Some €250,000 of site facilities at this weekend’s Oxegen music festival in Punchestown will be left behind for 12,500 scouts to enjoy next month as part of an international jamboree event at the Co Kildare venue, it was revealed today.
Scouting Ireland will be hoping revellers at Oxegen are on their best behaviour as music promoter MCD is donating lighting, shower, toilet, tent, tracking and other infrastructure to the charity to cater for its biggest ever gathering of national and international scouts here.
Scouting Ireland is celebrating the 100th anniversary of scouting on the island this year and from August 2nd - 10th young people from Ireland and elsewhere will take part in the historic jamboree.
About 150 scouts are also in attendance at the Oxegen festival this weekend, helping music fans with their tents.
Fans will be charged €5 for assistance and expertise and the money will be split between Scouting Ireland and the Salvation Army.
Separately, an initiative between Scouting Ireland and a charity associated with RTÉ broadcaster Marian Finucane was launched this morning.
The Get Knotted campaign involves public knot-tying demos and members of the public are being asked to donate €2 or more to help young vulnerable people in Africa.
It is hoped that up to €500,000 will be raised for Ms Finucane’s charity Friends in Ireland, said Scouting Ireland’s Pauline Lucas.