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sletter w e N t u o c S Somerset
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12 January 20 Issue 12
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An invitation
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ancy an adventure in Buckinghamshire? The Southern 50 is a bit like Ten Tors but all in 24 hours. The gruelling challenge rambles through the Chiltern Hills and is really well attended by Scouts and Explorers from across Southern England. The event takes place on February 11th and runs for 24 hours from 0600 on the 11th to 0600 on the 12th. You can arrive and camp the night on the 10th if you wish. This invitation comes from the Greater South East London Scout County.
Are you Mad for 2013?
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ive Explorers and two Leaders from Somerset have been selected to take part in Mad13 – an expedition in Madagascar next year.
Chris Brown, Ben Mason, Chris Wright, Josh Fonseka and Jordan Hunt along with leaders Phil Clackson and Reneria Rutherford are the lucky hikers and will be exploring tropical rainforests, touching the sands on paradise beaches, hiking in extraordinary and unique landscapes whilst sharing a cup or two of Ranonapango with the Malagasy. We don’t know what that is either! "Madagascar 2013 is a large and ambitious expedition with the aim of providing young people in Scouting major international experiences, building strong international relationships through close cooperation and delivering credible benefit to local partners through defined project work,” said Emma Blackmore. On being selected Chris from Rode said "It's going to be awesome! Can’t wait to make new friends, help out local communities, it’s an adventure of a life time!" Whilst Ben said: "I'm over-the-moon that I'm off travelling again and will be able to meet so many more amazing people like on World Jamboree." Taking part in the expeditions are Explorers and Network members from across the South West with the primary organising team being from Gloucester.
In the pot for Pudsey bear
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he 1st Coleford Beavers dug deep for Children In Need in November. Each Beaver created a Pudsey face mask during their evening meeting and took the masks home. Upon their return to Beavers the following week the young people had stuck all the lose change they could find to the masks. This was all donated to Children In Need which, this year, raised well over 26 million pounds for disadvantaged children in all corners of the UK. CiN works with organisations both large and small who empower young children and extend their life choices.
They now all need to raise £3000 each for the trip, which for most of them is hot of the back of fundraising and attending the World Scout Jamboree this summer. www.mad13.org.uk
Volunteer driver insurance advice
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ome insurers ask that you tell them when you are driving voluntarily for organisations such as the Scout Association. The Association of British Insurers has put together an online resource that tells you everything you need to know: www.abi.org.uk
u o c s t e s r e m o .s w w w
. . . t cou New RDS officer for the South West
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he South West welcomes a new Regional Development Officer in February. Hannah Bester joins the SW Regional Development Service on the 6th of February 2012.
ScoutFest Bookings
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e’ve beaten our personal best. Somerset’s team are now working on a 2000 person event for ScoutFest this year. The organising team are delighted that so many people are coming.
Hannah is currently employed in Cumbria Scout County as the CDO. Whilst working in Cumbria, Hannah has been very successful in developing Scouting across the county.
Today (Jan 3rd) the second part of our online booking system has opened. You can now download forms for your participants. Once these are filled in and returned you enter the information online and keep the form for your records.
Hannah replaces Debbie Evans who has been promoted to RDM for London. She joins, Jean, Ben, Brad and Jamie to make up the SW Regional Regional Development Service.
Payment details will then be issued to you. Adults continue to pay separately online when they book up.
The RDS are a brilliant resource available to be tapped into by any Scout leader in the SouthWest. Drop Jamie MacDonald a line:
ScoutFest t-shirts are also selling quick so be sure to purchase yours before stocks run out.
Jamie.MacDonald@scouts.org.uk
Beaver residential courses
Leaders of tomorrow
R
esults of The Scout Association’s Impact Review hace now been published online. www.scouts.org.uk/impactstudy.
This independent report highlights how the nature and scale of Scouting brings significant personal and professional development opportunities to its membership, as well as how Scouting’s attributes and activities provide considerable benefit to employers and local communities. Its impact on young people, its volunteers and the wider community, highlights that the benefits of Scouting go beyond the individual. Offering social environmental and economic benefits to its members and its communities. The sheer variety and scale of activity on offer to young people and adults at a relatively low cost, makes Scouting unique. It is clear from the research that those who have been involved in Scouting as a young person, volunteer, employer or as a beneficiary of community action see Scouting as a positive influence with tangible benefits to a wide range of groups and individuals.
uts.org.uk
www.somersetscouts.org.uk/scoutfest
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he Scout Association is running weekend courses next year to help Beaver Scout Leaders learn how to plan and run residential experiences in a hands-on and fun environment. They’re designed to give you the confidence to run a residential for your Colony. Email to book your place or find more information online.
