The Lighthouse – 110 Scout adventures

Project Description

Last year and a half was one of the hardest period for our movement. In almost all of the countries the Scout activities, the Scout camps and all the big international events were cancelled. The situation was no different in Bulgaria. We had to cancel all of our national face to face initiatives. The pandemic had a severe impact on the physical, social and mental health of the children and young people. Since the beginning of the pandemic, our local group decided to shift our activities online like many others, waiting for the first opportunity to resume in-person activities. Finally signs of hope encouraged us to resume in-person Scouting activities.

After a difficult year facing the multiple challenges that the global health crisis has brought us, following the official protocols, we decided to return to in-person activities and organise Anniversary Camp in July for our Cubs, Scouts and Venture Scouts.
What better way to do it than celebrating the 110 anniversary of lightening the spark of Scouting in our country. The camp will take place on the Black Sea coast in the town Shabla from 16th till 21st of July. The theme of the camp is “The Lighthouse – 110 Scout adventures” and represents the guiding light that Scouting always has been for the young people (The town of Shabla is best known for its beautiful lighthouse).
We are planning various type of activities according to the age and the interest of the participants. Separate programs will be provided for Cubs and Scouts/Venture-Scouts. The geographical region of Shabla is incredibly rich and it offers great possibilities for ecological activities – environmentally protected seashore and lakes, hot springs, unique areas – one of the richest birdlife diversity in Bulgaria.

Some of the activities that have been planned are:

• Beach activities – swimming, rowing, beach games;
• Pioneering;
• Service activities;
• Exploring a Sea cave (for Scouts/Venture-Scouts);
• Rope forest (knots, rope climbing, obstacle courses, basic rock climbing, zip-line);
• First aid and crisis response activities;
• Evening activities (creativity and arts); 
• Night activity for Scouts and Venture-Scouts.

We are not only focused on resuming activities in nature, where the Scout Method can be fully applied, but also emphasizes the return to group life, meaningful interactions, and relationships among young people and among the adults around them, that lies at the core of the Scout Movement. Although national health authorities already allow outdoor group activities, we are fully aware the global crisis isn’t yet over.

The Camp must be within the local health and safety guidance, allowing young people to fully recover and engage in fun, safe, attractive, and challenging activities. Ensuring the safety of young people, adults and volunteers is our top priority. To achieve this, it is important to comply with the local health restrictions, which is a great challenge for us both logistically and financially. Embrace this challenge, we are eager to enjoy the journey with the young people we work with, and let them help lead us in the journey of recovery and resumption. They will have creative, different and unique way to embrace the challenges the pandemic has presented, bringing fresh eyes and new energy along the way!

Expenses: 22 400 Euro in total

• Food and water 3 800 Euro (1 000 Euro) in brackets is the amount requested from FOSE for each individual item
• Camping and tourist equipment 1 500 Euro (150 Euro)
• Cooking equipment 300 Euro (150 Euro)
• Camping toilets and showers (the camp will take place in the protected park area, so digging up toilets in the ground is out of the question) 1 000 Euro (500 Euro)
• Fuel for transport of volunteers, products and equipment 500 Euro (300 Euro)
• Awards and presents for the participants such as branded t-shirts, badges and others 800 Euro (400 Euro)
• Materials for the planned activities such as – materials for pioneering, beach activities and security, for the volunteering, ecological and social activities in the community 1 200 Euro (400 Euro)
• Hygiene and medical products and materials in COVID-19 requirements context 400 Euro (200 Euro)
• Non-cash (in-kind) contribution of a goods, equipment or voluntary service 12 900 Euro

Own sources: 19 300 Euro

Support required from FOSE: 3 100 Euro