An Islington scout’s “dream came true” when he used his wheelchair to take part in a navigation challenge reimagined amid the pandemic.
Four youngsters from the 201st Islington team took part in the Chiltern 20 Challenge Hike 2020, travelling from Finsbury Park to Alexandra Palace via the Parkland Walk.
The event, which has been running for about 40 years, usually sees scouts aged 10 to 14 navigate a route in the Chiltern Hills, learning how to use maps and compasses to find checkpoints in groups of up to five.
READ MORE: 5th Islington Scout Group marks 110th anniversary by restoring century-old cartHowever, amid the pandemic, organisers allowed teams to set off in two-hour intervals along several separate local routes on different dates this autumn.
The reimagined set up, away from the Chiltern Hills, meant Islington scout Nathan Goodwin could get involved - as the 14-year-old has cerebral palsy and uses a wheelchair, the previous years’ rural routes posed a problem.
He said: “I have always dreamed about taking part in the Chiltern 20 and now my dream has come true.”
Nathan’s dad Stephen, who is an adult volunteer leader for the group, said: “Nathan has always wanted to join in and play a big part of being a scout.
“He has done climbing, abseiling and canoeing and here was a perfect opportunity to go hiking. It would have been tough going through open countryside and over stiles in a wheelchair and the Parkland Walk worked a treat.”
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