As October unfolds, we find ourselves transitioning from warm summer days to cooler autumn nights. It is great to welcome back our young people following the Summer break, and plans are already underway for the upcoming months!

Group Update

Growth: The group continues to grow. Over the last nine months, we have grown by 163.33%. This is thanks to our fantastic volunteer team, who continue to deliver an engaging program weekly. As the group continues to grow, we recognise the need to increase sections and potentially branch out sections as demand ramps up.

Squirrels: We have also opened a brand new Squirrel Drey for young people aged 4 – 6. A team of brand-new volunteers drives this and is off to a flying start! The new Drey has seen young people from far and near wanting to take on Scouting’s latest offering.

Board of Trustees: After spending two years as Group Chair, I would like to thank and congratulate Keith Mann for his service leading our Trustee Board. Keith won’t be disappearing. He will remain on the board as a Trustee. I am pleased to announce that Rob Kay will take over from Keith (July 2024) and lead our board. I would also like to thank Chrissie (Group Trustee), who will also be stepping back from the Board.

Thank You: We would like to thank Skip (Johann), who will be stepping back due to increasing work commitments. Johann, along with Mads, has continued to drive our Scout section following a change within the Scout team. Johann will continue volunteering with the group and help with weekend activities and camps.

Off the back of this, we’re looking for volunteers who can spare a couple of hours a week to join our team. Your help will impact our Young People, enabling them to learn Skills for Life. – Join Now

Current Vacancies:

  • Scout Team Leader
  • Scout Team Member
  • Cub Team Member
  • Trustee

Welcome to Our Team: It has been a busy few months, and I am pleased to welcome six new volunteers to our group.

  • Rob Kay – Group Chair
  • Beth Woodings – Squirrels Team Leader
  • Heidi Hibberd – Squirrels Team Member
  • Lucas Hibberd – Squirrels Team Member
  • Elliemai Walker – Squirrels Team Member
  • Josh Broughton – Cubs Team Member

Communication

In the current world of communication, we recognise that emails aren’t getting picked up as quickly and see the need to add additional communication methods. Historically, we have used Facebook Groups, but due to the algorithms that Meta has introduced, these proved less effective.

As a result, we have gone back to the drawing board and looked at WhatsApp Communities. Our primary method remains emails through OnlineScoutManager. Always check your junk folder; as we know, emails sometimes end up there.

What are we working on?

  • Parent volunteer group
  • Building works are anticipated to start in early January 2025
  • Social events, including a Halloween disco
  • Onsite lending library
  • Children in Need
  • Coffee and cake morning in November

Sanitary Products—We have free sanitary products available in the back room for members and their guests. You can also donate to these via our Crowdfunder page.

Board of Trustees Update

As we communicated at the AGM in July, we have elected a new Chairperson to support the charity side of our group—his name is Rob Kay. He joins us from a career in HR, Safety, and Employment law and has been on many companies’ charity and grant boards, including Amazon UK, Mermaids, Stonewall, Adoption UK, and the noH8 campaign.

“Our priorities for 2024/25 are making the best program we can for your young people, making our space available for the wider community, and we are currently applying for grants and fundraising to make significant improvements to our building, including a new kitchen, disabled access, downstairs bathrooms, re-decoration, new fire doors and renovations. We are seeking money through grants to allow us to keep the cost to our families as low as possible and do not plan to raise our £14 per month fee. We receive a grant from a community member each year that provides us approximately £28 per young person, per year – this allows us to keep the costs to you down.”

Yours in Scouting,

Rob Kay
Chairperson

Scout Achievements

Pancake Party! – In February, we joined the community at St Mark’s Church on Shrove Tuesday, where we celebrated with the local community!Our Beavers, Cubs and Scouts had great fun making their own pancakes with lots of health options.

Chocolate Bingo 🐣 – Our Chocolate Bingo was a massive success, raising £502.40, which will go towards the group’s operating costs. We want to thank everyone who came from far and wide. We can’t wait for our next event, our Christmas Bingo.

