Ensuring the security of the camp and the safety of all campers is a priority for the event organisers. Splashdown is a private Scout camp and as such no members of the public should be in the camp at any time. With the park being very busy at this time of year and due to the open nature of the site it makes keeping people out very difficult.
The event organisers have decided the only way to maintain security at Splashdown is to fence in the entire camp.
2.4 metre high fence was used in 2010 at the far north and south ends of the camp and did work well however, it was possible to get around the fence to gain entry.
2011 will see this same fence circle the entire camp and leave only three entry/exit points, all on to the road. These openings in the fence will be positioned at the same camp access points as in previous years.
The main access point will be at Camp Centre, it will be open 24 hours and staffed between 23:00 & 07:00 hours.
The north and south access points will not be staffed but will only be open from 07:00 to 23:00 hours.
The organisers are aware this may present extra challenges for leaders who will no longer have instant access to vehicles and trailers. The plus side is that having the fence in place should remove the need to have as much locked in vehicles as the camp should be a safer place to leave things.
The decision to fence the camp was seen as the only way to maintain a safe and secure camp in such a public place. We understand that the fence could present it's own problems but we believe the benefits of keeping our Scouts and Guides safe is far more important.
