Meet the Other Phone. Protection built in.

Meet the Other Phone.
Protection built in.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Other subjects

How much would you expect to pay for a scout camp? £250???!!!

25 replies

mooseloose · 24/01/2009 17:58

A week in August in tents, this country - £250!!!

To include camping, activities, travel and food!

I think it's very expensive - do you?

OP posts:
madwomanintheattic · 24/01/2009 17:59

i'd want mainland europe for that tbh... unless it is no holds barred jamboree type thing, with tons of cool activities on offer... if it's a field with a bucket for a loo i'd be asking nicely to see their accounts...

FAQtothefuture · 24/01/2009 18:01

insurance and trasnport aren't usually too cheap.

scienceteacher · 24/01/2009 18:01

Do they give you a breakdown of the costs?

Doodle2U · 24/01/2009 18:02

Most of that will be paying for the coach or fuel for the minibus I bet.

How many scouts are going?

Economies of scale, we've found - more scouts, cheaper all round.

spook · 24/01/2009 18:03

Is this Wings? 1st August? DS1 is going on this and its costing £165.
There are allsorts of fundraisers going on all year to help with costs and we're in Newcastle so its a long travel too.
So, in answer to your question, yes! I do think thats very expensive.

madwomanintheattic · 24/01/2009 18:04

having a little titter to myself here as i've realised in the last 30 seconds that i'm forcking out £120 for a three day school trip, with none of the above lol. maybe £250 is about average lol, it just seems a lot!

madwomanintheattic · 24/01/2009 18:04

forcking?
ach, y'know what i mean...

VampiresWalkin · 24/01/2009 18:05

If it is WINGS then go for it - I know it is a lot of money, but it is one of the best experiences of my childhood.

scienceteacher · 24/01/2009 18:06

We have always found that school trips (independent, so no subsidies) are about £250 for a week. This is to a centre (sleeping in dorms) with centre staff running the activities.

If you are paying wages of staff, then the price isn't going to be cheap.

MarmadukeScarlet · 24/01/2009 18:21

DD's Brownies go on a 5 day pack camp, staying in dorms at an 'outward bound' type place (rock climbing, abseiling etc) staying in wooden lodges with dorms/bunks.

We drop and collect, all clothing provided for them (really, special tracksuits, shorts, skirts etc - all pretty horrid basic, but it saves the I've got better jeans than you nonsense) apart from uniform.

£60.

MaureenMLove · 24/01/2009 18:27

How much do you think it would cost per person, for a week in August, in a tent then? Including travel, food and a weeks worth of activities, I don't think you'd get much change out of £250 tbh.

fluffles · 24/01/2009 18:29

i am a guider, i'd say that a lot of that amount will be transport and also for that money i'd expect activities that require specialist instructors - rock climbing, canoeing, things like that.

if it's a big multi-troop camp with kids from all over then i am pretty sure you'll find the activities will be EXCELLENT and your kids will have the time of their lives.

if it's just the troop going away then that sounds a lot of money to me.

CuttySark · 24/01/2009 18:31

Yes I think it is quite expensive and especially for families with more than one child going to camp.
Do they do bag-packs or anything to raise funds and bring the cost down?

stitch · 24/01/2009 18:43

i dont think we have ever paid more than 150. that was for a week long, action packed camping trip.

Doodle2U · 24/01/2009 19:14

Am wondering as well - is your GROUP subsidising in any way? Our Scout Group is reasonably well off, due mainly to a superb fundraiser we do each year - bedding plants. We sell £12k worth of plants and make £4k profit.

As a result, our central funds are quite healthy, so any trips and camps are heavily subbed.

VampiresWalkin · 24/01/2009 20:02

Have we established if it is Wings or summat yet?

mooseloose · 24/01/2009 20:19

Sorry - couldnt get on computer - taken over by the wii!

No it's not wings. One of the scout association sites. Approx min of ten scouts going I've just found the website and looked - £4 per night (tent). The various activities cost £40 ish each (i guess to take over the whole thing for an hour, like zip wires) . Even if they do ten activities, and effectively pay for one each, thats just another £6 per day each. Total £10. So a difference of £25 ish for food? They usually go in the leaders cars. I know they have one day to the town planned. So i cant see how its worked out! He is going on an explorere camp to wales soon, for a weekend, and that is £40 all in, inside accomodation with activities!

OP posts:
serin · 24/01/2009 21:13

IME (guider), the food and activities at Guide/Scout camps are incomparable to the utter rubbish provided by the centres that schools use.

We use really, really good quality ingredients and make sure the kids all get their five a day! and milk/smoothies/juice to drink. My DD has just returned from a school trip to Wales and did not get offerred one piece of fruit the whole time she was away, the adventure bit consisted of one go on a zip wire, (cost £140 for 3 nights).

