Latest News from the Jamboree

Our amazing photography team took over 5,000 photos throughout the jamboree, which have been an invaluable addition to our articles. So we asked each of them to pick five of their favourite photos from the week... If you would like to see more of their work, there are thousands more photos available...

It was quite the celebration last night, as thousands of young people (and not-so-young people) surrounded the main stage for a night of music, dance and jollity. The celebrations were kick-started by a fierce DJ battle – Red vs Blue – which really got people moving. The sound of the whole crowd...

Wow, how fast did that week go? Did you blink and miss it? We certainly did but what a week it has been! This jamboree was brought to you by an army of volunteers, almost every person who has helped you around the site, or looked after you in the evenings was doing so in […]...

We'd like to take a moment to appreciate everyone that has made this week in a field possible. Firstly, to the facilities team. Every marquee, every toilet, every line of fencing, all built and maintained by facilities. They were the first to be on site, and will be the last to leave as well. Thank ...

With over 8,000 people on site, EIJ 2024 became the biggest village in Essex for a week - approximately eight times larger than the nearby village of Roxwell. However, that's not the only crazy statistic about our temporary home... Starting off with retail - did you pay a visit to The Soft Rock Cafe...

Girlguiding Inspire, a dynamic initiative within Girlguiding, focuses on empowering young women aged 18-30 through opportunities for personal development, community involvement, and global engagement. This program is designed to bridge the gap between youth and adulthood, offering a supportive platf...

Anyone got a picnic blanket? Today at the main stage, the subcamps came together to share a picnic. Libby and Sofia from Southend thought the picnic was a “really cute” idea, and “really nice to have everyone in one place, because everyone is usually split during the day and to see actually ho...

Taking the jamboree site by storm this morning, our enterprise zone was transformed into a petting zoo! Filled with many amazing creatures, scouts and guides from across the world has the opportunity to experience these fantastic animals. From ponies to snakes and even a tiny little tortoise 🐢, t...

By Susie Williams and Kaitlyn Lafferty Karen and Paul are two icons who, in their own words, have worked on Essex International Jamboree 2024 “since we cancelled 2020, so essentially 8 years as we didn’t stop planning since 2016” - how impressive! It's tough trying to stay motivated for so lon...

There are a few things that this event just cannot run without, our army of dedicated volunteers, our beautiful location and thousands of hours planning. Another, of course, is water. Water is absolutely vital for 8,000 people spend a week (or three, for some of the team) in a field safely. Water is...

By Kaitlyn Lafferty and Susie Williams Calling all dancers! Did you learn any international dances last night at the International Showcase? We had groups from Malta, Australia, Japan, Netherlands and the Finland take to the stage and show everyone a little taste of their culture through dance. Maya...

Maxine Jones was never a Brownie. She came to Guiding as a full grown adult. "A friend asked me to run a photography session for her Guides," she explains, and before long she was a signed-up member of the Moulsham District of North Essex County. Since then she's served as a Guide and Ranger leader,...

The wonderful staff down at Murray Subcamp have been gathering stories from their groups - can you spot yourself? If you have a story that you would like to share with us, get in touch with your subcamp team! Yabby Yard was bursting with colour and flavour at last night's International celebration! ...

Beware of guy lines. They pose a trip hazard. Some consider them to be "fun to jump over", but those in the know know that "tent ropes are lava!". If you do have an unscheduled trip, the medical tents around the EIJ site come with 5 ⭐ Rating. "Comfortable beds, excellent room service, and no [&hel...

If you’ve ever been to a large Scout event in the UK, chances are you’ve seen representatives from ScoutMed, the National Scout Active Support Unit (NSASU) for first aid and medical treatment. ScoutMed is made up of a huge range of volunteers from doctors to first-aiders, who are committed to at...

Being a Jamboree Chief is a demanding role at EIJ. There are so many demands to attend a meeting here, cut a ribbon there, and dress up as a cow there. With that in mind, those plucky innovators in the Dry Waste Team have managed to reduce, reuse and recycle the demands on Karen and […]...

By Alex Jacobs and Josh Dixon Want to spend your evenings doing something exciting? Come down and try the subcamp Challenge! The subcamp challenge is an exciting and challenging way to spend the afternoon. To do this you have to walk around each Subcamp completing the activities, for which they will...

Noa is at the heart of the jamboree logo. Noa is a symbol that celebrates everything that jamboree is about. Noa means ‘movement’. Noa symbolises the joining of scouting and guides and them working together to create the jamboree site. “Noa is a symbol of friendship and enjoyment” - Olivia. ...

