Scouts from across the southern counties joined together in a mammoth volunteering effort at CarFest South at Laverstoke Park Farm over the Bank Holiday weekend.

From their stall base, volunteers offered free tasters in classic Scout activities such as archery and climbing on their mobile wall. Visitors up for a challenge worked as a team to tie knots with tent poles, make woggles or paracord animals or take part in the Great Shoe Lace Race.

Scouts were also on hand to help greet the 25,000 daily visitors onto site safely and quickly.

Volunteers from all walks of life and across the southern counties wanted to show how volunteering with the Scouts can be good for you as part of a Scout campaign over the next six months to emphasise why volunteering is good for your health, happiness, skill development and family life.

It is the first big event for Hampshire Scouts since the pandemic disrupted their activities and marks their return to large scale community activities. T

Vanessa Slawson, volunteer who has represented Hampshire Scouts at previous CarFest events said: “CarFest is a great opportunity to showcase how we teach young people important skills for life. Parents can also see it’s not only children who benefit, but our 90 scout volunteers here at CarFest are supporting the terrific fundraising done by Chris Evans, a Scout Ambassador, and the organisers who raise money for children charities.

“It's good for everyone’s mental health to be back outside and making an impact in the community.”

For more information about volunteering with Scouts, contact Hampshire Scouts County Office on (023) 80847847 or email communications@hampshirescouts.org.uk.