York Scout Activity Centre

05/10/2026

An exciting new addition to our Activity Site!

This weekend, some of our fantastic volunteers rolled up their sleeves and got stuck into a slightly unusual project - building our new compost toilet

A compost toilet might not sound like the most glamorous addition, but it’s going to make a huge difference to everyone using the activity side of our site, while giving us a practical and environmentally friendly facility.

it’s all finished and ready for this weekend’s shooting event!
If you haven’t booked your slot yet, there’s still a little bit of time to do so! Don’t miss out.

A massive THANK YOU to everyone who gave up their time, brought their tools and skills, and worked together to get it built over the weekend. What a brilliant team effort!

22/09/2026

A STERN HOOT FROM OWEN!

Adventurers, I need your attention for a moment…

When you’re enjoying your adventures on site, please treat our equipment, activities and surroundings with care and respect.

Damaging, misusing or mistreating things might seem like a bit of fun at the time, but it can spoil the adventure for everyone who comes after you.

It also means our brilliant volunteers have to spend their time going around putting things back, repairing damage or, sometimes, closing an activity altogether until we can make it safe again.

And nobody wants that!

We want every adventurer to be able to enjoy everything we have on offer - including YOU.

So please…

Have fun. Get stuck in. Enjoy the adventure.
But look after the site and leave it ready for the next adventurer.

Because when something gets broken, damaged or misused, it isn’t just equipment that suffers - someone else’s adventure can be spoiled too.

Thanks for listening to this old owl.

Adventure kindly. Look after what you use.
- Owen

21/09/2026

Fancy giving air r***e shooting a go? Now’s your chance!

It’s set to be a fantastic day and a great opportunity to try something different, learn new skills and see how accurate your aim is!

Whether you’ve tried shooting before or it’s your very first time, come along, have a go and enjoy the experience.

Places are limited, so don’t miss out!

CLICK THE LINK BELOW AND GET BOOKED ON NOW!

https://yorkscouts.org.uk/event/air-r***e-shooting-come-and-try

Tag your Scout friends and let them know - who’s going to hit the bullseye?

To celebrate that we have re-established shooting at York Scout Activity Centre, Snowball Plantation we are offering an opportunity for Cubs, Scouts,

14/09/2026

Hoot hoot! Exciting news from Owen the Owl!

Well, I’ve just been doing my usual fly-over of York Scout Activity Centre, checking everything is as it should be… and I couldn’t believe my eyes!

The Sensory Trail is officially OPEN for all site users!
A huge amount of time, hard work and care has gone into creating the trail for everyone to enjoy, so please help us look after it. Remember to take turns, be respectful of the equipment and leave it ready for the next adventurer.
Me and my woodland friends certainly enjoy playing on it!

Fancy an extra challenge? Why not try making your way along the trail blindfolded, with a friend carefully guiding you from start to finish? It’s a brilliant way to put your senses, communication and trust to the test!
Come along, give it a go and most importantly… have fun!
Hoot hoot!

Owen the Owl
York Scout Activity Centre

08/09/2026

Pitch-In Sunday – This Sunday

Here’s the plan for Sunday so far:

• Cut back the hedges

• Repair/fill in holes around the track

• Repair the manhole by the edge of the lodge

• General tidy-up around the site

If you can make it along, all help will be greatly appreciated. The more hands we have, the more we can get ticked off the list!

Also our apologies we are also having to change the October pitch-in day which was scheduled for Sunday the 18th of October but will now be on Sunday the 25th of October. We hope to see you there too.

05/09/2026

Hoot hoot! Owen the Owl here with some exciting news from around the site!

I’ve been keeping a close eye on things from my favourite perch, and there’s been A LOT going on recently!

Our Lodge main room has been getting some attention, with updates to make it an even better space for groups to enjoy.

We’ve also been busy updating some of our current activities, as well as working on a BRAND-NEW activity area on site! I can’t reveal too much just yet… an owl has to keep a few secrets!

And that’s not all…

We’re very excited to introduce our NEW Badge Boxes! These will soon be available to book and will help you add even more activities, challenges and badge opportunities to your visit.

Whether you’re coming for a day, an evening or a full weekend, we want to make your York Scout Activity Adventure one to remember!

There’s plenty more happening behind the scenes, and I’ll be sharing more very soon…

So keep your eyes peeled and your ears open

Owen Owl

24/08/2026

Yesterday was our Pitch In Day, and what a fantastic start we’ve made getting the site ready for September and the return of Scouting!

Thanks to everyone who came along, we now have a fresh, clean look around the lodge. The front of the lodge has been cleared of weeds, and all of the site’s wood stores have had a well-deserved spruce up.

A special thank you also goes to two wonderful families, passionate Scouting enthusiasts, who joined us to lend a hand. As regular users of Snowball, they wanted to give something back to the site, and their help was hugely appreciated.

Thank you to everyone who gave up their time and worked so hard. Your efforts have made a real difference, and we’re looking forward to welcoming everyone back for another fantastic Scouting year and much more!

15/08/2026

What a fantastic day we’ve had today completing our Tomahawk Training!

A huge shout out to our amazing instructors from 1st Helmsley Scout Group, who delivered a fantastic day of training. It was incredibly informative, hands-on, and great fun from start to finish.

A big thank you for sharing your knowledge, skills, and enthusiasm with us. We can’t wait to get Tomahawk activities up and running at YSAC, giving our young people the chance to have fun and make lasting memories!

13/08/2026

Postponed

This Sunday's Pitch-in Day has been postponed till Sunday the 23rd of August.

If you are free on Sunday the 23rd of August we will be doing some site clean up ready for the return of Scouting after the summer. Any help is greatly appreciated we start from 9:00 with a bacon sandwich and a cuppa.

Can't make it for the start come anytime there is always lots to do. Drop us a message if you require my information or feel free to just turn up on the day.

YSAC Team