Kon’nichiwa, did you hear that interesting music last night, odd right? Well, that was our Scottish friends down in the Shinano subcamp! Last night the 121st Glasgow Scout Group taught the Shinano subcamp a traditional ‘Ceilidh’ dance. I spoke with Tony, Cupcake and Porridge, the organisers of...

Essex International Jamboree was lucky enough to play host to Mhairi Mackay, Assistant Chief Guide today. This is Mhairi’s very first Jamboree and she is “excited to look around, find out more, find out what folks are doing and just immerse myself in the Jamboree experience.” When she is not b...

Walking through the subcamp feels as if I’m walking through ancient Egypt, but I’m as tall as the tents . . . I mean pyramids. The hub walls are decorated with so many hieroglyphics and ancient artworks that I'm sure Cleopatra would feel right at home. The Nile Subcamp hub team said “we have t...

It’s time for the Balancing Act! No this isn’t the circus show in the Village Green, this is the Zone where all our participants can try their hand at slack lines, high ropes, inflatables and more. I caught up with James, Zone Leader for Balancing Act and leader of Sagarmatha ESU “Running the ...

Unique and Fascinating Finds: From Harps to Flamingo Floats With over 8,000 participants onsite, it’s no surprise that the camp has become a treasure trove of interesting and unique items. Today, we took a stroll around every Subcamp to uncover some of the most intriguing and unexpected things peo...

Wednesday night saw our participants rocking out in our main arena to two fantastic acts. Redonizm opened with a rocking rendition of ‘Chelsea Dagger’ that drew our participants in and rapidly the field was bopping! When the fabulous Channy took over later in the evening our main area, the party...

Jamboree activities aren’t just for the young ones anymore, with an action-packed programme for leaders and staff. These activities take place everywhere from the Main Stage to the Urban Umbrella, Staff comforts to the Bar Stage! The main stage has some of the more energetic activities including ...

The Event Services Directorate is big, "there's 200 in Subcamps alone!", says Rachel Kemp, "and it also includes, International, Registration, Learning & Development, Staff, and the Info Desk". Before the event Rachel also took the lead on the Website and Newsletters. Rachel started in Guides in...

Monday afternoon was a busy time for the guest hospitality team here at EIJ 2024, who are tasked with taking care of the various guests who come to visit our temporary village. But one guest was important enough that our camp chiefs decided to give him a personalised tour – Carl Hankinson, the UK ...

Come and shoot, fire, chuck, throw, kick, fling, heave, lob, hurl, and launch every kind of object at every kind of target! Our Target Zone has it all! Basketball, soft archery, frisbee golf, soft crossbows and slingshots gives the participants the choice to practice their target.  Caroline and...

By Susie Williams, Kaitlyn Lafferty and Lauren Game Cake O'Clock, that crucial time of day when the army of staff just need a small, sweet treat to keep themselves going until the next meal, is brought to you by Wendy and Sarah, the mother - daughter duo! They actually run cake o'clock in the staff ...

A vintage box of mysteries was opened on Wednesday evening, 21 years after it was locked away for safe keeping. The box was to be used by the Essex Unit ("SX XS") to the World Scout Jamboree in December 2002 - January 2003. It became difficult to open when Unit Leader Graham Chandler, had to [&helli...

-Pippa Allen It’s CHRISTMAS TIME! On the 31st of July? 🎄🎅 Many of the Scout Troops and Guide Units have gone above and beyond with theming at Essex International Jamboree 2024. We’ve seen, Eiffel Towers on Seine Subcamp, Torii Gates on Shinano Subcamp, even a Galactic theme, and many other...

Have you ever dreamed about riding in a tank or on a segway? Well the Motion Zone has brought your dreams to life! There are many exciting activities for you to try out, such as dodgems, segways, cycling and so much more. If you love dodgem cars or riding on a segway as much as […]...

The Yangtze river is the largest river in Asia stretching 3,915 miles (6,300km) long. In China it is known as the ‘Changjiang’. There is also a song about the Yangtze river called “Yangtze Kiang Song”. The lyrics to this is: We love the Yangtze, Yangtze-Kiang, Flowing from Yushu down to Chin...

At Essex International Jamboree 2024, we are honoured to host St John Ambulance and their enthusiastic Youth Team, who have been delivering an invaluable session on lifesaving skills to Scouts and Guides in the Survival Zone. This engaging workshop showed how everyday items a Scout or Guide would ca...

By Susie Williams and Kaitlyn Lafferty Just kidding! Last night the Seine and Amazon Subcamps hosted their food festivals and we had the chance to try all their groups' chosen foods. Everyone was dressed up, trying new foods and dancing, they even had their own Ali G dancing the macarena and Cotton ...

