There was no time to snore at Burn 24!

This past weekend (Saturday 30 May), Crawfordsburn Activity Centre came alive for one of the biggest events in the Scouts NI calendar – BURN 24!

With more than 500 Scouts, Explorers, volunteers and activity instructors from across Northern Ireland in attendance, the challenge was simple: stay awake for 24 hours and give everything a go. And they delivered.

From the moment the event kicked off, there was no shortage of energy. Young people threw themselves into a packed programme of activities, from skills bases and adventurous challenges to creative competitions and high-energy evening entertainment.

24 hours packed with action

The event kicked off with a welcome at 9:45am, before young people launched straight into a full day of skills bases and activity zones. From late morning through to the afternoon, the focus was on trying new things, learning new skills and getting stuck in.

After a well-earned BBQ dinner, the evening programme kicked into high gear. Across the site, there was something for everyone, with a disco running from 7-11pm, alongside a drum circle, craft tents and a cinema room.

The campfire, held between 8-9pm, brought everyone together and was one of the standout moments of the evening. Led by Richard and Jason Morrow and Jack Fry, it was full of energy, songs and laughter. Even Chief Volunteer Stephen Bell got involved and took it all in good spirits when a bucket of water was tipped over his head. He was joined by Scott Robinson (Lead Volunteer for Volunteering) and Emma Weir (NI Youth Team Lead), adding to the atmosphere and fun.

Keeping going through the night

As the night rolled on, the energy kept building.

After supper, the midnight gameshow (12-2am) brought plenty of laughs and friendly competition, before the ever-popular Taskmaster challenge (2-4am) took over. Led by Joshua Cripps as Taskmaster and Kayleigh Finlay as the Taskmaster’s Assistant, it was full of creativity, chaos and ‘good craic’. Congratulations to Kraken Explorers, who took the win.

Earlier in the evening, the quiz, led by Matthew Doyle and Grace Owens with support from members of the Youth Team, saw 1st Islandmagee come out on top.

At 4am, while most people would be fast asleep, the event was still in full swing with a charity fair, raising over £1500 – a huge achievement and a testament to the commitment of everyone involved. The funds raised will be split between Inspire, who also supported the event by creating a mindfulness space on site, and The Buck Eejits, who are heading to the World Scout Jamboree in Poland next year.

The ducks

One of the highlights of the event was the duck design challenge as part of Taskmaster, which showcased the creativity and talent of Scouts from across Northern Ireland. The display of ducks quickly became a focal point of the camp.

Choosing winners was incredibly tough, but:

• Winner: Ozzy Osbourne duck by Eva (Hydra Explorers)
• Runner-up: Gizmo by Arya (81st Belfast)

The standard of entries impressed everyone!

From sunrise to the finish line

As morning arrived, participants headed to the beach for water activities, sports and beach challenges from 7-10am, including canoeing, paddleboarding, rafting, snorkelling and sandcastle building – all overseen by the Coastguard.

Finally, at 10am, after a full 24 hours of activity, the event came to a close.

A place to belong

Event organiser and Lead Volunteer for Programme, Peter Wilson, summed it up best:

“To see 400 Scouts aged 11–17, supported by 100 volunteers and instructors coming together to learn new skills, try new activities, make friends and have fun is what Scouting is all about. It really gives them a place to belong.”

BURN 24 wasn’t just about staying awake. It brought young people together from across Northern Ireland to try new things, challenge themselves and create lasting memories.

Because in Scouts, there’s always something happening… and sometimes, there’s just no time to snore.

Special thanks to Peter Wilson for submitting the story and to Lee Walker for capturing the weekend as our photographer.