West Lancashire Scout County (The Scout Association) 5615483 225286473 2008-07-12T22:04:12Z Snigbrook 4995598 Disambiguate [[Fylde]] to [[The Fylde]] using [[:en:Wikipedia:Tools/Navigation_popups|popups]] '''West Lancashire Scout County''' forms part of the [[The Scout Association]] in the [[United Kingdom]]. The Scout County covers half of [[Lancashire]], the other half being covered by [[Scouting in East Lancashire|East Lancashire Scout County]] with the two roughly separated by the [[M6 motorway|M6]]. The boundaries of [[Lancashire]] were changed in [[1974]] as part of local government. Shortly after, the Scout Counties in Lancashire changed to reflect these border changes. West Lancashire Scout County was created from parts of the original North West & South West Lancashire Scout Counties. The Scout County is sub-divided into the following eight districts: [[Blackpool]], [[Chorley]], [[The Fylde|Fylde]], [[Lonsdale]], [[Ormskirk]], [[Preston]], [[South Ribble]] and [[Wyre]]. According to their [[2006]] [[census]] the Scout County had 9347 members within 154 Scout Groups. The Scout County hosts ''Be Prepared: The Story of Scouting'', the first purpose-built [[Scouting museums|Scout museum]] in the [[United Kingdom|UK]].<ref> [http://www.storyofscouting.org.uk/ Story of Scouting Museum at Waddecar]</ref> ==Campsites== ===Great Tower Activity Centre=== '''Great Tower Scout Camp''' is on the eastern shores of [[Windermere (lake)|Windermere]] in the [[Lake District National Park]]. While it is actually in the area of England covered by [[Scouting in Cumbria|Cumbria Scout County]], the centre is owned and maintained by West Lancashire Scout County.<ref>[http://www.greattower.org.uk Great Tower Scout Camp Site<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> ===Waddecar Scout Camp=== '''Waddecar Scout Camp''' is located in the [[Forest of Bowland]], in the parish of [[Goosnargh]], north of [[Preston]] in [[Lancashire]].<ref>[http://www.westlancashirescouts.org.uk West Lancashire Scouts]</ref> The site has a large number of woodland pitches, as well as fields, allowing almost 1,000 Scouts to camp simultaneously. There are also a number of building offering indoor accommodation. Waddecar has several buildings that can be hired out by Scout Groups and other youth organisations. These include Helme Lodge and Jubilee Base.<ref name="founding">{{cite web | url=http://www.waddecar.org.uk/accommodation.htm | title=Waddecar Scout Camp - Accommodation Details | accessdate=2007-09-04}}</ref> Waddecar also has several large areas for pitching tents including the Training Field and the recently acquired ''Bill's Meadow''. The site also offers a number of activities, including [[Abseiling]], [[Climbing]], an Obstacle Course, [[Archery]], [[Bicycle|Cycle]] Hire, and an [[Air gun|Air Rifle]] Shooting Range.<ref>[http://www.waddecar.org.uk Waddecar Scout Camp & Activity Centre<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> ===Moor Crag Water Activity Centre=== '''Moor Crag Activity Centre''' is based on the eastern shore of Lake Windermere, near to Great Tower Activity Centre. It provides a base for a wide variety of waterborne activities. Accommodation is available in a residential block at the centre, the Waterside Wood Chalet. Alternatively camping is generally arranged at Great Tower. The activity centre has 68m of water frontage along the shore of Lake Windermere, which includes 2 jetties and a boat house / wet dock, which is used to house the control room and safety craft. Canoes, Kayaks and Sailing boats are owned by the centre, and are available for hire.