Tucked in at the edge of the site, there's a small pile of wood set up ready to host campfires for all who wish to attend. There was a great turnout on Tuesday evening, with many sporting their camp blankets and voices ready to sing. The evening was coordinated by James, Welfare Officer for Seine [&...

As we have all heard, Dunabe's daily newsletter is a wannabe The River Reader, but it could never compare to our outstanding web-based publication. The Danube Daily is produced by the Subcamp hub team and Nick Webb from this team said “it is very cheaply made”. Originally the newspaper started a...

Citrus Creams, chocolate truffles, and orange creams… doesn’t that sound delicious? Well at the Enterprise zone, you can make these sweet, sweet, treats yourself! The Enterprise zone gives participants the opportunity to create their own sweet shops, as a tasty, yet educational, experience. You ...

Putting an event together like this takes a lot of planning, a lot of teamwork and a lot of work work. The EIJ Exec Members have been busy planning this event (on and off) for just less than 8 years. So in "Meet the Makers", The River Reader will meet with some of them (the […]...

Last night was a sea (or a river) of neon colour, did you spot the 90s outfits, tutu’s, coloured paint and wigs? The House of Music was alive with beams of coloured lights and music attracting people in like moths to a flame. I managed to pull a few people away from the fun to […]...

Salut! The wonderful staff down at Seine subcamp have been gathering stories from their groups - can you spot yourself? If you have a story that you would like to share with us, get in touch with your subcamp team! Le Challenge du Sous-camp! Meet Hugo, Taylor and Karl from 4th Lowestoft, who have be...

The membership policy for Noa's Club is extremely exclusive. Like most elite clubs, it's about who you know. All the members know a member of staff, because this club exists as a day care and activity area for all the children of Staff at EIJ. Noa's club allows Staff members to freely volunteer thei...

Feeling overwhelmed or need a break? All About Me, All About Us is the place to be. This marquee has a wide variety of different activities for you to visit. Five, four, three, two, one, friendship spoons, decorating scarfs for your backpacks, and God's eyes are just a few activities to mention. I s...

[Content warning: bin juice 🗑️ and brown waste 💩] There is a team that is working at EIJ2024 that, if they do their jobs right, you hardly notice they exist. Their aim is to fly under the radar, keep things running, be the legs of the swan paddling frantically beneath the serenity. However, ...

G’Day Mates! Down under at the Murray Subcamp, they shipped in their own Aussies to add authenticity to their base. I think they really have outdone themselves for authenticity this week, not only have they brought the Aussie sun (not really according to the Aussie contingent) but they also partic...

Namaste, let's travel today to India, not only home to one of the Girl Guide world centres - Sangam - but also home to the Ganges subcamp! When you first notice this subcamp all you can see is the wonderful arch way leading you into a subcamp full of beauty. Steve, the subcamp leader, said […...

Have you noticed the busy crew around the stages making everything happen on time? That's the stage crew who use all sorts of cool equipment to jazz up our events - lighting, radios, sound and even pyrotechnics! They work through all our amazing acts including the opening ceremony, EIJ presents and ...

Our participants have the chance to dive into a range of ‘anytime’ activities during their free time throughout the week. From building sandcastles with the Camp Chiefs to playing retro games in Daisy’s Gaming Shed, there truly is something for everyone! Retro Rewind: A Journey Through Gaming'...

-By Alex Jacobs and Lauren Game Fancy cooling down in this heat? Slide on down to Wet and Wild for a wild ride. Kayaking, Marine challenge, Rowing, Body Zorbing are just a few activities on offer at this zone. Welly Wanging is a great way to test the strength of any participant, whilst having a [&he...

Rhea Varker, a cake baker from Canvey Island, has worn a lot of different hats at EIJ over the years. "I've been a Participant, and a member of Staff, in Build, Carnival, Entertainment, the Coffee Shop, and I was in Reef Knot!", she says. Reef Knot was EIJ's very own band in 2008. On Monday [&hellip...

Looking out over the beautiful vista from the Village Green, the Subcamps are arranged in front of you like a fan of bustling activity. Just around to one side are the lush green flags of Zambezi Subcamp. In the centre you will find a shady and cool(ish) retreat with the friendly subcamp staff waiti...

When you were younger, did you ever want to explore what your older Guide and Scout friends got to experience?  Well, that’s what EIJ in a Day is for! Today we had Guides and Scouts of all ages come along to get an insider into what Essex Jamboree has to offer and by the sounds […]...

