Tona Loving (12) and Jamie Benwell (12) are from the 3rd Winchester Worthies, and after a challenging selection camp, they have been chosen as two of 136 scouts from Hampshire to join over 40,000 young people and 20,000 volunteers from across the globe in the USA.
Tona said: "We need to raise £3790 each to cover costs such as flights and insurance, as well as our training which we need to complete beforehand".
"We'll be organising multiple fundraising events, including stalls at markets, talent nights, discos, regular film afternoons and bingo, as well as taking part in sponsored activities, and a ten mile hike. We have already completed a sponsored climb with Tona's friends from her climbing club and Tona and Jamie's friends from Scouts. Sponsored by Golden Gecko of Romsey we managed to climb nearly twice the height of the tallest mountain in West Virginia, Bunker Hill which is a height of 3,498m.　 Between all of us it took the equivalence of 18 hours. Tona has also completed a 24 hour silence"
Local MP Steve Brine has donated a bottled of House of Commons red wine signed by Prime Minister Theresa May which will be auctioned at an upcoming event and they met up at Kings Worthy's Eversley Park recently.
Steve said: "I was really interested to hear about Tona and Jamie's activity ahead of the World Scout Jamboree in 2019. I was a cub and a scout myself and absolutely loved every single moment of my time, my only regret being the dates never fell in a way that gave me the opportunity to attend a Jamboree. I think it is a unique event and am so excited for them both as they embark on what will be I am sure a life-changing opportunity."
Pictured; Scouts Jamie Benwell and Tona Loving with Steve Brine MP
More information ...
You can find out more and contribute to their fundraising effort via https://mydonate.bt.com/fundraisers/tonaloving1 and https://mydonate.bt.com/fundraisers/jamiebenwell1