Ben's Digital Detox!

Ben is almost 14. He has the chance to go on an incredible adventure next summer - to the Netherlands with his district Explorer Scouts group, and he’s making a big teenage sacrifice to help fund it.

He'll be giving up his tech for THREE WEEKS this summer in the last week of school, and the first two weeks of the holidays.

That means no gaming, no WhatsApp groups, no YouTube and no Duolingo - and apparently, losing his streak with the judgy green bird is one of the things that hurts the most!

From Monday 14 July to Sunday 3 August, he will be looking elsewhere for fun, entertainment and enrichment – and we’ll be documenting this three weeks of no tech (and the other things he finds to do in that time) right here.

He'd be surprised, delighted and so grateful if you'd sponsor him to do it.

Check out the video to hear from Ben about his detox, how he plans to tackle it and still live his best teenage life, and what your very kind donations will mean to him. And if you’d like to keep up with his detox tribulations, we’ll be posting regular updates on this page.

The Netherlands Trip: Ben’s big 2026 adventure is with Milton Keynes Explorer Scouts, and they’re heading off for an incredible 10 day trip to the Netherlands. They’ll be immersed in Dutch culture, try out lots of different outdoor activities, and have lots of opportunities to meet other Scouts from across the world who’ll be there too. They’ll be staying in a campsite, travelling around by public transport, and seeing as much of this amazing country as possible. It’s an experience that will give them so much – not just culturally, but personally too, in the way that scouting does so well.