Superheroes & Villains Group Camp: Back in January, I set out to deliver a “traditional” camp where we were independent of any buildings. We took our new tents, marquee, pop-up kitchen, and anything else we needed.

We were successfully awarded our grant from J&O Lloyd, and we were able to purchase over £11,000 worth of camping equipment!

On the Water – In June, Beavers, Cubs, and Scouts embraced the challenge of paddle sports. Using both kayaks and bell boats, they navigated the scenic River Trent, learning new skills and building confidence on the water. For many, this was their first time experiencing life on the river, and it opened up a whole new world of adventure and teamwork. The thrill of paddling through the water and the sense of achievement at the end of each session made it an unforgettable experience for all involved.

Winshill in Bloom—Our Cubs and Scouts got their hands dirty and dug into this year’s competition! Both planters looked amazing, and our young people enjoyed giving back to the community.

Out in the community—In August, we were at the Winshill Parish Fair at Winshill Resource Centre. It was great to be in the heart of our community, engaging with new young people and adults. A big drive was around our brand-new Squirrel section.

Fundraising Update

As a non-profit charity, we rely heavily on fundraising to generate the essential funds to keep our Group running. These funds help cover building costs, invest in new equipment, and, most importantly, allow us to keep our membership fees affordable.

How Can You Help?
We’re looking for parents to join our team and take on small tasks that will have a significant impact. Whether it’s writing to organisations to request raffle prizes or helping us search and apply for grants, your contribution could make a real difference. So, why wait? Join us today!

Other ways to support us:

  • We are upgrading and modernising some of our equipment. Many older items will be on sale at the hut, with proceeds going to our crowdfunding page. Don’t forget to add Gift Aid if you’re eligible! Link to Crowdfunder. We also suggest not tipping the platform.
  • Share our crowdfunding link with friends, family, and colleagues to help spread the word. Every little helps, and adding Gift Aid increases your donation without costing you extra—link to Crowdfunder.
  • We have applied for a matching grant that could double any contributions made on our crowdfunding platform. If successful, this will significantly boost our funds.
  • Ask your employer if they would be willing to donate raffle prizes or funds to help support our activities.
  • Are you considering a sponsored event like a 5K run, marathon, or even something quirky like a bath in beans? Please consider raising funds for us as your charity of choice.
  • Do you have any new, unwanted gifts? Bring them to the hut! They’ll be perfect for our raffle or tombola prizes. Please note: no items containing nuts.
  • We’re also looking for children’s books (ages 4–18) to build our soon-to-be lending library. Donations are greatly appreciated.
  • Do you have any good-quality, unwanted children’s clothes or toys (ages 4+)? Donate them to the hut for other members to take; in return, they can donate to us – Link to Crowdfunder.
  • If you have art supplies lying around—pens, paper, paint, glitter, glue—we’d love to have them for our craft activities!
  • When your child receives badges, a new necker, or a woggle, please consider making a small donation via our Crowdfunder page. Badges cost £1 each, neckers are £5.00, and woggles are £0.60 – £1.00. These items will always be free, but voluntary donations are greatly appreciated! Link to Crowdfunder.
  • Are you ordering a new uniform for your child? Let us place the order for you and avoid delivery costs. If you’re eligible, we can claim Gift Aid through our crowdfunding platform.
  • If you have a jar of pennies gathering dust, why not bring it to the hut? We’ll cash it in and add the total to our fundraising account.
  • We are taking on a plot at the local allotment and would welcome any spare seeds you have lying around.

Thank You

It has been an amazing few months of Scouting; we have so much to look forward to over the next few months. I want to say a huge thank you, firstly, to my team of Adult Volunteers; they are the backbone of our group’s success. Not only do we have our section leaders, whom you see weekly, but we also have heroes behind the scenes who ensure our admin tasks are carried out and fix things around the building when they break.

Finally, we thank our parents, guardians, and supporters for bearing with us from time to time and lending a hand when we need it. We are proud of every young person in our group, and it is incredible to see them conquer their challenges and gain their badges!

Yours in Scouting,

Jordan Mann
Lead Group Volunteer