6th Rugby Scout Group’s European Adventure 2026 supports objectives in Arts, Culture and Heritage
The 6th Rugby Scout Group’s planned European Adventure 2026 (KISC26) offers a powerful opportunity to engage young people in a journey that brings together history, culture, heritage, and creativity through the medium of Scouting. This project does far more than promote outdoor activity and leadership development – it connects young people with Europe’s cultural legacy, encourages international understanding, and inspires creative reflection through lived experience of art, heritage, and shared values.
At its core, this programme supports the aims of arts, culture, and heritage charities: to promote meaningful engagement with cultural traditions, to safeguard and interpret historical heritage, and to nurture global citizenship through shared artistic and cultural experiences. Each stage of the itinerary aligns with these aims in distinct but connected ways.
1. Gilwell Park, London – Heritage and Creative Learning
The project begins at Gilwell Park, the spiritual home of Scouting worldwide. As a site of historical and cultural significance, Gilwell Park embodies over a century of international youth development and civic engagement. Here, Scouts will engage in activities that connect them with the heritage of the Scouting movement – a uniquely British contribution to world culture that has shaped millions of lives. This component will explore heritage interpretation, storytelling, and the preservation of social history. Creative workshops, reflective writing, and group-led presentations will help participants explore how shared traditions and values can be expressed through art and communication, fostering both cultural literacy and self-expression.
2. Beaumont-Hamel, France – Heritage of Remembrance
The visit to the First World War memorials at Beaumont-Hamel and Thiepval deepens the group’s engagement with Europe’s cultural memory. By standing on the battlefields where the Royal Newfoundland Regiment fought, the young people will encounter living history – an experience that connects them across generations and nations. By visiting the Thiepval Memorial to the Missing of the Somme, they will visit the largest British war memorial in the world which commemorates soldiers who died in the Battle of the Somme. This segment encourages creative reflection on remembrance, sacrifice, and peace. Scouts will document their experiences through photography, sketches, and journaling, which will later contribute to a group heritage exhibition on “Youth, Memory, and Service.” The project thus turns remembrance into an active form of cultural participation, enabling young people to understand how art, ritual, and public memorials shape collective identity.
3. Kandersteg International Scout Centre, Switzerland – Living Cultural Exchange
The stay at KISC transforms heritage from a static concept into a living, intercultural dialogue. The Scouts will meet peers from diverse nations, share songs, crafts, stories, and traditions, and collaborate in multilingual, multicultural teams. This is arts and culture in its most human form – the sharing of ideas, performances, and creative play across borders. The Scouts’ daily interactions will help them experience cultural diversity as a source of inspiration and friendship, reinforcing the idea that heritage evolves through exchange and participation.
Through these experiences, the 6th Rugby Scouts will return to the UK not only as stronger individuals but as cultural ambassadors. Their journey will culminate in a community presentation combining photographs, creative writing, and oral storytelling to celebrate their discoveries and to share the heritage of remembrance, cooperation, and creativity with local audiences.
This project will help young people engage directly with Europe’s cultural landscape, and nurture creative expression. This will be a transformative intercultural learning experience.
