This week has been an amazing experience for me and many other 50/50 members. There are around 107 participants in the 50/50 programme. On a typical day, I wake up around 8 am and head towards the Epic Centre. I eat breakfast with my Explorer Unit, the White Dragons Explorer Group. We have travelled from South Wales to come to Poacher 2022.

The Best of Fest team have been busy visiting all the amazing activities on site all week. Here's their summary of the crafty opportunities that have been on offer at Poacher 2022. 

Out at the water village, on the self-named Beach Fest subcamp, there are heaps of activities going on. Buoyancy aids are a must on this site, as everyone wears one past the blue barrels.

The RAF Youth and STEM Team led a one off event on Wednesday for twenty-five lucky Explorers and Rangers. They usually run a national program of STEM engagement across the UK to inspire the younger generation to take up STEM and keep the door open for a variety of STEM careers. (links here)

Reserved for Poacher’s 10–13-year-olds from 7pm, the fairground is located behind the Exo Centre (where the roller disco and 10-13 disco take place). Participants need to be wearing both their neckers and either their lanyard or wristband to get in. There was a big queue when Best of Fest visited, so make sure you come prepared!

 Want to make new friends? Not too sure how to? Well, your fellow Poacher participants have a few tips. This may seem obvious, but just going up to people and saying hi often works. Olly from 3rd Harpenden Scouts, Circus Fest, put it simply, “just go up and start a conversation”. He was kind enough to give a live demonstration and now has another acquaintance at Poacher. But what to say after that? Ask, where are you from? Which subcamp are you a member of? What has been your favourite activity so far? 

On our third day of activities here's Daily Round up from JamFM

Poacher jamboree has been running since 1977 and has always taken place at the Lincolnshire Showground. Poacher gets its name from The Lincolnshire Poacher, a famous folk song specific to Lincolnshire. Many will not know the song, but the song's refrain has remained within some people’s memories, ‘O, tis my delight on a shining night in the season of the year.’ The premise of the song is a poacher who lived and died at Welton, a village located about two and a half miles away, to the east of the campsite. The subcamp theme for Poacher 1977 was also based around the song, with animals, you would find in a poacher’s bag.