Campsite Rules / Conditions of Booking

In an ideal world we wouldn’t have any rules, and we’d rely entirely on the common sense and courtesy of our visitors.   Sadly, experience has shown that we do need to specify some ‘rules’ but we have deliberately kept the number as few as possible, and only those that we need to:
a.   maintain a peaceful and secure environment for all our visitors, especially young people,
b.   protect and maintain the site and buildings for all users, and
c.   stay of good terms with our neighbours.
So the rules are mainly common sense!

Safeguarding:  Parkwood is a Scout campsite and our primary concern is for the safety and security of the young people on site.   All adult leaders on site must hold a current DBS (Disclosure and Barring Service) Certificate.   Any visiting adult without a DBS Certificate must stay with their group and will be the responsibility of the group leader.  The Scout Association Policy on Child Protection is here.

We ask all our visitors to help us keep our site clean and tidy and litter-free. Please leave the site as you found it, or even better, as you would like to find it.   In particular please check the ditches around your allocated site to be certain that they are clear of rubbish.  Remember the old adage of leaving nothing behind but footprints!  Or the mountain-walkers credo “if you bring it in – take it out”.     All rubbish should be disposed of in the waste bins which are sited in the Car Park.

We ask Group Leaders to properly supervise the young people in their charge to ensure that no damage is done to the  trees, the buildings, the ditches and paths, and any structures such as fences, benches, signs, or shelters that are on the site.

We ask everyone to respect other’s camping areas, and not to enter these areas without invitation.  Leaders please advise your group, “If in doubt – keep away from any area with tents.”

Noise – please consider others; we ask group leaders to make sure that their group is quiet from 2230 to 0700 to avoid disturbing the other users of the site.  Remember that sound can travel great distances at night, and that some of the other users may be very young.   Generators, loud hailers, whistles, etc., must not be used after 2200 or before 0800.

Alcohol: As a general rule we would prefer Parkwood to be a ‘dry’ site however we recognise that alcohol, taken responsibly, can add to the enjoyment of  the Outdoor / Camping experience.   Misbehaviour as a result of excess drinking cannot be tolerated and  Group Leaders must remind all adults in the group of their responsibilities in this matter.  (And please see the final item in these Site Rules.)   If camping with young people, then the Scout Association guidance of having at least two of the leader team non-drinkers, and always consuming alcohol out of sight of the young people, should be followed.   The same applies to Cigarettes and Tobacco; please do not leave the stubs on the ground.

Please also respect the fenced boundary; there is never any need to climb over or under a fence whilst at Parkwood!   A damaged fence may allow livestock (from the adjoining farm) to enter the site, which can cause serious damage.   Fences also protect the potentially dangerous ‘out of bounds’ areas – see below.

Toilets and Showers: We ask Group Leaders to check that the Toilets and Showers are kept clean and tidy please.   Muddy footprints we can accept, and are often unavoidable;  toilet paper scattered around is not acceptable and adversely impacts the other users.  We do not have paid cleaners on the site, and our volunteers cannot always be around to clear up and clean, so we trust our visitors to respect the facilities.

Fires: Light Fires only in designated ‘fire’ places or altar fires. Never dig fire pits or light fires in the ‘camping’ areas and clearings because this is where our visitors pitch tents.   Please keep fires under control so that the adjacent trees are not damaged.  If you need to light fires other than in your allocated area, then please use a wooded area of the site well away from the ‘camping’ areas.  Make sure that the fire(s) are properly extinguished, refill any pits that have been dug, and clear away any part-burned wood when you leave the area.

Knives, saws and axes:  must be controlled by a Leader and only used by qualified individuals.  No guns, air rifles, catapults, crossbows, or any other weapons, are permitted on site, without the prior and written permission of the Parkwood Management Committee.   Se the following paragraph about cutting live wood.

Trees: It is not permitted to cut any live wood.   Parkwood is in a restricted area of ancient woodland, and any woodland management can only be undertaken with the approval of the Forestry Commission.  The use of Chainsaws, whether petrol or battery-powered, is expressly prohibited, without the prior and written approval of the Parkwood Management Committee.

Indoor Accommodation: any losses or damage should be reported in writing / by email as soon as possible.  Any faults (e.g. lights not working) should be reported in the same way; please do not attempt any maintenance.   Note also that the Kitchen area should always be an ‘adult only’ area, and ‘out-of-bounds’ to minors.

No vehicles are allowed past the bridge but note that there is a supply of trolleys available to transport kit and equipment to the allocated site.

No Dogs allowed on site; dog faeces can spread diseases which can be harmful to children.   An exception is made for Police Dogs as the site is frequently used for training, and the Police are scrupulous about removing any dog mess.

No Fireworks – at any time – because there is often livestock in the adjacent fields.   For the same reason we discourage the use of flying lanterns because of the possibility of harm to livestock.

‘Out of Bounds’ areas: As well as the boundary fence, the Wardens Accommodation, Garages and Workshops, and the Sewage Treatment compound are all out of bounds to visitors.   In addition the car park and fenced activity area are restricted to necessary access, for rubbish disposal, and for wood collection only.  Group Leaders should make their groups aware of the danger of traffic moving in the Car Park.   Please also note that the buildings are only accessible to those groups who have booked them.

Special Requests / Non-standard Activities:   If the Camp / Event organiser wishes to bring in an outside organisation to run specific activities this must be declared on the Booking Form using the ‘Special Requests’ field.   An example would be a Bouncy Castle where adults from outside the Group will be invited onto the site.   Another example would be a visit / demonstration of a hobby or interest, or a craftwork session.  Note that there are Safeguarding considerations to be addressed.  Users will need to check that any adults invited onto the site have an in-date DBS, and/or ensure that all non-DBS adults are adequately supervised.

If an electricity supply is required, this must be notified one month before the date of the event. There may be a nominal charge for the use of the power supply.   Further details of the power supply available are here; are in the ‘What We Offer’ website pages.    Before making definite arrangements, please also note that vehicle access to the site is not usually permitted beyond the car park bridge (see the Conditions of Booking for exceptions to this rule).

Brighton and Hove District Scout Council reserves the right to exclude anyone from Parkwood, at any time.    The Duty Warden or any official of the Brighton and Hove Scout District is authorised to act in this capacity if necessary.

Payment:  for bookings made less than six weeks before arrival, the full payment will be required immediately to secure the booking.
For bookings more than six weeks in advance, a non-refundable Deposit of 25% of the total booking cost, or £100, or the entire Cost (if less than £100), whichever is the greatest must be paid within 14 days of the date of the Invoice to confirm the booking.
The outstanding Balance of the agreed charge will be payable not less than six weeks before arrival.