There will be a minimum of 14 and up to 27 people on each camp, most are completing their DofE Gold Residential section. The camps are often fully subscribed.

As you may know, one of the prime requirements of the residential section, is that there should be a ‘much larger group of people who are unknown to you’. As this event has many attendees, (minimum 14) you can come with others that you know-now up to 50%. Please see the DofE guidance section and link to the DofE Website.

We will split into four small teams for daytime activities. Each team will have a mix of ages and friendship groups and will undertake a different role or activity each day. We will come together for meals and socialising in the evening. We expect everyone to have fun, enjoy themselves but to also learn new skills and forge friendships.

A typical day on camp is relaxed. You will have plenty of time to meet new people, socialise, play games, and enjoy a very quiet and pretty location. We should have a large camping field to ourselves, although Adamswell Scout camp may have other groups elsewhere on site.

If you wish please bring a basic field game with you, we will have bats and balls available for rounders/cricket, badminton, and we set up a slack line and a game of Kubb. The adjacent fields are suitable for an impromptu game of football.

Don’t be worried about meeting new people, everyone will soon muck in together, importantly, you have all chosen to do the Duke of Edinburgh Award at the Gold level, as such you are probably joining like-minded people.

Over the course of 5-days your team will complete all the skills sessions and activities on offer.

One team, having decided the evening meal and considered all dietary requirements, will go into Tunbridge Wells to buy the food and for some sightseeing, after buying food for the evening meal, return to camp for bushcraft and shooting, after tea, prepare the main evening meal. You will be given sufficient cash to pay for the group shopping. Getting to the shops will be by participant’s own initiative, either
using personal car, walking (30 minutes to Sainsbury’s), or bus from the nearby village (10 minutes), if we have bad weather then one of the
instructors will drive the shopping team to town.

Meals can be cooked on gas stoves in the large mess tent, on BBQ’s or on open fires, pretty much determined by weather and menu choice.

One team will be in the private woodland for air rifle target shooting, bushcraft and woodland skills.

Two teams will merge for climbing at the nearby Harrisons Rocks, a natural sandstone outcrop.

On our volunteering day, we will be together for volunteering. For summer 2026 volunteering, we will be removing reedmace and silt from the Decoy Pond and also cutting back invasive rhododendron on the reserve and adjacent woodland. We may also undertake path maintenance on the reserve and clearing Himalayan Balsam from the river Grom.

Although there is a relaxed atmosphere we will have to be at the climbing and volunteering venues at specific times, therefore, each morning will start with breakfast at 8am prompt. Breakfast  is for the whole group, and some early morning socialising, there will be a choice of cereals, brioche rolls & pastries, fruit, toast and marmalade, tea and coffee.

Everyone should be back at camp for afternoon tea and cake. There will be time to catch up with social media before the evening meal and socialising as a group in the evening. Field games, card games, wood carving, lighting Tilly lamps, chat and a campfire is the norm for most evenings.

Phone charging is available and there is a reasonable mobile and 4G signal. We also have access to fridges and freezers. We will have a large mess tent; this will be used primarily for cooking and only used as a whole group in the event of bad weather. We also have a couple of large bell tents, useful for socialising and meals. Whenever the weather allows, we will eat and socialise outside. Some activities could be affected by inclement weather, alternative indoor activities could be substituted, e.g. swimming, indoor bowls, cinema etc.

We will be using some adjacent privately owned woodland for bush craft, conservation activities, placing IR wildlife cameras and air-rifle shooting.

If you want to, you can spend some time building a shelter to sleep in or bring a hammock and sleep in the open woodland. A basic, long drop toilet is on site in the woodland.

Adamswell Scout campsite is well appointed with field taps, new toilets and showers were installed at the end of 2023.

You do not need to bring a large amount of spending cash. You may want to buy a few treats on the day you do the shopping run to Tunbridge Wells. All meals, food, camping fee and activities are included in the price.

We often have undergraduates or postgraduates worried that they will be surrounded by Y12 students! Don’t worry, there should be a fair mix of age ranges, from a variety of backgrounds, coming from towns and villages around England and Wales. In 2024 and 2025, we had participants completing the International Award from Dubai and Qatar.

The camps start on different days of the week, this should help to accommodate participants who work and will keep to a minimum the number of days annual leave they need to book.

If you are attending with friends, you can also choose to book a 3m bell tent, there is a small extra charge for these luxurious tents, more room, headroom and a floor covering. Great fun and creating lasting memories.

