By Ela Drewett

What do you get when you take a very large field in Essex, add over 10,000 people and throw in a whole lot of excitement, adventure, fun and friendship? The answer’s easy – Essex International Jamboree (EIJ).  

Scouts and Guides from Essex, the rest of the UK and across the world gathered in Kirby-le-Soken for an action packed week at the end of July 2008. Looking back now it is clear that everyone had the time of their lives.

The success of EIJ was irrefutably down to huge number of people that headed up and worked on the many staff teams. From Site Services to Security and Entertainments to Media and Communications, EIJ had them all. In many ways, it is the staff members who are every Jamboree’s unsung heroes.

Justin Mullender. Head of Marketing & Communications (Marcomms) is one such unsung hero. He has been working for years to ensure that this year’s EIJ was unforgettable. “I personally wanted to make this event the biggest and best EIJ,” said Justin, “it takes a lot of people a lot of hours to organise but I always had confidence that it would be the best as well as the biggest UK County event. We have a number of skilled and experienced staff members who all contributed so much and really made it happen.”

Some might think that spending a week in a sunny field in Essex doesn’t sound much like hard work, but Justin and his staff had a few challenges to overcome. Justin explains: “Having a fully functioning broadband and networked Media Centre, operating a radio station, daily newspaper, website, communication system, video editing suite and an internet café in a field is no easy feat. The Site Services team made it all work, much like they do for the rest of the site. Without them we wouldn’t have a Jamboree.”

International Jamborees seem to have a magical and irresistible appeal to young people, and in Essex they are eagerly anticipated by Scouts and Guides alike. The time that is spent camping, eating, playing, dancing and living together forges lasting friendships and creates memories that will last a lifetime. “The Essex International Jamboree is something that all youngsters in Essex will have the opportunity to take part in at some stage, said Justin. “I have good memories of being involved in previous events, visiting as a Cub Scout and taking part as a Scout. It has marked out some important moments in my life, meeting my wife, then getting engaged four years later at the Jamboree. Getting involved now means I can give something back to an event that means so much to me.”

Although working on, or in Justin’s case heading up, a staff team means that you have to put in a lot of effort, it is always the case that you get back so much more then you put in. EIJ has been showered by a host of magical memories that staff members will treasure for the rest of their lives. For Justin, there are many, but his top two are: “sitting back after the first few days and being contented that the whole Jamboree team were making it all happen,”

 “I also felt very touched during the final hour of Jungle Radio when both participants and Heads of Department were reflecting on the success of the event. Sometimes you get involved in the bigger picture and it always surprises me when what you’ve contributed make a big impression on the thousands of people at the event.”

When it comes down to uniting strangers, there is no better place than a Jamboree to build camaraderie and lasting friendships, Justin explains: “You can take a group of people who don’t know each other and they work together and create firm friendships and teams, it’s brilliant watching that happen. I guess it also reminds me of why I have a passion for being involved in Jamborees.”
International Jamborees are one of the most uniting and exciting events in the Scouting and Guiding Calendar. They are an opportunity for likeminded people, from every corner of the globe, to come together to learn from each other and to share in an experience that unites everyone involved.
If you would like to find out more about Scouting, please follow the link to http://scouts.org.uk/join/ or Guiding please follow the link to http://www.girlguiding.org.uk/join/