A CARDIGAN teenager is preparing to embark on an adventure of a lifetime.

Fourteen-year-old Explorer Scout Dean James is heading over the pond to the United States of America for a top Scouting event.

He will be joining 45,000 other Scouts from more than 150 countries and territories at the 24th World Scout Jamboree in West Virginia in July.

Dean, a pupil at Ysgol Uwchradd Aberteifi, will be one of the youngest participants at the jamboree.

He’ll have plenty of company though as he will be part of a unit of 36 Scouts and Girl Guides aged 14-17 from West Wales also heading to the Summit Bechtel Reserve for the two-week festival.

Attending the world-famous event will be the climax of an 18-month efort for Dean who has been busy fund-raising towards the £3,500 cost of attending. This has included bag packing events and doing odd jobs for family and friends.

His parents, Louise and Kevin, a well-known local postman and member of Cardigan Bowling Club, have also set Dean up with a Go Fund Me fundraising page and anyone who would like to make a donation is asked to visit www.gofundme and search for Dean’s jamboree journey.

Since being selected, Dean has also been documenting the preparation and countdown on his Facebook page, Dean’s Jamboree Journey Unit 98.

“I am really looking forward to attending the jamboree,” said Dean.

“Scouts will only ever fall into the age category to be a participant at a world Scout jamboree once in their lifetime so to be selected for Wales is indeed an exciting opportunity which I can’t wait to be part of.”