Day 1

09.00

Tunbridge Wells Station collection or arrival the evening before is fine. Please arrange this before the day. No additional charge for these options.

10:00

• Arrival at Base camp, Adamswell Scout Campsite/Morris Woods (If you have a long journey or are delayed, please letus know-we can arrange a slightly later arrival time)
• Move to camping Field.
• Welcome talk and site tour
• Set up tents (on first camp of the season) or take over a vacated tent if on a subsequent camp
• Go over Risks associated with planned activities, how to risk assess and minimise the risk of accidents
  
• Dinner group – visit Tunbridge Wells and shopping trip

Lunch: Bread, sandwich fillings, crisps, biscuits. Hot and cold drinks

Skills workshop:

• Safe use of woodland tools, axes, saws
• Safe use of wood carving tools
• Lighting and refuelling Tilly Lamps
• Place IR Wildlife cameras

Free time, tea and cake

18:00: Whole Group Dinner together

• Free time and social

Days 2, 3 & 4

08:00

• Whole Group Breakfast

09:00

Off-site groups depart

• One day climbing 
• One day bushcraft 
• One day volunteering 
• Dinner group – visit Tunbridge Wells and shopping trip. 
• Off-site activities include Climbing, shooting & bushcraft

(Lunch as above)

Free time, tea and cake

18:00: Whole Group Dinner 

• Clear away
• Collect and view IR camera 

Day 5

08:00

• Breakfast

09:00

• Start breaking camp and packing
• Clean tents and move onto fresh grass (Or pack away and return borrowed tents)

10:00

• Next course participants arrive and start their residential.
• Leavers- Activities not yet completed – if previously delayed by poor weather.
• Lunch All make their own lunch, additional snacks for those with long journeys home.
  
  

(Lunch as above)

15:00

• Depart – Earlier departure by prior arrangement if long journeys are to be completed

Please bring walking boots, these are more comfortable in the woods and will protect your feet better than trainers. Boots and thick socks will be a lot warmer. On the climbing day please wear trainers or climbing shoes, not boots, as these can damage the fragile sandstone rock.

Use experience gained from your expedition to bring essential items, particularly if arriving on public transport.

Personal clothing for 5 days: 

• Strong soled walking boots and trainers, (rock climbing shoes/harness/helmet if owned)
• Socks and underwear for 5 days
• Trousers and long sleeve shirt for evening use (if cooler) 
• T shirts 
• Fleece/jumper 
• Waterproof jacket with hood 
• Waterproof over-trousers 
• Night wear 
• Swimsuit – unlikely, but this may be an alternative poor weather activity 

Flip flops/crocs for camp, pool and shower use

Personal Kit: 

• Duffel bag or Rucksack
• Day Bag
• 2/3 Season sleeping bag
• Sleeping mat 
• Work gloves – rigger type. Cheap canvas or leather, not plastic. For use when volunteering, campfires, and when working with tools. 
• Personal first aid items/personal medication 
• Bug/insect repellent 
• Watch/mobile phone/battery pack 
• Small quantity of cash 
• Notebook and pen or pencil 
• Head torch 
• 1 litre water bottle 
• Knife, fork, spoon; plate, mug and bowl 
• Toiletry bag (toothpaste, tooth brush, shower gel, flannel, towel) 
• Sun hat (wide brim) / 50+ sun cream 
• Tea towel 
• Binoculars, if you have a pair available to you. No need to buy for this camp 
• Small pocketknife/pen knife – not to be taken off site. 
• Digital camera 
• Boardgame, cards, dice, dominoes, scrabble, twister etc. Please bring just one game to use in the evening. 
• Folding type camp chair 

• A good book to read. It might rain for 5 days! 
• Bird, flora, fauna field guides (if you have them)
• If you have a hammock and tarp and want to use them, then please bring them. Plenty of trees to set up among.
  
  

Please contact us if you require any clarification or would like some kit advice.

