Some of you may be aware that 2016 is the Group’s centenary year.
Because of this we have been talking about organising something special to mark the occasion and wanted to look at doing something that we haven’t offered before and are unlikely to offer again.
Invitation to the official launch meeting 8:45 Friday 22nd January & second chance to express an interest
Recently we sent out a letter explaining that 2016 is the Group’s centenary year. In the letter we floated the idea of a trip to Iceland. We have excellent news. With 23 Scouts, Leaders & Parents expressing an interest in the trip, and with the company agreeing to honour their initial price, the trip can now go ahead on the 21st-25th August.
Naturally now that the trip is viable we wanted to give those of you who didn’t sign up a second chance, as well as inviting those of you who did to a launch meeting. The trip, organised by Venture Abroad, is open to Scouts, Explorers and older Cubs. We’re happy for Parents to attend too. We chose Iceland because it is an amazing country, with much of it’s popularity being due to its array of natural features, which include glaciers, hot springs, geysers, active volcanoes, impressive peaks and vast lava deserts. We have planned an itinerary that takes in the very best that it has to offer. Our base during the trip will be Úlfljótsvatn Scout Centre so there is plenty of potential for meeting Scouts from other countries too.
To find out more click "Read More" below or download the launch letter.
Itinerary
Day 1
Fly directly from Manchester to Reykjavik-Keflavik Airport and transfer to Úlfljótsvatn Scout Centre where the group will be met by the friendly staff and spend the rest of the day at leisure getting to know their surroundings. Activities on offer will include the Climbing Wall & Boating @ Ulfljotsvatn
Day 2-4
The group will spend a full and active week in Iceland based on their outlined itinerary of activities these will include the following;
The Golden Circle Tour – Takes in the major sites of Iceland hot springs, volcanoes and waterfalls
A Day trip to Reykjavik to include whale watching, the major museums and a opportunity to explore Iceland’s capital city.
Glacier hike – Blue Ice Adventure – Clip spikes to your boots and walk on a real life glacier
Midnight Hike @ Ulfljotsvatn – Take advantage of Iceland’s 17 hours of daylight and go for a midnight hike. If the conditions are favourable it’s a chance to see the famous Northern Lights.
The Blue Lagoon - No trip to Iceland would be complete without a visit to The Blue Lagoon the worlds largest naturally heated pool.
Day 5
After an action packed 4 days, it's time to say goodbye to Iceland and head home.
Cost
The price of the proposed tour is approximately £879 per person this does not include transport to the airport and back. We can explore options for this when we have established that there is a willingness to commit to the trip.
We are hoping that a group of parents may join a fund-raising group to assist us with bringing down the cost of the trip. The price is based on us getting a commitment for 30 people to go on the trip so at this stage it is very much an expression of interest to see if the trip is viable. As well as the Scout section we would like to extend an invitation to older Cubs and members of our Explorer Scout Unit too. This is likely to be the one and only time we offer a trip of this nature so naturally we are looking for as many of our members as possible to be able to attend. We want to give a truly memorable experience to our “Centenary Scouts”
This price includes:
- ATOL protected return flights easyJet from Manchester to Reykjavik-Keflavik and coach transfers in resort
- 4 nights’ Full board accommodation at Úlfljótsvatn Scout Centre in tents set up prior to arrival
- Activities & Excursions detailed overleaf
- 1 x drawstring bag per passenger
- No currency surcharges (guaranteed upon confirmation of booking)
- The reassurance of an externally audited safety management system
What happens next?
This trip is the most expensive we have ever proposed and we want the maximum number of Scouts to be able to attend so fund raising will be essential.
That said without the initial commitment to support the trip it really isn’t worth further exploration. In order to gauge whether we are on the right lines with this I am sending out this letter. Can you please let us know ASAP whether you want your child to attend and whether you are able to support us in raising funds to reduce the cost.
If we can’t get the numbers we need we’ll go back to the drawing board and come up with another idea. I’m excited to at least make this offer and look forward to hearing what you think. Once we know the trip is viable we will organise a proper launch event for parents.