Brand centre updates
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ew brand centre resources Display boards, 2012 calendars, minibus branding, car stickers and lots more are now available now on the Print Centre.
i.SCOUT
i s a m t s i r Ch u m m o c e th x
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Delivering the post in Yeovil... the Scout way!
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couting touches around 5 million people every year in communities across the UK through delivery of Scout Posts and in Somerset we’re doing our bit. Around 40,000 cards across the county were delivered in the run up to Christmas by our Scouts and their leaders. South Petherton and Highbridge Scouts as well as the Sedgemoor Explorers are just three of the many groups collecting, sorting and delivering in Somerset but the largest operation is in Yeovil where three groups club together to deliver around 30,000 cards every year. Great Lyde, Holy Trinity and West Coker each play a part in the mammoth operation which sees hundreds of young people and leaders pulling together to make deliveries throughout Yeovil and in some outlying villages too.
Yeovil’s delivery is one of the largest and most successful Scout Posts in the UK allowing Scouting to reach out into the community. In particular the post takes letters for the elderly of Yeovil and when the Beavers, Cubs, Scouts and Explorers go out on their rounds each customer gets a personal ‘Merry Christmas’ with each delivery.
This year the BBC even took notice of the great work going on in Yeovil and sent down a film crew in December to make a short film about the operation. Loads of young people were able to take part in the filming and because the film was shown on BBC One’s Breakfast news the Yeovil Scouts not only reached out to their local community this year but managed to touch people right across the UK with their Scouting story.
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Yeovil Scouts at their Christmas post sorting in December
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Festive checkout cheer
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first for Wellington and a once in a lifetime opportunity to do bag packing at the Waitrose tills in Wellington, Scouts spent six hours meeting members of the public this Christmas Eve.
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When Waitrose chose the 1st Wellington Scouts as one of three charity beneficiaries at its Wellington store the group were given over £500 as a donation.
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Every month the store has three charities and customers choose which charity they would like the monthly £1000 donation to support.
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1st Wellington’s appeal was the third best supported in the lifetime of the store and had over half of the customer’s vote. Then, contrary to standard store policy, the Wellington branch manager allowed the group to spend Christmas Eve bag packing for customers as they finished their festive shopping. In six hours with just five buckets the group raised an extraordinary £870. A festive example of how much Scouting means and gives to the community.
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Wellington Beavers fund raise at their local Waitrose on Christmas Eve
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? e k i h a y c n a F
Could you accommodate Alex on his 1417 mile adventure?
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f you would like to arrange a spot of hiking in 2012, Alex Norman, the latest Scout to attempt walking from Lands End to John O Groats is going to be passing through Somerset in July. Alex will only visit a few Scout counties in the UK as he tries to take the shortest possible way and Alex’s adventures will last eight days in the county passing through Minehead, Taunton and Cheddar to name just a few of his stop offs. What Alex needs is somewhere to stay and some Scouts to hike with. “I hope I make some long term friends out of this walk and it will be extremely nice to keep in touch
with many of the people I meet,” said Alex. You are all invited to hike alongside Alex as he passes through. Alex’s day routes through Somerset are each 12 – 16 miles long. The full route is shown below. “The planning is long, complex and very hard. I have to organise my route, my accommodation, my food, where I will wash, what to carry, how to get fresh clothes plus more and it is a logistical problem and a half, but a worthwhile problem to solve. I am really looking forward to meeting many new people on the walk and possibly seeing old friends from the 2011 World Scout Jamboree.”
Alex’s expedition supports Macmillan Cancer and will also raise money to fix up Alex’s local Scout campsite. “I am taking on this challenge because it is something I have wanted to do for a couple of years and never had the time to do it but as I leave college in the summer and start university in September I have just enough time to fit in LEJOG. I want to do it now while I have the opportunity.” Email ScoutOut and we’ll put you in touch.
Alex’s route through Somerset July 2012 7th 8th 9th 10th 11th 12th 13th 14th 15th 16th
Witherage to Exford Exford to Minehead Minehead to Bicknoller Bicknoller to Taunton Taunton to Langport Langport to Street Street to Wells Wells to Cheddar Cheddar to Temple Cloud Temple Cloud to Bath
Lands End to John O Groats
s Alex ’ e n o t a Th
Approx 1417 miles
scoutout@somersetscouts.org.uk
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1st - 4th June 2012
February 28th
January 3rd
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March 31st Payments due y online Camp fees are due, pa ue for for adults, pay by cheq asurer. participants to our tre
s, We’re bringing in more activitie a including bungee trampolines, spider mobile high ropes course and a o going test mountain slide. We’re als fas the be to n ve pro s ha t en ev The fe on to be rigging up an internet ca ts ou Sc t rse me So the t en ev booking our site and in the next few weeks ny ma so t tha w no d an ing has ever run tertainments team will be firm en is st tFe ou Sc , up d ne of you have sig ns for their talent show. pla up r. tte be about to get even
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ver 1500 people have booked to come to ScoutFest in 2012.