• Have fun! This will be a relaxing week; however, everyone will play an important part in keeping the camp running smoothly.
• Be nice to others as they will be to you.
• This is a no smoking campsite, please do not bring tobacco or vaping items.
• The river Grom runs through the Scout campsite, whilst this attracts a lot of wildlife and is quite pretty, please be aware that in places the riverbank is steep, the water is of variable depth and comes, in the main, from the nearby town of Tunbridge Wells – best keep out of it!
• There should not be a need to consume alcohol. Please do not bring any with you.
• There are no near neighbours to the private woodland, however, unnecessary noise and music is …not necessary!
• The Scout site does have a near neighbour, quiet hours are between 10.30pm and 7am. You can sit around the campfire until late and chat but be respectful of others who may be asleep, and remember, be ready for breakfast at 8am.
• Please do not bring Bluetooth or smart speakers, we will have a speaker available, anyone who wishes to, can connect to this.
• We expect decent standards of behaviour throughout the week, in the event anyone feels they cannot adhere to acceptable standards then they will be asked to make their way home. This has never happened!
• Safety of visitors and instructors is of paramount importance. You must be aware of your surroundings, particularly when carrying out camp duties such as sawing or chopping wood, refuelling, and lighting tilly lamps, cooking on the open fires.
• When taking part in activities such as shooting and climbing, you must follow all instructions given by the instructor leading the activity.
• You will be issued with a hi vis vest at the start of the camp, you must wear this if walking along any road in the vicinity of Adamswell campsite or Broadwater Forest.
• Please use the hand sanitiser available in the mess tent.

Please see the latest issue of the official DofE guidance for the residential section of the Gold Award

The aims and principles of the residential section remain unchanged. However, so that this section becomes more accessible the have been a few changes:

1. Participants must be away from home for a minimum of five days and four nights. These should be consecutive but can be split into two blocks within 12 months. High Safari residentials can accommodate this, you can choose to attend any two camps each time attending for 3-days and 2-nights
   
2. Participants should be in an unfamiliar residential setting
   
3. Participants must stay in shared accommodation with their group for the entire residential. This should not include staying with friends or relatives. For some young people, staying overnight is a barrier they are unable to overcome. In this circumstance, DofE Operations Officers can support you to explore all potential flexibilities before looking at the option of the participant returning home to sleep
   
4. Shared activities should take place during the day and the evening and must be purposeful, group-based, and unpaid. These may include training courses, environment and conservation projects, volunteering or be activity-based
   
5. The majority of participants should be unknown to each other. Although not a target, you can know up to 50% of participants
   
6. Groups should have at least five people, including the participant. We have a minimum attendance of 10 with an initial maximum of 14 on each camp
   
7. The majority of staff should be unknown to participants
   
8. Participants should research suitable activities, discuss their interests with their DofE Leader, and follow any pre-activity instructions
   
9. The Licensed Organisation must approve the planned residential and the named Assessor in advance. Participants must gain your DofE Leader’s approval through eDofE. The Named Assessor will be Chris Morris
   
10. Flexibilities are available to ensure that participants with specific individual needs can access a residential. Participants can request downtime away from activities. Carers are allowed. Participants with specific individual needs can attend with their Leaders
    

Any flexibilities should be in keeping with the Guiding Principles of the aim, principles and outcomes of the Residential section. The flexibilities should also reflect a participant’s individual needs and should be discussed and agreed before approval.

For some young people, staying overnight is a barrier they are unable to overcome. In this circumstance, DofE Operations Officers can support you to explore all potential flexibilities before looking at the option of the participant returning home to sleep.

Last Section to Complete the Award

You can claim a discount of 10% if this is the final section to complete the Gold Award. That is, volunteering, physical, skills and expedition sections completed.

If you are eligible for the 10% discount, the amount to pay is reduced to £198.00.

Please send a laptop/computer screen shot of your eDofE home screen showing that the three activity sections and the expedition have been completed.

Ensure your ID number is visible in the screen grab, and that the sections show completed not submitted. The cut off to claim the discount is two weeks before the camp to allow for administration purposes.

Bursaries

High Safari will be making one place available, on each camp, at no cost to the participant or their family. The recipient will enjoy the same range of activities as everyone else on the camp.

Please speak to your DofE Manager if you are interested in the bursary placement. The DofE Manager should have the details, or they can email/phone me for further information. This offer is limited to one place, on each of the nine camps, in July and August 2026.

The applicant should be actively pursuing their award completion and must have completed 2 or the 3 activity sections with the remaining section ‘In progress’.

The booking form should be completed and sent by email from the DofE Managers email address, this should be a work (School or organisation) email and not personal. The DofE Manager should confirm that a bursary place is warranted.

Bursary applications are treated in strict confidence and will not be discussed with anyone during the camp.

Group Booking

Attending with a few friends is great and creates memorable shared experiences. We can offer a 10% discount if you are attending with at least 3 friends, (not necessarily from the same unit) –A 10% discount means you each pay £198.00. You can share transport to keep costs down. All must book to attend the same camp.