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Roverway is an international Scouting and Guiding event for the European region. It is being organised for 16 to 22 year olds and will take place in Italy between 6th and 14th August 2006. Following the success of the first Roverway, held in Portugal in 2003, next year's event hopes to attract 5000 people from over 30 countries. For those who attend, it promises to be one of the most remarkable experiences they will ever have.

A brief introduction to the event is given here, while all the latest on the UK contingent can be found at www.roverway2006.org.uk. Further information is also available from the Italian site, www.roverway.it. Finally, if you wish to register your interest in the Roverway contingent, contact Chris, the UK contingent coordinator, at chris@roverway2006.org.uk.

Passion, pizza, football, flare and olive oil: just one or two of the things that might spell Italia in your eyes. At Roverway you could discover a whole lot more. The event is to be split into two parts. The first will be a celebration of Italy and everything Italian. During the first 5 days, participants will work in teams to complete an expedition in one of the country's 20 provinces. Each of the 100 different routes will be designed around one of five themes: Environment & Nature, History & Tradition, Art & Culture, Politics & Society and Science & Technology.

Having completed the expedition phase, all of the teams will assemble on one site, near the city of Florence for the second half of the event where they will participate in a wide range of activities organised around a central theme... The Italian Renaissance! (Ok read on)

For many this may conjure little more than a vague awareness of something old and forgotten: the dusty domain of bearded professors. However, in looking beyond the tweed, we find that the renaissance was actually about working together. The word means rebirth and the idea began in Italy in the late 15th century. The professor will tell you that the rebirth was about rediscovering the ideas left behind from the Ancient Greeks and the Romans. However, the renaissance was actually about questioning the world around us and working to making it better.

All areas of human experience were represented from, architecture, science and medicine to music, art and politics. Perhaps some kind of modern equivalent might see David Blunket, Stephen Hawking, Tracy Emin and Sir Norman Foster, get together to form an ABBA tribute band... Ok so that might not actually do wonders for the enlightenment of mankind, but it is certainly an intriguing image. What's more our Swedish wannabe, Florentine four piece would simply have to call themselves, re-Bjorn Again! That's worth the entrance fee on its own;-)

With this in mind (well all apart from the image of David Blunket in a short skirt that has just popped into your head) the aim of Roverway is to learn about each other and to work together. The Mona Lisa and Dante's Inferno aside, it really is that simple!

Roverway participants are being asked to apply in teams of at least five people, each of which must contain a minimum of one person who is aged 18 or over. If you have a team already, that’s great. However, we are aware that entering as a team is likely to be difficult for many, and probably most people. If you are on your own or in a small group, this should not be a reason to stop you from attending the event. The contingent team are currently developing a way to form new teams and will be happy to put people in touch with each other. Contact chris@rowerway2006.org.uk for more.

A formal payment schedule, together with the final UK contingent fee for Roverway will be available in the next few days. We apologise for the delay.

Firstly, you should be aware that the cost of travel to and from Italy is not included in the Roverway price. There are a number of reasons for this. However, the most important is flexibility. Roverway teams will be required to start their travels from several different locations across Italy. Therefore, it is unlikely that the contingent will be able to arrange discounted group bookings on airlines. Consequently, arranging your own transport is likely to be the cheapest option for everyone. Nevertheless, the team will ensure that you have all the information you need to do this and will be available to answer any queries or concerns.

At one level, you will be able to use Roverway as a means of ticking off the hiking and residential sections of your Queen's Scout and Duke of Edinburgh Awards. Beyond this, it's up to you. With its stunning natural beauty, cultural flare and warm-hearted flamboyance, sound bites for Italian tourist brochures are not hard to come by. Rest assured, Italy is a land to savour. Add to this the buzz of international scouting and you will find something that cannot be described. The chance to meet, befriend and share time with people from places you have scarcely heard of and cannot even begin to imagine will stay with you forever.

Whether you are on your own, already part of a team now is the time to register your interest in Roverway 2006. To do so and for more information, contact Chris, the UK contingent coordinator, at chris@roverway2006.org.uk