<ref>[http://www.moorcrag.org.uk Moor Crag Activity Centre]</ref> ===District Campsites=== As well as the larger County activity centres listed above, smaller centres are owned and run by districts. Blackpool<ref>http://www.blackpoolscouts.org.uk/Pages/mowbreck/pages/index.htm</ref>, Fylde<ref>http://fylde.westlancashirescouts.org.uk/</ref> and Lonsdale<ref>http://www.lonsdalescouts.org.uk/activity/activity.htm</ref> districts have sites, ranging from simple field camping accommodation with toilets, to small bunk buildings and indoor wet weather activity areas. ==Programme== ===Mountaineering=== The Scout County regularly runs a varied number of trips including training weekends in [[Scotland]] around the [[Cairngorms]]<ref>http://www.bbc.co.uk/lancashire/content/articles/2007/02/01/scouts_snow_ice_feature.shtml</ref> and smaller ski trips to the [[Alps]] as well as [[Scotland]]. ====Greenland==== The Scout County is well known for their mountaineering adventure element of their program. Over the last few years two trips to [[Greenland]]<ref>http://greenland.westlancashirescouts.org.uk/</ref> have resulted in some assents of unclimbed peaks<ref>http://www.mef.org.uk/NewFiles/trips07.html</ref>. The first trip, in 2004<ref>http://www.bbc.co.uk/lancashire/lifestyle/2004/07/08/scouts.shtml</ref> featured a link up to Waddecar via a Sat phone during the campsite's birthday celebrations with the [[Chief Scout]]<ref>http://www.google.co.uk/url?sa=t&ct=res&cd=15&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpress.westlancashirescouts.org.uk%2Fdocuments%2FRobbie%2520Rocks%2520Red%2520Rose%2520Press%2520Release.pdf&ei=Vm13SPC9NZCE1wbk4OmpBg&usg=AFQjCNGaQD33x0l5VBQjGWc21yde62pYng&sig2=Vsz-C_ulE0uub3SHoBJ2aQ</ref>, the second during 2007<ref>http://www.thebmc.co.uk/Feature.aspx?id=1959</ref> to Ren Land featured a far larger number of participants and a sea kayak element. The trips were approved by the [http://www.theyet.org/ Young Explorers Trust] and the [http://www.thebmc.co.uk/ British Mountaineering Council]. As well as the mountaineering and adventure side, scientific elements were also completed<ref>http://87.127.227.195/magazine/arpmay05/aprmay05_p14.htm scout magazine archive</ref> ===International=== Away from mountaineering the county also has run in the past trips to [[Uganda]]<ref>https://scouts.org.uk/news/archive/2005/feb/080205.htm</ref> which aimed ''to complete a multi-purpose building to be used for health promotions, clinics for immunisation of the local population''. The county has participant in International [[Jamboree]], EuroJam and international trips to [[Austria]], [[Belgium]]<ref>http://ardennes.westlancashirescouts.org.uk</ref> and [[Canada]]<ref>http://rr08.westlancashirescouts.org.uk</ref> during recent years. They have also attended the [[Menin Gate]] memorials during November<ref>http://www.fulwood.org.uk/magazine/2004/christmas/menin.php</ref>. {{portal|Scouting|Scout logo2.svg}} ==External links== * [http://www.westlancashirescouts.org.uk West Lancashire Scouts] *[http://www.blackpoolscouts.org.uk/ Blackpool Scout District web site] *[http://chorley.westlancashirescouts.org.uk/ Chorley Scout District web site] *[http://www.fylde.westlancashirescouts.org.uk/ Fylde Scout District web site] *[http://www.lonsdalescouts.org.uk/ Lonsdale Scout District web site] *[http://www.ormskirkscouts.org.uk/ Ormskirk Scout District web site] *[http://www.preston.westlancashirescouts.org.uk/ Preston Scout District web site] *[http://www.southribblescouts.co.uk/ South Ribble Scout District web site] *[http://wyre.westlancashirescouts.org.uk/ Wyre Scout District web site] *[http://mountain.westlancashirescouts.org.uk/ West Lancs Scouts Mountaineering web site] ==References== {{reflist}} <!-- *http://www.press.westlancashirescouts.org.uk/documents/Sleepover%20record%20prize.pdf why is this here --> {{Scouts UK Counties}} [[Category:The Scout Association]] [[Category:Organisations based in Lancashire]]