About Us

About Us

Welcome to the Gladstone Centre website, please find some information to help you book and use the facilities that are offered here in Hawarden.

On a day to day basis, Jan, who is our Volunteer Booking Secretary will be dealing with your booking enquiries. Our Volunteer Co-warden, Mike will be looking after your opening and closing, ably supported by other members of the Gladstone Centre Committee, including our other Voluntary Co-warden, Phil, who in the main, looks after the infrastructure at The Gladstone Centre. Other Volunteer members of our team who support on a weekly basis include Bernard and Monika, who look after the Gladstone Centre and Bunkhouse weekly checks and keeping the place looking good for our visitors. This year we have another Volunteer member, John, who is looking after grass cutting and assisting the Wardens with Maintenance tasks.

General information

The Centre and campsite are set in Hawarden, North Wales. Gladstone Centre is open to all Scouting, Guiding and Youth groups year-round and hosts private events on a limited basis.

The Gladstone Centre is owned by Flintshire District Scout Council and operated by the Gladstone Centre Management Committee. The Committee comprises of volunteer Scouters who administer, build and grow the facilities at the Gladstone Centre.

The surrounding land, around the buildings is entrusted to 1st Hawarden Scout Group, who have licence to use the campsite and woodland area. Scouters and Young People from 1st Hawarden Group and other Flintshire District Scouters also make up the Service Crew help repair, improve and maintain the facilities at Gladstone.

Gladstone Centre Scout Camp Site has a large camping field which is split into multiple pitches and is backed by an area of mixed woodland.

In addition to the camping, Gladstone Centre offers 2 buildings which are for hire to groups.  For more information about our camping, check out campsite section and information on the accommodation can be found at indoor accommodation for hire section.

Gladstone Centre has other on-site facilities with a campfire circle plus altar fires available for open fires, Woodpiles, Shelter building, Pioneering, The Range for air rifle and Archery to name but a few.

Gladstone Centre is also a location for many off site activities.  It’s ideal for hiking groups via a footpath adjacent to the site into the surrounding countryside.

For those that want to go to Chester, Gladstone Centre is only a short journey away. There are bus stops outside the campsite gate for those wishing to use public transport. To find out the many other fantastic activities that Gladstone Centre is near to, check out our links page.

If you have any question or queries that our website doesn’t answer please contact us.

Volunteering Opportunities

Gladstone Centre is operated by volunteers. We operate a ‘Service Crew’ made up of Explorer Scouts, Scouters and Scout Active Support members. We have a reasonably regular weekly service day every Wednesday, depending on commitments elsewhere and other weekend service days/weekends to do bigger tasks that are put in the calendar.

If you would like the chance assist at the site without the responsibility of looking after children, then offer to help us, subject to the necessary checks if you don’t have a Scouting DBS, please contact the Wardens.

Most of the maintenance work is done by volunteers, each of whom offers whatever time they can afford and whatever skills they have. All that is required is a willingness to get stuck in and smile. The range of maintenance activities is broad and includes;

  • Project work – modifications to the Main Centre and Bunkhouse and creating new activity infrastructure around the campsite.
  • General Maintenance – Strimming grass, clearing undergrowth, painting, jet washing, machinery repair, etc.
  • This is coordinated by our Service Crew. Contact us via Service Crew.

Service Opportunities

In anticipation of groups returning, the Warden Team has identified a number of service opportunities for different age groups and they can be seen here.

New things you will see in 2024

  • Main Centre Kitchen Storage improvements
  • New Railings and seating area around the front of the Centre
  • Tomahawk Throwing Range Build
  • Improvements to the Car Park Area
  • Main Gate and painting
  • Outdoor Cooking Areas

Plans for 2025 to include

  • Aerial Runway refurbishment
  • Access paths to Centre and Bunkhouse to be re-laid
  • Geocaching Course to be made
  • Outdoor Laser Tag and Command Centre Building refurbishment
  • Further Outdoor Cooking Areas developed
HM King Charles III has been confirmed as our new Patron, a great honour for UK Scouts.

The King continues a long tradition of the monarch giving their Patronage, dating back to 1912. This was when Scouts was granted its Royal Charter and HM George V became our first Patron.

Find out more
King Charles III

Our Patron, HM King Charles III