North Wales Police funding
CONWY CAMP: District Commissioner Jim Pitts and PCC Andy Dunbobbin with Scouts at Rowen (Image: Mandy Jones)
Historic Conwy Scout camp benefits from cash seized from criminals
Funds from the North Wales Police fund are being used to maintain the oldest dedicated scout campsite in Wales.
Our Cubs had a very special visitor during their Scout camp at Rowen. The North Wales Police and Crime Commissioner visited Conwy District Scouts to learn more about the group and their activities.
PCC Andy Dunbobbin was keen to know how funds from the Your Community, Your Choice initiative were being used in Rowen’s camp maintenance project. Funding comes partly from cash seized from criminals, putting funds back into the community for the benefit of all.
Situated in the beautiful Conwy Valley, Rowen (Gwersyll Parc Mawr) opened in 1931 and was Wales’s first dedicated scout campsite. It is central to the provision of scouting activities, not only in Conwy but also for groups across North Wales, with the site booked year-round.
The building that now stands at the heart of the site was relocated to its current location after the Second World War. It was one of the original prefabricated buildings used during the construction of Mulberry Harbour at Conwy Morfa for the D-Day landings.
While at the camp, the cubs cook on wood fires and sleep in tents. Funding from Your Community, Your Choice has been used to purchase a wood-burning stove for the camp headquarters building.
During his visit, the Commissioner met District Commissioner Jim Pitts and Cub leader of the 1st Conwy Cub Pack and camp warden, Ray Castle. 1st Conwy Scouts, founded in 1910, is one of the world’s oldest scout groups, and the Commissioner was delighted to watch Cubs taking part in an archery instruction session.
Jim Pitts said, “We enjoyed welcoming the PCC to Rowen. Our project to maintain and improve the campsite supports our aim to equip young people with skills for life.
“The experience of camping develops individual qualities, such as self-resilience, appreciation of nature, teamwork, friendship and respect for the environment. Scouting actively engages all our young people in their personal development, empowering them to make a positive contribution to society.”
Over the past 10 years, the Your Community, Your Choice fund has awarded more than £500,000 to more than 150 projects in the area. It supports grass-roots projects and is supported by the North Wales Police and Community Trust (PACT) and North Wales Police.
Funding for Your Community, Your Choice comes partly from money seized by the courts under the Proceeds of Crime Act, with the rest from the Police and Crime Commissioner.
PCC Andy Dunbobbin said: “It was a pleasure to visit Rowen and to see the historic campsite, which has played such a pivotal role in the story of scouting in the UK. As both a former Cub and Scout myself, I am pleased to be able to support the ongoing improvement of the camp, so that even more Cubs and Scouts can enjoy its facilities.”
