What happens at the Winter Festival?

You will stay at the Premier Inn on the Friday night and then on Saturday get our double-decker buses over to County Hall where the festival will begin.  

In small teams, you will take part in a variety of fun challenges and activities.  These are all worth a certain number of points. The team with the most points wins. It’s exciting stuff!  

With lots of surprises and entertainment thrown in, it’s a festival you do not want to miss!  

To sign up, just ask your parent or carer to log into the Families Zone and head to the NEWS sections.  They can log in by clicking here.  

A bit nervous about signing up? Why not check out what some of our members think about previous Scotty’s events that they have attended? 

Frequently Asked Questions

Is the Winter Festival different to the Scotty's Christmas party?

A tiny bit. The same amount of fun will be had but we won’t focus on Christmas as the theme. At Scotty's, we want all our events to be as inclusive as possible and we recognise that some families may not celebrate Christmas, some families may not feel like attending a Christmas themed event and some of our older members may think they are just ‘too cool’ for a Christmas party SO... we have rebranded, stripped away the Christmas aspects and taken extra care to make sure all ages will enjoy this festival.

I am so nervous about attending, should I come?

Why not have a watch of the video above to see what other members think about Scotty’s events, it might help ease some of your nervousness? Or, you could contact the Scotty Team and have a chat about what’s making you nervous. We would love you to come but we understand it can be nerve wracking so we will help you every step of the way.   

We will also have Springboard Buddies at the festival. Our Springboarders were once Scotty Member themselves so are just like you and fully understand what it means to be a member of Scotty’s. All our Springboard Buddies are aged between 18-25 years old and will be there to help you feel supported.

What should I wear for the festival?

You will receive a Scotty T-shirt to wear when you check in on the Friday.  This is to wear to the festival as it helps everyone feel part of the Scotty community and also helps the Scotty Team keep tabs on where everyone is for security reasons. 😉

Can I swap teams? 

On the sign up form, you can add the name of someone you would like to be in the same team with.  (We will try our best to accommodate your request but cannot promise). For safety and logistical reasons, we won’t be able to swap anyone on the Friday or Saturday.

Why do I have to complete a Pre and a Post event form?

We know it’s mega boring to complete forms, but it will REALLY help us if you can.  It’s your chance to tell us if the event helped you or how we can improve it to help you next time.  We really want to hear from you, not your parent or carer.  The other reason is because companies, organisations and people give Scotty’s money in order for us to be able to hold our events and we have to report back to them afterwards to show how we have spent their money. 

All you need to do is fill out a really short form before you arrive on the Friday night and again as you leave on the Saturday afternoon! Simples! 😉   

What happens if I arrive and suddenly become really overwhelmed, anxious or emotional?

Don’t worry. Scotty’s understand. We always have a quiet room at our events, so if it all gets a little too much you can use that space. Mark, our Child and Young Person Support Worker will be around in case you need to have a chat with someone too so, please don’t worry about this.

Will I have to talk about my parent who has died?

That’s completely up to you. The Winter Festival is part of our SMILES programme, so it is purely about having fun and making friends. You can also add a special heart onto Scotty’s message tree in memory of you parent if you wish too.

Where will my parent or carer be whilst I am at the festival

They will be a room just next door relaxing :-) but they will be able to come and see you whenever you need them too.

Will I be photographed?

Probably yes as we have our own photographer Paul and film maker Stephen at the hotel Friday and at County Hall on the Saturday.  They will be capturing footage for Scotty’s throughout the event and we will share a link after the event so you can see all the photos and videos.  Any photos shared on social media will have your name tags blurred out and if you really don’t want your photo taken or to be videoed just make sure you tick the correct box on the form or let one of the team know. 

Will Scotty's be selling any merchandise at the party?

Yes, we will be selling Scotty and Fear Naught merchandise on Friday evening in the hotel reception between 4-11pm. (not on the Saturday)

The festival ends at 3pm on the Saturday, can I leave earlier?

Yes, of course.  Just let one of the team know so we can check you out on our list.  

I have another question, who should I ask?

Why not email us using the Get in Touch button at the top of this page or ask your parent or carer to get in touch with us.