Four nights.
FOUR.
Nights.

Our Cubs the wild, wonderful, loud, emotional, brilliant, chaotic Cubs of our council estate just did a full 4-night summer camp, and they absolutely smashed it.

This was not a “dip your toe in camping” weekend.
This was the big one:

• climbing
• cooking
• hiking
• tents
• caves
• night skies
• stargazing
• real campfires
• and the grand finale: kayaking and canoeing on the lake

And they did it all every single one of them. Yes 100% attendance including Austin and Samuel. Wow.

---

Living in Tents Properly This Time

The tents stood tall (mostly).
The Cubs learned:

• how to keep a sleeping bag dry
• how not to leave muddy shoes inside
• how to zip a tent door without trapping themselves
• why rolling up a sleeping bag is an Olympic sport
• that roll mats are not trampolines (a debate we revisited daily)

There were midnight whispers, giggles that echoed across the field, and a moment where someone shouted,
“WHO STOLE MY SOCK?!”
at 2am.

Which is, frankly, the true essence of Cub camp.

We know that on the first night no cub sleeps until 3AM and they wake up at 5AM. They did. We were knackered. And loved it.

---

Climbing, Hiking & Caves The Adventure Trifecta

The Cubs climbed rock walls with pure determination,
hiked longer than they thought they could,
and crawled through caves with torches in hand shouting:

“THIS IS LIKE IN A MOVIE!”

Kush, in his calm psychologist voice, congratulated them on their resilience
as leaders tried not to get stuck in the cave entrances behind them.

They tackled fears.
They surprised themselves.
They discovered strength they didn’t know they had.

One Cub said,
“I’m brave now.”

She always was.

---

Cooking on Fires & Stoves Eating Like Champions

Our meals were:

• chaotic
• proudly Cub-made
• occasionally burnt
• always eaten with enthusiasm

They chopped veg, stirred sauces, toasted marshmallows, flipped pancakes,
and learned that “cooking for the group” means more than just feeding yourself and accidentally eating your friend’s portion.

They even washed up without too much protest a miracle in itself.

---

Kayaking & Canoeing The Big Ticket Adventure

The activity the Cubs had been buzzing about since June.

The lake.
The boats.
The paddles.
The freedom.

Pure joy.

Some Cubs paddled beautifully.
Some spun in circles.
One shouted,
“HELP, THERE IS SPIDER IN MY BOAT!”

But every single child got out on the water,
felt the thrill of gliding (or rotating) across the lake,
and came back glowing with pride.

This was the heart of camp.
The big memory.
The moment they will talk about for years.

---

Stars, Silence & Kush’s Telescope

At night, something incredible happened.

The noise dropped.
The sky opened.
And we saw STARS real stars
not city blur, not glowing clouds, but constellations.

Kush set up his telescope.
The Cubs queued patiently (ish).
And one by one they gasped:

“I can SEE it!”
“Is that a planet?”
“The sky is massive.”

For kids who grow up under streetlights and tower blocks,
seeing the Milky Way is like being handed the universe.

---

The Campfire Our Grand Finale

On the final night we lit the campfire,
sat in a giant circle,
and sang until our voices cracked.

Songs old and new.
Loud ones, silly ones, heartfelt ones.

The Cubs roasted marshmallows.
Leaders attempted harmonies.
One child shouted,
“THIS IS THE BEST DAY OF MY LIFE!”
halfway through “I saw a bird”

And honestly?
It might have been.

Nothing beats the magic of that moment:
firelight on faces,
Cubs leaning on each other,
leaders exhausted but proud,
and a Pack that has become a family.

---

And That’s It Summer Holidays Begin

We pack up,
say goodbye to the campsite,
load the sleeping bags and the mud-covered shoes,
and head back to the estate
tired, dirty, happy.

Four nights.
Dozens of adventures.
Hundreds of memories.

Our first ever summer camp is complete.

Now we take a breath,
rest,
recover,
and return in September.

Stronger.
Closer.
Braver.

This Pack our wild, messy, beautiful council estate Cub Pack
has done something extraordinary.

And we’re only just getting started.

And I’m writing all this from my journal notes and photos whilst sitting on a beach in Cornwall with my own family. My amazing wife who has been so supportive and my son, a Scout at the group where I used to volunteer. He will be fourteen tomorrow, and in September, a Young Leader at the Council Estate Cub Pack.

And then social services phones me “Hello is this the Cubs on The Estate. Oh hello. I wonder if you might be able to help us…”