Last month the three – Phil Griffiths, 21, Graham Ince and Will Snape, both 20, from Leigh Network Scouts – travelled to Portugal with four other teams from Greater Manchester West on an Explorer Belt award.

The Explorer Belt is described as a challenge of a lifetime, with each team living and travelling on 12 euros (approx £10) per person, per day, which includes food, travel and accommodation.

The three scouts, all from Lowton who started as Beavers at the age of six, had to visit at least four different towns/cities each day, all expenditure noted, and a daily diary of each day completed.

The Explorer Belt is sometimes described as 'the antidote to the package holiday' being designed to help young people develop a real understanding of another country by travelling through that country, completing surprise projects, working as a small team and meeting local people.

The Leigh Network is looking for new Explorers, aged from 14 and a half to 18 and new Network members from 18 to 25, to join in activities such as camping, archery and climbing, and who might like to work towards awards such as the Duke of Edinburgh's, Queen Scout and of course, the Explorer Belt.

If you are interested visit http://www.geocities.com/lowton_explorers or contact Phil Griffiths on 07709194742 or at leigh@network.gmwscouts.org.uk