Girl Guides at Olave International Camp

A small group from the 10th Gzira Company, accompanied by their leaders, Carmen Bonello and M'Claire Simler, represented Malta at Olave 2002 International Camp at Backland Farm, surrounded by the famous Ashwood Forest in Sussex, England.

Olave International camps are held every four years by the East-bourne Division. The first was held in 1989 to celebrate the birth centenary of Lady Olave Baden-Powell - first Chief Guide of the Girl Guide Movement. Malta was also represented at that camp and again in 1997.

Olave 2002 was a memorable camp under tents with a number of interesting activities - archery, abseiling, canoeing, zip wire, forest walk, mountain biking and much more.

Camp saw the participation of 650 Guides from Russia, Canada, USA, Ghana, Kenya, Japan, Hungary, Kuwait, Zimbabwe, India, Malaysia, Nigeria, Taiwan, Uganda, Malta and England.

Participants were under nine subcamps bearing names of famous explorers or travellers and a different colour neckerchief identified each subcamp.

Our group belonged to Yuri Gagarin (Soviet cosmonaut, who on April 12, 1961, became the first person to orbit the Earth) wearing a pink neckerchief.

A week of international friendship and shared experiences among lovely greenery and beautiful scenery. A weekend of home hospitality with English families followed. Finally three days were spent in Croydon and London visiting places of interest.