EuroJam, at Hylands Park near Chelmsford, aims to show that young people can share experiences and friendships together, regardless of their background. Fifty seven different countries are represented. Scouts from Leeds have been very busy at the Jamboree we spoke to four of them. Alex Opolski says: “I’ve already been to Gilwell Park where I went caving within a caving system especially built from hay bales. After that I went on the Assault Course. On Celebrate Europe Day I really enjoyed eating food from some of the other Scouts, the pancakes from Greece were best.” Kieron Birdsoll also enjoyed the food: “The shortbread from Scotland, and the pancakes and maple syrup from Canada, tasted great; and made a change from the food we’re cooking for ourselves.” Kieron added, “I’ve been spending a lot of my time talking to Scouts from abroad – especially Egyptians – and have exchanged contact details with quite a few; I hope to keep in touch with my new friends after the jamboree.” Duncan Blakeley was also impressed with the facilities he says “I’ve done climbing and abseiling before, but not on the scale that I’ve done at Gilwell Park.”
 | | An avenue of flags at Eurojam 2005 |
Jordan Budsall is another Scout from Leeds that has been enjoying EuroJam: “I’ve been wandering around all afternoon tasting food from different countries. Whilst talking to Scouts from outside the UK, we’ve been talking about the differences between our food as well as the differences in our live in general. I’ve even been learning bits of various foreign languages!” The camp comprises five areas. Splash! includes activities such as raft-building, water slides, canoeing and learning about the science of water. The Energise Zone allows scouts to sharpen their general camping skills, chill out for a few hours, watch a circus, or take part in meditation and yoga sessions to relax after a fun-packed schedule. A Global Development Village helps scouts understand the positive impact they can have on the world. A Faith and Beliefs Zone enables the young people to explore and discover information about different faiths around the world. Euroville offers the Scouts the opportunity to experience and value the culture, creativity, arts, sports and technology from every country in Europe. EuroJam finishes on Tuesday 9 August 2005. It is hoped that for many of the scouts, the 12 days spent at EuroJam, the experiences they’ve shared, and the new friends they’ve made, will make a difference for the rest of their lives. | 
