A SCOUT group in Darwen is heading to America with hopes of twinning with a pack in Florida.

The First Turton, St Anne's scout group is jetting off to a scout camp in Florida on Thursday after months of fundraising in a bid to create links with camp La-No-Che.

Camp La-No-Che is part of the Central Florida Council of the Boys' Scouts of America based in Paisley, Florida.

The First Turton St Anne's scouts chose Florida after a visit to the camp 18 months ago and hope this 10 day trip will lead to exchanges between the two groups in the future.

The 18 scouts aged between 12 and 16 years-old and six scout leaders are flying out to Paisley to have a holiday and begin talks with the American scout leaders.

The scouts will have the opportunity to go long lazy river canoeing, archery and rifle shooting on the trip.

Twinning the Darwen scout group, which meets in St James' Church, Blackburn Road, Edgworth, every Tuesday, with Florida Camp is part of an international project to create links between countries that have scouting groups across the world.

The aim is to strengthen links between The Scout Association in the UK and other members of The World Organisation of the Scout Movement.

Jim Wood, scout leader, said: "We are hoping to team up with the scout group in Central Florida with a view to twinning with then and to do exchanges.

"The trip is an opportunity for the scouts to learn new skills they wouldn't usually experience in the area.

"It is also a chance to give them a holiday with friends.

"Twinning with Florida will give the scouts an opportunity to experience a cross section of different cultures in America.

"We are hoping that this will lead to exchanges where scouts from Florida who can then visit historical parts of this county."

Michael Grime, District Commissioner for the Darwen district of scouts, said: "This trip has fallen in with the celebration of the centenary.

"The Scout movement is about living alongside one another, the link project gives young people a chance experience and to live along side one another and bring more respect."