• Service Crews using personal vehicles must comply with the ‘Using your own car for Scouting activities’ document, detailed here.
• Service Crews must check in and out at all Service Areas including start and finish locations in order that a member of staff can locate them in case of a query or emergency.
• Service Crews to print this Service Crew poster and clearly display it in your windscreen.
• Service Crews to perform welfare checks at Service Areas. This means looking for signs of fatigue or injury e.g. limping, blisters, sprains, hypothermia, dehydration etc. If anyone is symptomatic, please report to checkpoint staff to request a first aid assessment, as necessary.
• If your team withdraws, you must inform the Service Area staff and hand in the team’s tally card and tracker. If they withdraw through injury, we ask that you request Eastbourne District First Aid Team ‘EDSFAT’ to perform a first aid assessment of the injured person(s).
• If Service Crews encounter any other issues, break downs, lost etc, please call Downsman HQ on the number provided at check-in.
• Safeguarding rules strictly mandate no 1:1 adult to young person ratio. Consequently, when transporting the resting team member between checkpoints in Classes B, E & S, there must be a minimum of 3 people in the service vehicle to include at least one adult with a valid DBS check.
• Service Crews and team members not walking at the time must stay within the perimeter of the parking area for the Service Area and must not walk to meet their teams. Should they do so, it will be assumed that they have made contact with their team and a penalty will be imposed.
• Service Crews must not visit Checkpoints under any circumstances and they must not intercept their teams anywhere else en-route other than at the stipulated Service Areas.
• Any change of Service Crew (including vehicle) should be notified to the relevant staff member at the Service Area where the change occurs.
• Each team must have only one vehicle with Service Crew.
• Service Crews must carry a comprehensive first aid kit.
• Service Crews cannot service more than 1 team.
• Service Crews and teams must only communicate with each other at Service Areas. Communication by any means between teams and Service Crews en-route between Service Areas will incur a penalty and possible disqualification.
• Service Crews may opt to view their teams tracking data on a smart phone or device. To comply with safeguarding rules, Service Crews must not share their teams login and password for the tracking data with anybody else. Do not attempt to contact or search for teams that you notice have lost their way, in this instance you will notify the checkpoint staff who will then instigate the necessary actions. Contravening these rules will result in a time penalty or disqualification.
• Fully cooperate with staff regarding parking, noise and team behaviour at Service Areas in order to avoid any disruption and annoyance to landowners, local residents and other users of the South Downs.
• Should the team retire at a Checkpoint, the Service Crew must remain at the next Service Area and the organisers will arrange for the team to be brought to them.
• The organisers require a contact telephone number for the Service Crew for use in case of a query or emergency. The Service Crew must be available on this number at all times.
• The Service Crew has a joint responsibility with their team, to check and ensure that the safety and emergency team equipment that is stipulated on the kit list, remains with the hikers at all times, including phones or trackers. None of the mandated equipment must find its way into the Service Vehicle during the hike. This is a particular problem for Classes B, E & S, whereby the team-mate that is about to take rest, may need to handover equipment before doing so.
• If any of the teams emergency mobile phones are replaced for any reason at a Service Area, then the Service Crew has a joint responsibility to notify the checkpoint staff of the replacement number.
• The service crew is responsible for ensuring that the teams emergency phones remain sufficiently charged for the duration of the event i.e. swap out and recharge spare battery packs as required.
• Please also refer to the section titled “Arrangements for Arriving at The Start and Finish Locations,” detailed here.
• Service Crew to ensure that tally cards & trackers are handed over to checkpoint staff at the end of the hike.
• Service Crews for the competitive classes will very likely have an early start and a late finish. Safety is our prime concern. If Service Crews feel too tired to drive, then, by their own arrangement, they have the option to meet and handover to an alternative Service Crew at any Service Area (providing that any such crew still complies with Safeguarding rules, no 1:1 adult to young person ratio and at least 1 DBS checked adult in the vehicle). Advise checkpoint staff at the Service Area of any Service Crew change and provide new contact details.
• Classes A, B, E & V. Glow sticks will be issued to the service crew for each team at their start locations at Bignor and Steyning Bowl. Service crews to crack them and attach to 2 members of their team when they approach dusk.

Service Crew Route Advice & Instructions

Please head the following advice or instruction at locations relevant to your team.

