It’s a full edition with everyone out and doing great things. Find out that and some useful things in this month’s Tails.
DofE Bronze and Silver Presentation
By Pat Savage, DofE Award Group Leader.
The presentations were held at Applemore College on 5 April 2022. Charley Softley received her Bronze DofE Award Certificate and Marianna Ash received her Silver DofE Award Certificate.
Sandleheath Sea Scouts. Marianna Ash with her Silver certificate, Charley Softley with her Bronze Certificate. Charley’s father. Robin Mair (Team DC) and Pat Savage as DofE Award Group Leader at 1st Sandleheath Sea Scouts and also as Secretary of the New Forest DofE Network.
For Marianna’s Silver Award volunteering section, she raised funds for the charity The Trussell Trust, for her Physical section she did cycling, for her Skills section she improved her Piano playing skills by focussing on Jazz and her Expedition was walking in Dorset in the Winfrith to Wareham areas.
For Charley’s Bronze Award volunteering, she volunteered at a local Cub Pack as a Young Leader, for her Physical section she did Basketball, for her Skills section she played the Harp and her Expedition was walking in the New Forest.
They are both now working on their Gold Awards and also Charley is finishing her Silver Award. Both Marianna and Charley are very conscientious members of 1st Sandleheath Sea Scouts and Avon Valley Explorers and their commitment to Scouting is to be applauded.
5th Testwood Cubs Raise over £1000 for Homeless Charity No Limits
By Steven Osborn, Deputy Group Scout Leader, 5th Testwood.
We’re so proud that the Cubs of Endeavour Cub Pack at the 5th Testwood have made a difference and raised a great deal of money for homeless charity No Limits. What started as a session covering UK Parliament Week in September 2021 led to both packs choosing a theme to improve in our community. Endeavour, our Tuesday pack, chose homelessness as they had seen too much of it.
Using the connections of leader, Craig Challis, they explored issues facing homeless people over a number of sessions and decided what they were going to do to help. In April they put the plan into action with a cardboard camp at our HQ to experience it for themselves and getting sponsored by friends and family. Through this they raised £1067 which has been given to No Limits, a homeless charity in Southampton. With it, items like sleeping bags, SIM cards, pot noodles and more were bought to help those in need get back on their feet.
More to the story can be found on their website: Cub Scouts Take On Challenge to Help the Homeless
Fordingbridge Group Camp
By Martine Coatham, Group Scout Leader for Fordingbridge.
Fordingbridge held a successful group camp with Scouts, Cubs and Beavers over the weekend. It was the first camp for many of our young people (and leaders). There was lots of camp craft, cooking, hiking, playing, shooting, axe throwing and of course, smores around the campfire. The Scouts were able to share their skills with the younger sections, helping to erect tents and learn new games. Well done everyone!
Pegasus Scout Network take aim for Rifle Shooting
By Steven Osborn, District Scout Network Commissioner.
After a gap that was far too long, a number of Pegasus Scout Network members got together at Ferny Crofts Scout Activity Centre for an evening of rifle shooting. It was youth led by Network members and instructor Michael. With some target games incorporated, we were surprisingly good given it had been a number of years since we’d last given it a go.
Afterwards we took some time to get some new dates in the diary. We’re looking for Scout Network aged members (18-25 years) to join us, have a laugh and be the next generation of Scout Network. Future events will be on our Facebook page and Instagram feed (search Pegasus Scout Network for both).
If you’re able to help guide this group then we’re looking for some people to help right now. If that’s you, or you have someone you know who could help, then please do let Kevin know!
4th Eling Donkey Derby
By Donna Ovenden, Group Scout Leader, 4th Eling Sea Scouts.
A huge thank you to everyone that pitched in, be it before, loading, on the Friday and event day itself, and those that helped unload all the kit at the end!
