Beavers and cub scouts from Oldham go interstellar in National Space Centre discovery day

Beavers and Cub Scouts from Shaw - together with more than 500 others from across the UK - blasted off on an out of this world mission at the National Space Centre.

The day was packed with enough excitement to send enthusiasm into orbit. The event gave young people the chance to explore the wonders of space and aviation first-hand.  

Designed to spark curiosity and build skills that aren’t always within young people’s orbit, such as space science, astronomy, and aeronautics, the day provided a galaxy of hands‑on activities, interactive experiments, and stellar learning opportunities. 

Throughout the day, young people navigated a galaxy of experiments, meteor‑showered their way through activities, and even managed to explore the rocket tower. 

Among the many shining stars of the event was Rex, aged 9, from the 3rd Shaw Scout Group, who said: ‘’I was so excited because I’ve never seen a real astronaut suit before and it was amazing to see it up close. It made me feel like I was in space and I didn’t want to leave!’’ 

Volunteer Leader Colin said: ‘’We brought our Beaver and Cubs together from the 1st Shaw, 3rd Shaw, and 12th Shaw Scout Groups, and for many of them it’s their first time experiencing something like this. It’s been a brilliant day full of learning and excitement and seeing them all so engaged has been fantastic. I was in Scouts as a child, so it means a lot to give back and help create the same kind of amazing memories I had’’. 

Chief Scout Dwayne Fields said: “It was fantastic to join young people from Oldham at the National Space Station, Leicester. Together, we discovered more about the possibilities of STEM, both in space and down here on Earth. The activities fired our Scouts’ imaginations as they explored the wonders of solar system and beyond.  

“This is an incredibly exciting time for space with the Artemis moon missions and, who knows, maybe some of our Scouts will be the astronauts and moonwalkers of the future. In Scouts it’s days like these that inspire young people, set their sights higher while giving them skills for life.” 

Charlie Isham Deputy CEO of the Space Centre said: “Today we hosted over 500 Scouts at the National Space Centre, and it was a real blast! Working with Scouting UK and the UK Space Agency to make it happen has been a real adventure, and our team has loved building a programme  jam packed with hands-on space fun activities. The Centre was full of energy, questions and big ideas — and we’re now quietly hoping we might earn a special badge for our own camp blankets after this!” 

By the end of the day, the Cub Scouts had taken a giant leap on another Scouts adventure. With this trip, Scouts are helping the next generation of UK space explorers reach for the stars.