matthew and I have been lucky enough to be selected to represent Hampshire and the Isle of Wight (HIOW) as part of the UK contingent to attend the largest outdoor educational event for youth on the planet in summer 2027 – THE 26th WORLD SCOUT JAMBOREE!

Part of the Jamboree process is to raise the funds to participate. If you can contribute in any way, big or small, it will mean a lot to me.

I have been in Scouting since I was 7 when I joined Beavers, and have progressed through Cubs, Scouts and onto Explorers. My confidence has grown in leaps and bounds over the years and I even now volunteer as a Young Leader at a Scout Group as well.

It was very competitive selection process for the WSJ. Stage One was completing an application Form to Hampshire Scouts. From this they then selected who they would like to attend Stage Two - the Selection Weekend Camp.

Along with 300 other Scouts, I took part in some amazing activities and got to meet lots of new people; all the while being assessed. As a result, I am now one of 144 Scouts that will be representing HIOW going to Poland!

The World Scout Jamboree (WSJ) takes place every four years and has tens of thousands of Scouts from all over the world taking part in activities, learning about new cultures and developing leadership skills that will last a lifetime.

I will be using these newfound skills back in the UK, not only by sharing my experience with my Explorer Unit, but also at the Scout Troop where I volunteer as a Young Leader as I will be able to impart my new knowledge to benefit the young people that attend.

Every participant is responsible for raising their own costs. To attend the Jamboree, I need to raise around £3,500. This covers travel and accommodation, food and equipment, training camps and preparation events. More importantly it includes a contribution to help Scouts from less developed countries attend too (this is part of the spirit of international Scouting!). I would like to use this GoFundMe page to hopefully generate £500 towards this.

The Explorer Scout Unit that I belong to are assisting me in my fundraising journey and we will be fundraising at numerous events over the next year or so. My school has also offered to support me, and as a family we have such things as car boot sales on the horizon too!

How you can help

Thank you for reading!