Scouts in Oxford are hoping to attend the 2011 World Jamboree in Sweeden. The have appealed for help as they try to raise £100,000 to fund their place at the world’s biggest Scouting get-together.

Thirty-six Scouts and four leaders from across the county are planning to join more than 30,000 others at the World Scout Jamboree in Sweden next summer. But the group – called the Oxfordshire Mad Hatters Jamboree Unit – needs to raise the six figure sum in just 12 months to make sure they can claim their place.

Last night one of the leaders, David Nutt, from Oxfordshire Scouting, called on firms in the county to dig deep and help the young people.He said: “It’s a brilliant opportunity for the young Scouts in Oxfordshire, but £100,000 is a lot of money.

“We’ve already started holding cake sales, jumble sales and raffles but obviously we need to find a lot more money to reach our total. “Any donation, whether from a business or a person, will be extremely helpful and moves us one step closer to our fundraising target.”

The £100,000 funds travel costs, accommodation, a pre-Jamboree event in Copenhagen, a visit to another Scandinavian country following the Jamboree and six training camps. Some of the money will help fund trips for scouts from Papua New Guinea and Armenia who wouldn’t otherwise be able to afford the trip.

Last week the youngsters, aged between 14 and 18, took part in their second training camp at Ferny Crofts Campsite in the New Forest. Mr Nutt said: “The Scouts are being trained alongside the leaders so we are completely ready for the challenges ahead.

“We all come from different groups from across Oxfordshire so the training camps are important because it allows us to get to know one another. “I think everyone is looking forward to the Jamboree and it would be fantastic if we got started making some real dents in our fundraising total.”

The Jamboree attracts tens of thousands of Scouts from around the world and takes place every four years. It runs from July 27 to August 7 next year, in Rinkaby, near the town of Kristianstad, in south Sweden.

The key theme for the 2011 is nature and the Jamboree aims to use the natural environment as a learning tool. The Jamboree is organised by the World Organization of the Scout Movement.