Special thanks to Anna Cygan, Donkey Derby Chair who we dragged back into run the event! The Fundraising team, Claire W, Lisa V, Lyn M, Karen M, Sarah & Craig C. Quite a few of them new to the Donkey fundraising team as well!
Thank you to the leaders who again gave more time to be there on the day and setup and pack away. They are what makes the group work from week to week and without them there would be no group!
So on to the part you have all been waiting for…………………
We raised over a whooping £10500. We are still awaiting some possible matching funding and grants to come in, but this will just push the total up!
Donkey Derby Recruitment Stand
By Team DC
Robin, Kevin & Lynn ran a recruitment stand at the Donkey Derby and had some success in identifying youngsters wanting to join or return to Scouting.
Details have already been sent to the relevant GSLs/Section Leaders. Some of the parents expressed an interest in being able to help, so conversations to be had when contact is made.
We lost count of how many wool friendship bracelets were made! We also have plans to support other local events across the District in the coming months.
Sandleheath Cubs
By Richard Farr, Cub Scout Leader, 1st Sandleheath.
Sandleheath cubs have been busy tying square lashings to make stretchers and writing thank you letters to the queen for her service over the last seventy years.
They also squeezed in a bit of flag carrying practice ready for the Jubilee service on 5th June.
5th Testwood Groovy Group Camp for 60th Birthday
By Steven Osborn, Deputy Group Scout Leader, 5th Testwood.
This year 5th Testwood Scout group celebrates our 60th year of Scouting in our corner of Testwood and what better than with a Group Camp, our first in five years. A Groovy 60s theme soon emerged from Cub Scout Leader Craig and a truly collaborative spirit emerged from there.
Ferny Crofts Scout Activity Centre was our host for a weekend (13th-15th May). Packed full of activities from climbing to caving, archery to abseiling, rafting to racing round the forest. Our Cubs, Scouts and Cerberus ESU joined us from Friday night while our Beaver Scouts joined us on Saturday morning with all heading home on Sunday afternoon. As an added bonus, past members of the group joined us on Saturday afternoon to enjoy the biggest cake the group’s ever seen, a wide game in the forest and to share memories with some familiar faces.
Over the weekend we invited several parents along to join us, catching the Scouting bug as they do so, and invested a number of our new leaders. A lovely surprise came from Martin Rudd (Deputy County Commissioner) and Donna Kerrigan (District Chair) who presented Kerie Wallace, ESL with Cerberus, with his Silver Wolf in front of the group and our guests.
Our thanks go to all who made the event a success, from the many leaders over the weekend who looked after our young people (it was tough for many after so long!) to the many who spent months organising it.
Specifically, thanks to Craig and Sarah (CSLs) who originated our badges, cake and much of the theming elements that made the camp special; to Joe, Max and James (SLs) who ensured we had the kit we needed and spent the week after stressing about getting it back dry; to Kerie who helped set up and transport kit to camp; Robin for helping us transport what we needed; Julie, Lynn and Fran as our expert kitchen team and Andy for operating our super cool photo booth.
We couldn’t do it without the efforts of so many people and I know our young people will remember the camp for some time to come.
See more pictures and find out more on their website: Testwood Celebrates 60 Years with a Groovy Camp
Avon Valley Explorers reach for Bronze
By David Coatham, Assistant Explorer Scout Leader for Avon Valley ESU.
Photos of 2 of Avon Valley Explorers DofE groups, who have just completed their Bronze assessed on Cranborne Chase. This is them leaving 1st Woodcutts scout hall on the final day. After a series of early morning alarm calls, starting with swallows diving over the tents, followed by heavy rock music being played to the cows over the road and then the farm cockerel. A very good weekend.
Den Building
By Paddy Butler, Scout Leader, 3rd Ringwood.
A couple of weeks ago 3rd Ringwood scouts set off into the depths of the Forest, in search of a place to stay the night. The light was fading, birds going to roost and the night ahead was going to be a long one.
