Sherwood Forest comes alive as hundreds of young people take on Shadow challenge
Hundreds of young people have battled their way through the world-famous Sherwood Forest in a weekend of teamwork, adventure and challenges.
Organised by Nottinghamshire County Council’s Youth Service and Notts Outdoors, the annual Shadow event saw 71 teams of more than 350 young people put their skills, determination and resilience to the test during an action-packed overnight challenge.
The event is designed for young people aged 13 to 19, while also being accessible to young adults up to the age of 25 with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND).
Teams were faced with a series of physical, creative and problem-solving challenges, as well as having to navigate their way through Sherwood Forest and work together to complete the course.
The overall winners of this year’s Shadow were Team Barry Bee from Beeston RAF Cadet Squadron.
Cpl James-Davis said: “We had an amazing experience at shadow which we always look forward to, and this year was the most fun yet.
“It’s a great challenging experience and such a unique adventure. Our team was so grateful to take part and delighted to win again.”
Shadow provided young people with the opportunity to step outside their comfort zones, build confidence, develop teamwork skills and make new friends – all while enjoying one of the county’s most famous natural landscapes.
Councillor Rory Green, Nottinghamshire County Council’s Cabinet Member for Children and Families, said: “Councillors thoroughly enjoyed seeing Sherwood Forest full of young people throwing themselves into Shadow and giving every challenge their very best.
“Shadow is such a lovely event because it gives young people the chance to have an adventure, make new friends and learn some really valuable life skills along the way.
“A huge congratulations to our winners – but also to every young person who took part.
“Completing Shadow is an achievement in itself and they should all be incredibly proud.
“As a council, we are really honoured to serve so many young people throughout our county in this way through Shadow. We know this brings memories for life. A huge thank you to all staff and volunteers for making this happen.”
Shadow has been a major part of Nottinghamshire’s youth calendar for more than five decades, with thousands of young people having taken part since the event was first launched.
A host of organisations and volunteers help deliver the challenges each year, bringing together expertise from across the county to create an experience that tests young people physically and mentally while encouraging teamwork and having fun.
