Camping is at the heart of Scouting and it is important that Leaders are competent and confident to take the Young People in their charge on well organised and well run residentials, camps and expeditions.
To ensure that this is the case the Scouts Association has in place the Nights Away Permit Scheme.
This is a national scheme which ensures that Leaders have the technical skills, experience and personal suitably to take young people away.
You should be able to find all the information you need on this page but if you do need any help on how to proceed, then contact one of the District Nights Away Advisors, listed in the table below.
You can find out how to apply for a Nights Away Permit and what is involved in the assessment process HERE
There are many ways in which you can gain the knowledge but there is only one way to gain experience and that is to play an active part in organising and running residential events. You will also find out whether you have what it takes to organise and run an event. Before you apply for your permit you will have, ideally, been involved in two or three residential events, as part of the team organising and running the event. You should record as much detail of your iinvolvement and experience on the Application Form.
You will need to decide what level of Permit you will be applying for.
There are four categories of permit as defined by POR Rule 9.57
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Indoor – for staying in a building that has built in lighting and cooking facilities, toilets plumbed into a waste disposal system (i.e. a cess pit, storage tank or mains drains) and running drinking water;
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Campsite – for staying at a site that has toilets plumbed into a waste disposal system (eg. a cess pit, storage tank or mains drains) and access to running drinking water;
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Green Field – for staying at any site where any of the above facilities do not exist – for example, a summer camp on a farmer’s field;
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Lightweight Expedition – for staying at any site for not more than one night before moving on.
The core activity is a form of expedition, not residential, and all the equipment is transported with the participants. eg. QSA/DofE hikes, expedition hikes, canoe expeditions.
To see what criteria you will be assessed on, see the Assessment Check List.
When you are ready to apply for your Permit you will need to complete the NA Permit Application Form and contact a Nights Away Advisor of the correct category to carry out the assessment. They are also there to help you with any questions or problems you may have prior to applying. A list of the District NAAs below.
Another great source of information is the Scout publication “Nights Away” which can be obtained from Scout Shops online. It is a very useful resource, full of information to help you run successful events.
To find out more about the Scheme and how it works, take a look HERE