Bear Grylls' message to Northwich Scout who represented UK

In one of his final acts as Chief Scout before he steps down in September, former SAS trooper Grylls congratulated Hartford's James Mottram on representing the country at Roverway 2024.

Roverway is a European Scout event and this year was held on the fjord coastline of Lundsneset near Stavanger in Norway.

James, aged 19, joined around 5,000 other Scouts, aged 16 to 22, from across Europe and beyond to immerse himself in adventure and Scandinavian culture.

Commenting on this 'trip of a lifetime', Grylls said: "A massive congratulations to James Mottram, who represented the UK at Roverway 2024.

James Mottram, from Hartford (Image: Scouts)

"Roverway is an amazing opportunity to discover yourself and make new friends, whilst participating in a programme that demonstrates true Scouting spirit by developing skills for life.

"Everyone involved had the trip of a lifetime in Stavanger. The diversity of people they met reminds us all about what the world has to offer: new cultures and new friends, becoming ever more tolerant and caring about others."

UK Scouts at Roverway 2024 in Norway (Image: Scouts)

James added: "My Roverway trip started in Oslo. We met up with other Scouts from France, Norway, Spain, Sweden and Netherlands.

"We learnt about sustainability across Europe and understood more about each other’s cultures.

Roverway 2024 took place in Norway (Image: Scouts)

"We then visited a fjord and went canoeing with our new friends it was a blast. The activities were brilliant, but it’s the people that made the trip so memorable."

The theme of the 15-day adventure-filled Roverway event was ‘North of the Ordinary’ and it was split into three parts.

It began with a youth-led five-day expedition across southern Norway, helping participants develop independence and resilience.

Chief Scout Bear Grylls (Image: Bear Grylls Ventures/PA)

This was followed by an international camp at Stavanger, where the Scouts engaged in a programme of Scouting activities and skill development, before culminating in a ferry trip to visit Copenhagen in Denmark.