Wow, Poacher 2022 really was the adventure of a lifetime!

With Poacher 2022 having officially ended at Friday’s spectacular Closing Ceremony, Saturday morning brought the time to start loading up and moving back to the real world.

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.

No one would be here, and Poacher wouldn’t happen, without the 1500 staff that run the event. Many of them have been here for over a week before the event. Nothing can happen without them; everything that you see has been built by the build team; every fence must be placed; all toilets need constant maintenance; all these needs organising.

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. 

For the first time in Poacher history, there is a subcamp just for 14-17 year old Explorer Scouts, Scouts and Rangers, Wonder Fest! The theme is Marvel, imminently clear from their massive gate into the camp covered in superhero images and spiderwebs. The main tent has bunting, flags, and themed board and video games for the participants to enjoy.

The spirit of the camp could be seen right from the beginning of the week, as participants and staff put up tents in the rain and still managed to maintain their enthusiasm.
About 25 different groups make up the subcamp, which consists of mostly Explorer Scouts, coming to join us from all over the world. From far-off places like Canada, Ireland, Austria, and of course more local ones from England and Scotland. Of course, you can’t forget Bagel, the guide dog.

About 50 of the people on the subcamp are talking part in the 50|50 program, for the older participants who want the participant experience but also want to try out a staff role. This means they will be joining and helping staff teams throughout the week. They are all over the site, from Craft to Media teams. We spoke with Imogen from Mablethorpe Coastal Scouts, who said she was “really looking forward to the experience”.