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There’s a whole world down here
The Somerset Scout caving team is growing by the day, we’ve new kit, new instructors and we hope to intise a new hunger for underground adventure in you… Somerset is among the UK’s top locations for caving. The Mendip hills and the area around Cheddar are home to some of the most exciting cave networks you can clamber into and the Somerset Scouts are fully equipped to let our Scouts explore them.
The winding passages, underground waterfalls, the eerie pitch black that comes with being underground, the drip of stalactites and thrill of exploring cave networks. Even Cubs can come underground with our instructors.
Our most recent trip Just before Christmas we got several Scouts and even a Cub down Swildon’s hole not far from Priddy on the Mendips. During the 2 hour round trip the guys and girls were guided into the cave and then allowed to explore by themselves, with some guidance. “We like to think of it as Exploring themselves and exploring for themselves,” says Chief County Caving Advisor Rob Franklin.
caving@somers
Caving just got a lot warmer We’ve invested in a lot of kit so you guys can get underground. Not only have we got new helmets, ropes, harnesses, lights and over suits but we also bought a whole pile of fleece under suits which mean caving as an activity is now a lot warmer and cleaner.
And we’re open all year
In actual fact it’s warmer in the caves in the winter than it is outside. Caving is a great activity this time of year, doesn’t matter if the sun goes down at 4.30 in the afternoon because, let’s face it, it’s not going to make much difference underground! And because there is no wind chill and you’re all wrapped up in our new caving suits anyway clambering about in the dark under the Mendips is a very warm activity.
Leading the way Our programme of leader training is flourishing and there are still more opportunities to take part. Leaders have come from all over to learn how to cave and you don’t need any prior knowledge – just an insatiable appetite for adventure! If you fancy learning this wicked skill, getting underground and helping us give more young people the opportunity to get underground get in touch and we’ll put you in a caving suit. Typically the commitment to leading groups underground is minimal as we share the trips around everybody. Usually our leaders can’t wait to get given a trip to run!
Making extreme accessible
Our Somerset Scouts are making this extreme sport enjoyable and accessible for all. We can offer you and the young people you support trips underground any time of the year and we’re not just limited to Somerset. Whilst the caving here is awesome we can also take you to Wales, Derby, even Yorkshire for trips in caves. A caving trip is also a great way to get your Scouts and Explorers their Caving badge.
setscouts.org.uk
Y T N U O C E TH DIARY
SAT 7/1
Network Scout Ball
SAT 14/1
Trainer’s Training
FRI 10/2 to SUN 12/2
Snowdon Scramble
FRI 24/2 to SUN 26/2
Adult Hill Walking
SUN 4/3
Mountain Bike Challenge
This way...
Scouts navigated through the woods in stellar time at Taunton’s annual orienteering challenge.
D
espite slippery conditions, a chilly wind and only a hint of sunshine Castle Neroche was host to 48 Scouts and six Explorers racing around in the woods at the Taunton District Orienteering in December. Their spirits unwashed by the dull and damp day the 14 teams got down to some enthusiastic orienteering. West hawk was the first team off the line and set a cracking pace around the course, completing in 44 minutes. They were the team to beat but had unfortunately missed a couple of punches
on the checkpoints at the first attempt and lost valuable minutes going back to get them. Just under an hour later, Wilton a came in with a time of 31 minutes. “ That seemed unbeatable,” said John Peach, until, half an hour later, Wilton C (Wilton bought three teams to the event), finished in just 25 minutes crowning them the challenge winners. The Wilton Dragons also won the Explorer orienteering challenge. It was reported that there was no bad sportsmanship on the course and the standard of orienteering was very high indeed.
Dicky bows and all the chivalry you can muster. The Network ball promises to be the highlight of the January programme. The theme is hats this year. Come along to discover ‘what is new’ in the training arena, share good practises and discuss difficulties experienced in the role. Venue:Compton Dundon Village Hall Somerset Network are off up the hills again scrambling the peaks of Snowdonia.
Batchelors Hall, Dartmoor. Learn and experience this refreshing activity whilst gaining a hill walking qualification.
Race your bikes around Tedbury campsite near Frome 9.15 am, Scouts and Explorers. t is e for conten six Our deadlin e su 24/12/10. Is Wednesday ulbblieshpeudblished ut pil bew utO suilel 13 Isw 1s.t, 2011. Sco ry a u n 12 0 Ja 2 h Marc
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scoutout@somersetscouts.org.u
MEDIA TEAM
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