A GIRL from Tavistock has been selected for an adventure of a lifetime, travelling to Japan with the Scout Association.

Elysia Hix is the only young person from Tavistock to be selected from West Devon Scout District to represent the UK at the 23rd World Scout Jamboree. The event takes place in Yamaguchi City from July 28 to August 8.

Elysia, who studies Japanese at Tavistock College, will be part of a unit of 36 young people aged 14 to 17, guided by four volunteer leaders from the county, who have been specially selected to support the unit during their adventure.

'I never thought that when I wrote the application for the trip that anything would have come of it,' said Elysia. 'I still can't really believe that I'm going on this astonishing trip.'

Elysia impressed at a special selection event in September 2013, when she had to complete a variety of team activities and creativity tests to demonstrate why she should be part of the unit.

The preparation for the jamboree will continue over the next four months, during which the unit will bond over a series of weekend camps and activities on the lead-up to the jamboree, to ensure they are fully prepared for the trip.

Elysia will be one of the 2,400 scouts and guides attending the jamboree from across the UK. Before the event the UK contingent will travel to Tokyo before heading down to Kirara-hama where the specially built jamboree site is located.

Over the ten days at the jamboree, Elysia will join 30,000 scouts from around the world.

They will work together to find out about each country's cultures and faiths, learn new skills, take part in adventurous activities and tackle some of the biggest issues facing the world today.

Attending the jamboree is an opportunity of a lifetime for Elysia and the rest of the UK contingent representing the 500,000 UK Scout Association members.

Elysia added: 'I would have not been able to do it without my supportive friends and family, my Mum in particular, without whom I would not have been able to get to where I am today!

'I'm also very grateful to my district and scout group, who have supported me greatly with motivation, positivity and presented me with a £500 cheque by district president Peter Challis and district commissioner Paul Hughes.

'This trip has given me so much self confidence and the self motivation to try and do things and get to places when I'm older; it's taught me to never give up and will probably change the way I see the world when I return.'

Chief Scout Bear Grylls said: 'Congratulations to Elysia and all the other young people who have been selected to represent their communities at the World Scout Jamboree in Japan in 2015.

'Over the course of the Jamboree these young people will be able to meet people from around the world, take part in amazing adventures and experiences and be challenged to think about global issues in a new light.

'I wish them all the best and I know they are going to have an amazing time over the months in the run up to the event.'