Service Crew Locations Click below for Street View link	Grid Reference	Advice and Instructions
Bignor	SU 973 129	Start location for Classes A, B & Open Class-Bignor to Washington or Steyning Bowl. Checkpoint is in the public carpark at the top of the hill. What3words location: https://w3w.co/buzz.trapdoor.unionists
Kithurst Hill	TQ 070 125	The lane leading to Kithurst Hill is a concealed entrance. Checkpoint is in the public carpark. Checkpoint staff will hold a key for the height restriction barrier. What3words location: https://w3w.co/evenings.confetti.trucks
Washington	TQ 118 128	Service area and finish point for Open Class- Bignor to WashingtonCheckpoint is in the church carpark located just before the eastern side of the bridge over the A24. What3words location: https://w3w.co/blackouts.node.hotspots
Steyning Bowl	TQ 162 095	Service Area for A & B. Start location Class E & V and a finish point for Open Class-Bignor to Steyning Bowl. Checkpoint is in small field. What3words location: https://w3w.co/zone.aside.skirt
Devils Dyke	TQ 258 110	Public toilets are located to the rear of the pub. Car park can be busy. Checkpoint is in the first car park adjacent to the pub What3words location: https://w3w.co/petulant.spray.smarting
Ditchling Beacon	TQ 333 129	Carpark can be very busy. You may be requested to view your team tracking data to arrive no earlier than 20 minutes ahead of your team. Expect traffic en-route to Falmer before if BHA are at home. Please clearly display your Service Crew poster in your windscreen, if not, BHA security will refuse you access into Falmer checkpoint. What3words location: https://w3w.co/unfilled.loans.geese
Plumpton College	TQ 359 136   Only Class S & Open Class	Class S and Open Class-Plumpton to Itford or Firle Beacon start here. All other classes do not come to this location. Check-in is in the large sports hall. Plumpton College, Ditchling Rd, Plumpton, BA7 3AE. Drive past the main college building and park to the rear of the complex and near to the sports hall. Leaders walking with Open Class teams may leave their vehicle here at risk of the owner. Please help to get your team through the check-in process ASAP as this is a very busy start location and long queues will quickly form if there are delays. Expect traffic en-route to Falmer if BHA are at home. Please clearly display your Service Crew poster clearly in your windscreen, if not, BHA security will refuse you access into Falmer checkpoint. Please be mindful that we have other Downsman teams crossing the road at the top of Ditchling Beacon. What3words location: https://w3w.co/banquets.wider.above Plumpton College Check-in
Falmer	TQ 367 092	The turning off of the A27 dual carriageway is a sharp bend, please approach slowly. If BHA football club are playing at home, BHA security staff will allow Downsman traffic into the Service Area. YOUR SERVICE CREW POSTER MUST BE CLEARLY ON DISPALY IN THE WINDSCREEN WHEN ENTERING THIS CHECKPOINT. The checkpoint is at the top of the ramp leading to the bridge over the A27. Do not park on the ramp, drive past the ramp and park on the old A27 by the pavement. The landlord has instructed that the area, in the vicinity of the checkpoint, must be kept clear for local traffic to pass through unhindered. Therefore, please do not allow teams to congregate in the middle of the road. What3words location of checkpoint staff: https://w3w.co/fans.arise.rents What3words location of checkpoint parking https://w3w.co/open.staples.inherits
Itford	TQ 426 053 location may slightly vary at farmer’s discretion	Service Area & finish location for Open Class-Plumpton to Itford, Start location for Open Class-Itford to Eastbourne. You cannot access this checkpoint via the YHA. Vehicles can only approach this checkpoint from west of the river. Follow South Downs Way track and turn right into the field before you reach the river bridge. Park in the field. Toilet available. EDSFAT 1st aid team stationed on-site. Please use them if anybody requires a 1st Aids assessment. For service crews moving on to Firle Beacon, ignore your sat nav if it is telling you to turn right across the river bridge and railway crossing, this route is blocked. Please drive the long way around (via Kingston to access A27).What3words location: https://w3w.co/trap.spells.throat
Firle Beacon	TQ 468 058	Service Area & Finish location for Open Class-Plumpton to Firle.Checkpoint is in the public car park at the top of the track. Note, Service Crews are welcome to wait at Firle to avoid arriving at Alfriston too early.What3words location: https://w3w.co/revealing.jogged.supplier
Alfriston	TQ 517 029	Please do not arrive at Alfriston more than 20 minutes ahead of your team. Use your tracking data or judgement to manage your arrival time. You are welcome to wait at Firle beforehand. Park on hardstanding by farm buildings. Please keep your team whisper quiet if here after dark. What3words location: https://w3w.co/quaking.impulsive.sleepless
Eastbourne	TV 585 986	Finish for all competitive classes and Open Class-Itford to Eastbourne. Parking is on the patch of land where the South Downs Way track meets with the road. EDSFAT 1st Aid team stationed on-site. Please use them if any of your teams requires a 1st Aid assessment. What3words location: https://w3w.co/rivers.jumps.copper