5th Mansfield Explorer Scout Unit (ESU) is one of the most active units within Nottinghamshire, each week the unit meets on a Thursday evening where the programme of activities can range from Bike Maintenance in preparation for Night Biking, one of our favourite winter activities, to kayaking along the River Trent. One of the unit's passions is cooking and we regularly indulge in curry evenings, pancake making, battered mars bar making and have recently been through cookery courses organised by West Notts College. Through the activities that the unit do the explorers are able to get badges and awards Click here to take you to a website which contains lots of information about badges and awards Exploers can gain.

In addition to the weekly meetings the unit also does activities at weekends and during school holidays, these include challenges such as the N.E.S.S.T. Night Hike and County Flag Night Hike and Cooking Competition. We also venture out on day walks and two day expeditions to the Peak District, where the unit practices navigation and map work. Other activities that the unit takes part in are also orienteering competitions, the National Air Rifle Championships at Bisley, Slalom competitions, Dragon Boat Racing and Triathlons. Summer camps that have featured camps in Wales, Norfolk and Cumbria, along with the annual trip to Spain are some of the bigger activities that the explorers take on.

5th Mansfield ESU also forms part of the Robin Hood Rovers Junior Service Crew at Robin Hood Scout Camp on the outskirts of Mansfield. There the unit helps clean and maintain the centre buildings and takes part in conservation work around the campsite, one on the next projects that the junior service crew will be involved in will be to put a new orienteering course in place around the campsite.

In Explorers the Duke of Edinburgh's Award forms a large part of the programme, through this award and working towards the Chief Scout's and Queen Scout's Awards, the explorers have to volunteer for an organisation over a period of time, develop a skill and take part in physical recreation over a period of time. In addition to this the explorers must take part in a number of hiking expeditions over a two, then three, then four day period dependant upon the award level. Click here for more information.

5th Mansfield ESU is run by a dedicated team who organise activities each week and at the weekends. They are; Simon the Explorer Leader, Chris the Assistant Explorer Leader and Matthew an Assistant Scout Leader.

So does this sound fun? If it does and you would like to join in please click here to take you to our downloads page. There, you will be able to download a document called 'An Introduction to Explorer Scouts'. This contains all the relevant information you will need to become a member of the unit.