Dens that were made in the area had been destroyed, someone had gone ahead and messed up the only accommodation available for the night. Scouts had to act quickly and get on and build somewhere to bed down for the night. They worked in small groups, collecting logs and rebuilding dens. Some started new ones from scratch, against trees, in ditches…anywhere they could! The midges began to bite and building carried on frantically.
Even the leaders got involved – nice one Skip!
But then it was 9pm…and we all went home! What a relief we didn’t have to sleep in some of those dens!
Upcoming events and information
Nights Away Notifications
With the ever-increasing number of nights away notifications coming in for approval can we ask that, if at all possible, they arrive at least 7 days before the event. This then gives the DC team time to carry out the required procedural checks and review the risk assessments. With 1 recent application there were 19 different risk assessments. Please also ensure that the Nights away notification is sent to the [email protected] email address.
Please note that between the 5th and 21st August Lynn is away on Suisse Adventure. Further to this Robin is also away from the 12th -21st August on the P23 pre visit. Please ensure that all nights away notification for this period are received by the DC email address by at the very latest the 5th August. This will then allow time for cross checking and approval.
County Emlyn Competition
From Hampshire Scouts.
We are excited to let you know that we are now able to accept Explorer teams into the Emlyn competition.
The format of the competition will remain the same with the addition of the new Explorer category, to run alongside the Scout competition. Both Explorers and Scouts will be competing separate trophies.
There is plenty of space for both Scout and Explorer teams. At this time we would like to encourage any entries your district would like to put forward for either competition. Thank you to the districts who have begun to enter teams, we look forward to seeing them there.
Please see the Emlyn Flyer for full details and how to enter.
Upcoming Events
New Forest District Scouts Annual General Meeting
A date for your diary please. The District AGM has been booked for Tuesday 12th July at Harry’s Island camp site, with a BBQ starting at 7:00pm, followed by the AGM at 7:30pm. Leader’s children are also welcome to attend. We will send a separate invitation soon so we have an idea of numbers to cater for.
Copythorne Carnival
This year’s New Forest Copythorne Carnival will be on the 11th of June. The showground open’s at 1pm. The Parade leaves at 5pm and returns at 6:30pm. Then you can party into the night with live music.
More info HERE.
Steam Rally
The Copythorne (New Forest) steam rally day, is on Sunday 12th of June. It covers so much more than just steam engines, there are tractors, commercial vehicles stationary engines, classic cars and bikes. More info HERE.
New faces wanted for Training Advisors and welcoming new volunteers
We are currently looking for new Training Advisors across the district, all enquiries to Julie Mair please. [email protected]
Also required are new members for the Appointments Advisory Committee. We are especially keen to hear from our younger adult leaders. It’s not a huge commitment time wise and where possible is done via Zoom. All enquiries to Donna Kerrigan [email protected]
June is Pride Month
By Kevin Harmer, Team DC.
June is a month dedicated to celebrating LGBTQ+ communities all around the world.
Pride is celebrated in the month of June, as this was the month when Stonewall riots took place. These riots were important protests that took place in 1969 in the USA, that changed gay rights. It is now a celebration of people coming together in love and friendship, to show how far LGBTQ+ rights have come. It is about acceptance, equality, education and raising awareness of issues affecting the LGBTQ+ community.
Pride is all about being proud of who you are no matter who you love.
More information on Pride, the month and upcoming Pride parades taking place in Hampshire, see Pride Month on our website.
Could you write Tails of the New Forest?
Another shout out for someone to support our District please. Is there a budding journalist out there, or a team, that would like to produce our Monthly District newsletter?
It does not necessarily need to be an adult, maybe one of our Explorer Scouts, a District Helper, a District SASU Member, parent etc. Lynn can support with distribution, templates etc. if you are interested, please email Team DC or give Lynn a call on 07595 991824.
Thank you for all the articles received for this month’s edition of Tails.
Lynn, Ian, Kevin & Robin Team DC – New Forest