EAST Lancashire Scouts are this weekend taking part in a virtual 'Scavenger Hunt' to raise cash for the Shelterbox disaster relief charity.

They will be among others from across the North-West region involved in the online event.

Since 2014 the region's Scouts have mounted the hunt around Liverpool city centre to raise money for the charity which provides emergency shelter and other essential items to families who have lost their homes to disasters. 

So far £23,000 has been raised in seven years.

This year coronavirus has forced the event online using videos instead with the challenges being devised by local groups.

Organiser John Cadman said: “Not only is ShelterBox a very worthy cause, but it also gels with the Scouting ethos of helping others. It provides some fantastic programme ideas for our Scout Groups and many of the challenges that we take part in can also be worked into our awards programme.

"It’s not only ShelterBox who benefit. One of the many benefits for the young people is that they get to learn about the work it does in disaster relief, and really broadens their knowledge of world events. There’s also a sense of familiarity as the type of equipment sent out to disaster areas is very similar to that used on our camping trips.”