Talk to the leaders, if you feel this is too expensive then other parents will probably be thinking the same thing, the leaders will want to know this then they can fundraise towards the cost or book something cheaper next time.

mooseloose · 24/01/2009 22:40

I'm under the impression that they are doing their own cooking as usual!

They did a bag pack a couple of years ago to fund raise towards camp, but the leaders said that the fund raising rules stated that the money raised had to be shARED between all 20 scouts not just the 12 going to camp! So that was a waste of time!

OP posts:
biscuitsmustbedunkedintea · 25/01/2009 20:59

DH is a Scout Leader and I am the "silent scout leader" so have a lot of experience of organising camps (approx 12yrs)

Initially both DH and I agree this seems expensive. Last years camp for us was £190 per child, and unfortunatly this year we will have to put the price up to £210 as we no longer have access to a van for kit transportation. We take approx 20 scouts away and yes more children equals cheaper cost. For example the cost of an activity is often per hour and therefore cheaper for a Troop of 20 than one of just 10. Things to take into account when costing a camp

Site fees - As you've obviously researched £2.50-£4 per person per night. And thats for all campers so include Leaders
Activity costs - Some activities are recomended to last 2 hours not just one, or the Scout Leader will prefer to do a longer session
Food - we try for £4.50 per person per day. We've learnt not all "Value" brands work well when cooked over open flame so some food is more expensive
Transport - Hire of minibus is our main cost. If Leaders are transporting then you won't have that cost but expect 40p per mile for petrol. How is the Kit getting there? Van hire again is expensive
Running costs - Gas for the cooker, expect to pay £20 per bottle. Lanterns run on Petrol, and again fuel needed for cars that have to go out to do daily shopping.
Recce visit - The Scout Association insist that you visit the campsite before camping there. You need to check the suitability of the site/activities, suss out the nearest Supermarket/Petrol Station/Hospital
Hiring of kit - we don't have a big enough marquee for our Troop so hire one in from another one. If your Troop don't need to hire any in, money may be put towards the upkeep of the Kit.
Cost for the Day Out - Sounds like your Troop have a cheap day out. We tend to go to a theme park, again cost of which is included.
Leaders - The total cost of camp will include Leaders. We don't take part in activities but still pay site fees and food for them all. Leaders take a week off work voluntarily and therefore we don't expect them to pay for their food. (however any extras like "nice" snacks and beer for when the kids go to bed come out of our own pocket)

We went to France 3 years ago, the cost of which was going to be large so we took part in fundraising (bag packing/car wash/race night). All Scouts helped out wether they were going or not and the money raised went in the Camp money pot. Any International camp, like I guess Wings is, will be expensive for the overheads such as phone costs and possibly paying staff to man a main "office". It's why DH refuses to take our Troop on one.

As my DH has just said to me, if you are still a little at cost, ask the Leader to justify it. He is more than happy to show any parents who ask, our Excel chart showing the breakdown of cost.

We've personally found that our local Schools offer similar trips to ours for the same cost but for only 3 days compatred to our 7. They have to cover staff salaries.

We do offer weekend camps during the year too, no activities just backwoods style of camping, for just £15.

Hope all this helps

mooseloose · 25/01/2009 21:25

Thanks Biscuits (great name ). Thats really helpful. They have their own tents, a marquee and a trailer. I'd anticipated petrol, but not thought about gas, just the food.

I appreciate your long reply, it was really useful. i think I will take your advice and ask them about it. thanks

OP posts:
biscuitsmustbedunkedintea · 25/01/2009 21:33

Glad I could help. This post did make my hackles rise a little at first because every year we worry about how much camp will cost, but then the more I read the more I realised many people don't know the true breakdown of the cost. Posting this I hope will give parents more of an insight into costings of activities.

Both DH and I would be interested in their reply, as obviously we only know how we cost things, and would love to know how much another Troop budgets for things.

mooseloose · 25/01/2009 21:48

Well last years was £140! They said the increase was due to rising costs!

OP posts:
biscuitsmustbedunkedintea · 25/01/2009 22:03

You what?! Something not right there methinks

Look forward to their explanation

ScoutLeaderJim · 28/03/2018 18:37

Hey guys,
I'm a scout leader and £250 seems like the higher end, but definitely within belief of a camp cost.
Remember, as well as camp fees and activity costs there's insurance, equipment hire, food, minibus hire, van hire, fuel costs, instructor fees etc. Plus if they stay in a cabin rather than a tent then that's about five times the cost of the camping fees.
If anyone is interested, I'm happy to share the costings of the summer camp I'm organising.

New posts on this thread. Refresh page