So, MCJnr has been picked to go to the World Jamboree in the US in 2019, and I’m sure this has been discussed in previous years.

So there’s the small matter of £3500 to raise, so any experience of successful fundraising activities would be appreciated.

2019 is also his GCSE year -anyone reassure me that preparing for this once in a lifetime trip won’t take over all his revision time

Thanks

MCJnr troop should be the first port of call for this as it is an honour for the unit as well as him.

Oh well done. His GSL or district/county team might be able to assist, certainly it would be useful to link with others in the area that are in a similar position.
Last year some of ours did things like a quiz night, bake sale, ceilidh, and similar. I don’t think bob-a-job’s a thing anymore, but there may be some options there (googling jamboree fundraising is intended as a supportive suggestion).
There’s as much to be gained via the prep as thee is from the trip in my view.

edit, I forgot to reassure you about exams – I am sure that if they were selected, this (and their own resilience) has been taken into account. Don’t worry about it.

Thanks guys – was just wondering what had been tried – bob a jobbing and quiz nights are options we can work around. Troop, group, district and county all seem to be lining up for this, grandparents are offering to help, he’s adamant he wants no presents for Xmas and birthday other than money for it, he already has two small jobs to put some in himself. We alsdo have a couple of charities in the village that support kids doing stuff like this. His younger sister seems keen to help fund getting rid of him for 3 weeks as well!

The exams are just a niggle – he is very bright, capable and resilient, but like me he can be easily distracted when he needs to be knuckling down. I bluffed it through my O levels, ballsed up my A levels, don’t want to see him repeating the sins of his father!

I attended the world scout jamboree in Australia in 87/88 totally amazing experience. I’m still in contact with friends I made back then and it was air mail letters back then so a bit of effort was needed. I was 16 when I went, was in 5th year(Scottish school) got the results I was expected to get, not great but I never was academic.
contact local businesses (business breakfast/lunch groups with a promise to go back and do a presentation afterwards), rotary etc your district/area scouts will know of any local trusts that can help. my scout group had a very active parents section that arranged fundraising race nights, dinner dances(different times). try and involve the other sections in the group with activities relating to the jamboree, helps get those sections parents onboard. some sort of sponsored activity that promotes the skills gained through scouting, again involve the other explorers?? more bodies=more funds. find out if any ex-members of the scout group have “done well” for themselves, they may be more sympathetic to helping out.
MCJnr will have a brilliant time

My son went to the last WSJ in Japan, he had an incredible time and still talks about it.

It was quite a commitment as a parent (mainly dropping him off places, waiting on Sunday evenings outside of far flung scout huts around the district).

The district and troop covered about half of the cost, the remainder was raised via their WSJ patrol.

As a group they bought a candy floss and popcorn machine and went to loads of summer fayres/fetes.

They ran two bonus ball lotteries. Family & friends signed up to a standing order and it was drawn weekly (payout was £25).

They did several bag packing sessions (including a very lucrative Saturday before Christmas stint).

As an individual my son did some car cleaning and general jobs, my mother-in-law (W.I. type) held a coffee morning with raffle and that raised a couple of hundred quid (he helped out with teas/coffees etc).

You will need to budget some weekends for team building/getting to know each other. My son was one of the youngest so exams were not an issue.

It really is a once in a lifetime experience.

Approach local big business?
Many will have funds for donating to good stuff.

Barclays seem to have some sort of scheme where their staff can each nominate a fund raising event and the bank will match the funds raised. Find somebody who works there and sweet talk them to supporting your event. Our school does a bottle raffle at a local fayre (a fairly big one, lots of through traffic) which typically makes £1500 profit (parents are all encouraged to donate a bottle beforehand), our Barclays person matches this to make £3K total. 😀

TheDTs has a good point. Souts are an outdoor version of The Masons, most businesses will have one or two managers that will have benefited from camping and activities.