More than 100,000 over 18s are members of Scouting and Girlguiding in the UK, and some of them are right here in Bangor! Whether you’re already a member, or completely new to the organisations, BUGS allows you to either continue your involvement whilst at university or discover something completely new altogether.
We meet several times a month to do all sorts of activities, from walking and light painting to bell-ringing and backwards cooking, as well as socials and nights out – if there’s something new you want to try, we can do it! Throughout the year we go on several camps, including our annual Fresher’s camp, and Christmas sleepover, as well as joint walking weekends with Sheffield University’s group, StinGS.
Student Scouting and Guiding
As members of SSAGO, the Student Scouting and Guiding Organisation, we’re linked with universities up and down the country. Several times a year large camps (“rallies”), and one formal ball, are organised for all members – not only are these great ways to meet plenty of other students and escape from the stresses of uni work, there are also tons of activities on offer. This summer Bangor plays host to the final rally of the year, which will see over 100 Scouts and Guides descending on the city for an adventure packed weekend.
Next years events will see us heading down to Cardiff, Bristol and Southampton, as well as possible joint camps with Sheffield and Aberystwyth, and Witan, an international camp held every four years for SSAGO members which is being held in Berlin during the summer.
Community
Many of our members help out with groups all across North Wales, and we were recently awarded the Student Union’s “Community Award” for the work we do. For anyone who’s looking to get involved with volunteering we can help put you in touch with local groups, and support you through your leader training. Don’t worry if you can’t commit to helping regularly, as there are many events throughout the year who would be grateful for any time you can give, including the upcoming Menai Bridge Raft Run and Bangor Carnival.
International
This summer sees several of us jetting off to Japan to support the 23rd World Scout Jamboree, which will see over 30,000 under 18’s from 162 countries come together to experience different cultures and build international relationships. Over the next few years there are opportunities to attend many different international events, such as Roverway in France, FinnJamboree in Finland, and the World Scout Moot in Iceland.
If this sounds like something you’d be interested in we can be found on Facebook “BUGS – Bangor University Guides and Scouts” and Twitter @bangorbugs!