Why not take a leisurely stroll down to Mississippi Subcamp, you won’t be out of your depth here. Being the second longest river in America reaching 2,340 metres; you will be in for an adventure for sure!  The gateways of the groups illustrate the variety of continental States and the Canadia...

Whether you are an outdoor enthusiast, a prepper or are just interested in self reliance, the Survival zone is the place for you! This morning, Nile Subcamp tried out the activities. The activities available to participants include fire-lighting, woggle making, knot tying, sumo wrestling and Africa...

By Susie Williams, Kaitlyn Lafferty and Lauren Game  Last night, as the sun was setting behind the stage, the Famous Potatoes blew us away with their accordion skills and dancing prowess. It seems that everyone got the memo to bring flannels, cowboy hats, blow-up farm animals and boots. Did you see...

Have you been down to the land of inflatables and teamwork yet? It’s a knockout has everything you could dream of, inflatable slides, water, dancing and more slides! Did you know it is run by Southend Gang show ASU? They really show it with their dance inn and energy! The song choices are very nos...

Tucked in behind the Soft Rock Café, you’ll find the 14-17 retreat, the part of the camp set aside specifically for our older participants to relax, make friends and try the marvelous mocktails with a river-related twist. Bee, Elsie and Anna from East Reading Explorers are camping on Murray Subca...

A major aspect of this Jamboree is the active participation of Scouts and Guides from overseas. These delegations from across the world would not have been possible without the tireless work of EIJ's International Team, led by Lynne and Louise. They have been answering questions, solving issues, and...

[Content warning, This short advertorial is Toto-lly loaded with bad Soft Rock puns] You certainly won’t have an All-Time Low if you visit the Soft Rock Café. The drinks served are no Cheap Trick. In this Red-Hot (Chilli Peppers?) weather, it’s the perfect occasion to enjoy smoothies and milksh...

If you can't go over it, you have to go under it! Whether you find the prospect of heights scary or exciting, there will be something for everyone at Up & Under! This zone is filled with an abundance of activities for you to enjoy from inflatable obstacle courses, slides, trampolines, zip lines,...

Why not swing on down to the jungle and visit the Amazon subccamp today?  The Amazon Subcamp connects Guides and Scouts from around the world, promoting both the global environment and sustainability. Beautiful gateways, using recycled materials and representations of native animals, decorate the l...

-Susie Williams Seine Subcamp are having a Seinesational time! Bonjour! Seine Subcamp, like the real Seine in France, hosts many Olympic decorations on their gateways. Some using recycled materials, custom fonts and even including their own Peggy (we see you 10th leigh on Sea Guides). 1st Shenfield ...

One of our Activity Zones is not what you would expect for a field near Chelmsford - the Tech Lab focuses on all things techy. Our participants can try out all sorts of technology from morse code to chroma key bluescreen, for presenting the weather. This was the first activity zone for Ganges subcam...

Being a teenager can be really tough. Our brains are changing, and we are put under increasing pressure from schools to succeed, from peers to fit in and even society as a whole. Carla and Romany are braving the heat today to talk about Kids Inspire, a local children’s mental health charity, who o...

Today we have welcomed our 8,000 participants to our site, but did you know there have been members of the build team here for almost a month already? There have been more and more people arriving to help set up our fantastic event every day since the end of June. One of those people is […]...

From 7:00 pm the Subcamps began to make their way into the Main Arena to participate in tonight’s Opening Ceremony. The Essex International Jamboree opening ceremony started off with a rich tenor voice filling the crowd, accompanied by the song ‘We are EIJ’.  The hosts kicked off the even...

Have you signed up for The River Reader? It's the digest of our featured news stories published every evening during EIJ 2024. ⬇️ Scroll down to sign-up The River Reader. ⬇️Archives: https://eij.org.uk/riverreader/...

It’s here! Arrivals Days at Essex International Jamboree 2024. Over 8,000 people have come together to celebrate Guiding and Scouting across the world. With arrivals day in full swing, we spoke to a few groups from four of our Subcamps, who told us about their international and domestic travel exp...

As the sun began to rise above Boyton Cross, the first participants arrived at the entrance to EIJ Way, ready to check-in and pitch up their home-away-from-home for the next 8 days. Guided by EIJ's friendly Stewards, groups from Essex, Norfolk and Ireland passed through the front gate and onto their...

The Essex International Jamboree can trace its roots back nearly 100 years! Back in 1927, Essex held a large Scout Rally at Priory Park in Southend which was visited by the Founder, Robert Baden-Powell, and it is recorded that he received a rousing welcome and was so delighted to see all t...