Hundreds of children enjoyed an action-packed adventure camp in the New Forest over the bank holiday weekend.

The Southampton City Scouts event saw nearly 600 children and young people take part in a range of activities at the New Forest Showground near Brockenhurst.

The camp, which ran from May 2 to May 5, included archery, laser tag, a petting zoo, hobby horse jumping, and live music.

Young adventurers also had the chance to try their hand at soldering, amateur radio, and soft tomahawk throwing, earning badges and acquiring new skills along the way.

Archery - Explorer and LeaderArchery - Explorer and Leader (Image: Southampton City Scouts) The camp was supported by various local organisations, with a 1929 vintage Dennis bus, owned by the Southampton University Engineering Society (SUES), providing rides around the 35-acre campsite.

The army tested reaction times with laser clay pigeon shooting, and Southern Water educated the youngsters on the importance of soil to rivers.

The four-day camp was made possible by a team of 200 volunteers who helped the young people develop skills such as teamwork, resilience, leadership, cooking, navigation, and fire lighting.

Lead volunteer Joshua Smith said: "This event shows the power of volunteers in Southampton.

Climbing - ScoutsClimbing - Scouts (Image: Southampton City Scouts) "This event could never have happened without the 200 volunteers who dedicated their weekend and many evenings before to this event."

The camp also allowed the young people to test their limits and face their fears, such as scaling the 25-foot climbing wall for views of the camp and surrounding New Forest landscape.

A cub scout from the 26th Swaythling Scout Group said: "I really enjoyed walking around with my friends and we loved the inflatables."

Southampton City Scouts are always on the lookout for more young adventurers and fun-loving adults to get involved at regular unit meetings, from Squirrels (ages four to five) all the way up to Explorers (14 to 17).

Scouting offers more than 250 badges and 200 different activities, from abseiling and coding to drama and water-zorbing, all aimed at helping young people develop skills for life.