Nights Away Weekender

Pricing for the 2026 Great Tower event:

• Standard ticket includes camping, self-catering, all workshops and an event badge for £40 per person
• Saturday only ticket, including workshops and an event badge for £25 per person
• Accommodation can be upgraded on a first come, first served basis to shared indoor bunk rooms (with up to 4 people) for £29 per person which includes the Friday and Saturday night.
• Catering can be included which includes all meals from Friday night supper to Sunday Lunch for £30 per person

*When purchasing your ticket online, please ensure your billing details are correct. Incorrect details will lead to an error code on checkout. 

Online booking for this event is open!

Friday 6th to Sunday 8th November 2026, with a day only option on Saturday 7th November. 

Nights Away Weekender is taking place at:

Scout Adventures Great Tower, Birks Road, Newby Bridge, Cumbria LA23 3PQ

Check-in will be located at Scout Adventures reception, open from 17:00 until 20:00 on Friday. 

You must check in as soon as you arrive and before starting to pitch your camp.

If arriving Saturday morning, check in will be at 8.30am. 

Nights Away Weekender is a camping event. All pitches are allocated first-come first-served. 

Please keep your camp size to a minimum to help us fit everyone in. Please don’t erect fences or save space for others arriving later. 

Please keep paths, marked emergency access and any other zones closed off or signposted clear. Leave a distance of 1 m clear between tents, and 3 m around buildings and toilet blocks for emergencies and servicing. 

Attendee vehicles will not be allowed onto campsites at any times and all gates will be closed.

To ensure everyone has an enjoyable stay, please remember the following: 

• Everyone’s welcome at Scouts – be respectful of other people around you.
• Don’t walk through other people’s pitches and respect their privacy.
• Washing up should be done in outdoor sinks or at your campsite, not inside toilet blocks.
• Please report any damage or other issues at reception so we can make it safe or fix it.
• Please respect the centre by using the bins and leaving facilities as you found them.
• Quiet hours on camping fields are from 22:30 until 07:30. Please turn off generators and avoid disturbing others.

We strongly advise you to review your fire risk assessment and bring suitable firefighting equipment with you (eg a fire blanket and extinguisher) as appropriate. Here are some tips to reduce the risk: 

• Open fires and BBQs are not permitted due to the nature of the event, and in case of, dry weather.
• Camping stoves with cartridges must not be changed inside tents or near naked flames.
• All gas bottles should be kept outside of tents and away from naked flames.
• Any cooking equipment should be placed away from any canvas or other flammable materials.
• Gas pipes and regulators should be checked regularly.
• All areas should be kept tidy and free of combustible materials.
• Fuel must be stored safely and in containers no larger than 5 litres. Fuel containers should be stored in a ventilated metal box capable of holding the contents in the event of a leak or spillage.
• A fire extinguisher should be located next to every generator. 

There are a few simple things that you can do to help keep you and others safe during the event: 

• If you see anything you think might be a hazard, please report it to a member of staff or at Scout Adventures reception. Be conscious of your own wellbeing and safety, and look out for others.
• Complete a risk assessment for your own camping area and equipment, especially cooking equipment. 
• Be prepared! If you're walking around after dark, take a torch.

This weekend is practical, creative and packed with real-world learning, with a mix of practical hands-on outdoor sessions and relaxed indoor theory workshops.

You’ll dip into workshops that help you grow your confidence and stretch your skills. 

Please note, workshops will be confirmed soon. You will be sent a link to choose these once confirmed. 

Catering is available to pre-book as an optional extra and will be provided by our Scout Adventures team in the Bield.

You'll need to bring your confirmation (on a phone or printed is fine) to be able to access each meal.  

Our caterers are only able to cater for allergies and the dietary requirements you selected when booking your meals. We are not able to provide for preferences or tastes.   

Please remain vigilant and report anything suspicious to a member of staff.

Keep valuables at home if you can, and keep anything you do bring in-sight or on your person.

Our on-site shop, The Providore, will be selling small souvenirs, gifts, sweets, cold drinks etc.

You'll need to bring your meals with you if you haven't pre-booked catering.

We are hoping to have some of our partners with us to showcase and sell some of their products, stay tuned to find out who this will be.

No pets, other than assistance animals, are permitted in the centre.

Smoking is not permitted in front of young people, and only in designated smoking areas. No alcohol is permitted at the event we will be adhering to the Green Card.

Bins are located across all areas of the centre. Please help us to recycle by putting dry, clean mixed recyclables into the large green bins; and any other waste in the black bins or litter bins.

Toilets will be cleaned regularly by our team, and hand soap and toilet roll will be provided. Accessible toilets are available.

There are no fridges or freezers available to store food and drink.

Please be considerate of others' wishes when taking photos. No drones may be flown over Great Tower without express written permission from the event management team.

Phone signal can be intermittent at all our centres. Wi-Fi will be available at Reception. 

Great Tower will be hosting other groups, so please help us give a good impression of Scouts by leaving your pitch and accommodation and other areas of the centre you use as you found them.

The majority of our event staff are volunteers who have given up their time to make your visit to Great Tower safe and enjoyable. Please keep the Scouts values in mind when interacting with others. We have a zero-tolerance approach to any type of abuse – you will be removed from the centre and details shared with your Lead Volunteer and/or the police. 

We expect the majority of attendees to depart from 14:00 after the programme ends. We kindly ask you to depart Great Tower by 16:00.

Again, there'll be a one-way system in place with vehicles exiting via the Main Drive.

If you need a hand

Scout Adventures reception will be open throughout the weekend, clearly sign-posted and marked on the map. You’ll find staff wearing Scout Adventures uniform or an event staff necker. 

For emergencies or urgent out-of-hours help, contact the Duty Manager on 07917 451425.

First Aid

First Aid will be available throughout the weekend.  

A Defibrillator are located in front of the site shop. The code to access these is available from the Duty Manager or the ambulance service.

In the event of an emergency 

Immediately inform a member of staff. They will take appropriate action and call for help. 

Follow all directions issued by staff. 

All calls for emergency services should be made by the Duty Manager (07917 451425), except where a delay would be life-threatening. 

Discovery of a fire 

Activate the fire alarm or use a fire bell if present and warn people in the area. 

Try to control small fires using fire buckets or an appropriate extinguisher until help arrives. Don’t put yourself at risk – if in doubt, leave it alone. 

Evacuate the area immediately. 

In the event of a terror attack

In the event of a terrorist attack, follow the government run, hide, tell advice.

RUN to a place of safety. This is a far better option than to surrender or negotiate. If there’s nowhere to go, then...

HIDE It’s better to hide than to confront. Remember to turn your phone to silent and turn off vibrate. Barricade yourself in if you can. Then finally and only when it is safe to do so...

TELL the police by calling 999. 

Centre evacuation 

In the event of a full evacuation of the centre, staff will marshal you to the chosen Assembly Point using the safest route. Follow their instructions and do not leave the centre until instructed.

• Do I need a nights away permit to attend?  
  • No
• Do I need experience in camping?  
  • No
• Can under 18’s attend?  
  • No, this is for over 18 members only.
• Can I bring my child?  
  • No
• Will there be a bar?  
  • No, we will be adhering to the green card rules as the site will have young people on it.
• Will I get a permit at the end of the weekend?
  • No, you'll not gain the permit at the end of the weekend. However, you'll have a chance to attend the skills workshops to gain the skills you need for it, but you'll still need to have a practical assessment. After the event we'll send out a record to you with the workshops you attended for use during your assessment.