Young Scouts gave up their Saturday to pack bags at Sainsbury’s in Calne to raise funds for a trip to Madagascar next year.

More than 60 Scouts aged 16-25 from Wiltshire and Gloucester have been chosen to go abroad, including six from Calne.

They will choose between a self-survival hike or project work in the community, such as construction or helping in an orphanage.

Each Scout needs to raise £3,000 for the trip in July 2013, so they have been selling items on eBay and going to car boot sales.

Explorer Scout leader Isobel Harvey said the trip would promote cross-cultural understanding and develop strong international friendships.

She said: “The explorers will live and work alongside local people and this will be by no means a holiday. They will be sleeping in tents and no part of the money will go towards luxuries.

“It’s to make them realise what life is really about. What we’ve got in this country doesn’t exist elsewhere.”