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Welcome to Edition 35 of Tails of the New Forest. Just like that, another calendar year draws to a close and there’s been plenty of amazing activities on offer this month. From all of us, we hope you had a good festive season and sending you the very best wishes for 2025.
What’s coming up?
With a new year, there are plenty of events and activities on our doorstep in the next couple of months:
Join us for Founder’s Day
Founder’s Day is the birthday of Baden-Powell, the man who started Scouting, and it’s used by Scouts around the world to reflect and celebrate.
When: Sunday 23rd February 2025, 2pm – 5pm.
Where: Ashurst and Colbury Scout HQ, Hunter’s Hill, Colbury, SO40 7EJ
All our volunteers, young people and their parents and carers from everywhere in the District – from Eling to Sandleheath, Burley to Copythorne – are welcome to join us for afternoon tea with food and some games such as the surprisingly competitive quiz.
Do please share with your groups and sections and let Joy know if you’re coming so we can ensure we have enough cake.
Last chance: Young Leader Training and Rally
By Finn Le Page, Young Leaders team at Hampshire Scouts
The next couple of months see a couple of events to prepare our Young Leaders for their time volunteering with us.
The Young Leader training weekend, hosted by the Young Leader training team, will see modules B-J tackled over two days. This is an overnight residential and Young Leaders only need to attend one session (10th – 11th OR 11th – 12th). More information will follow after booking, indoor accommodation and food for the day will be provided. Still plenty of places to book.
Date: 10th – 11th January OR 11th – 12th January 2025.
Time: 19:30 – 16:30
Cost: £15
Booking and more info: https://bookwhen.com/youngleadertraining
Meanwhile, we’re very excited that the Young Leaders’ Rally will be back for the seventh year running with educational sessions on various topics, activity sessions including target sport and high ropes, and social events including the ever popular silent disco, quiz, campfire, challenges and games. Discover more on the Hampshire Scouts website.
Where: Ferny Crofts
When: 21st – 23rd February 2025
Cost: £30
Signup through this link. Questions to [email protected].
Cubs Scrapheap Challenge
Cubs from across the District are invited to join in the Scrapheap Challenge! Re-use old recycling and craft materials to create fantastic models in teams of six on a theme only revealed at the start. Each pack can submit one team (combined age of no more than 54) initially with more teams invited as capacity allows.
When: Monday 27th January, 6:30pm – 8:15pm
Where: Netley Marsh HQ
Once given their theme, teams will then make a model of their choice related in some way to the theme. Could each team bring their own rubbish to add to the pile along with glue, scissors, coloured pens, string and sellotape please. It may also be useful for the Cubs to bring along an apron or old shirt to protect their uniforms. Non need to paint their models, as it helps speed things up and makes things easier to recycle at the end. Cub teams should have received all details in an email, but please send response to Ian Sims by Monday 15th January so we can see if we can open it up to more teams.
Hampshire Scouts Speak Up returns
By Communications team at Hampshire Scouts
Calling all adults and young people! Booking is now open for Hampshire Scouts Speak Up 2025 and our annual adult media workshop. Build your confidence, learn top tips to spread your stories and get more young people and adult volunteers joining you.
February 2025 sees the return of Hampshire Scouts’ training events for adults and young people. Refreshed for this year, we cover how you can get stories of the amazing work Scouts do in every corner of the county in the media and on social media.
Where: Ferny Crofts
Hampshire Scouts Speak Up: Friday 7th to Saturday 8th February, free, food and accommodation indoors included plus an adventurous activity. Scouts, Explorers and Scout Network aged 13-25.
Adult Media Workshop: Sunday 9th February, free, food included. Open to any adult volunteer in any role.
Find out more and sign up on the Hampshire Scouts website. Be quick, event is subject to cancellation if there isn’t enough interest.
Reminder: Reindeer Trophy for Squirrels
Calling Squirrel teams, a reminder about the Reindeer Trophy next month:
When: Sunday 26th January, 2.00pm – 4.30pm (subject to confirmation nearer the time, depending on numbers)
Where: Copythorne Scout HQ
Just like the Fawn trophy, Muntjac and Stags Head, New Forest District invite Squirrel teams to take part in the Reindeer Trophy – involving a variety of activities, skills and teamwork. Plus there’ll be a campfire to finish, presuming the weather plays nice. Teams of 4 will be competing for the coveted (and very cute) Reindeer Trophy.
Full details to help plan in last month’s Tails but do let Kev or the District Squirrels team know if you’re coming.
Reminders, opportunities and notices
Youth Council is Coming
By Zara Seymour, County Youth Lead at Hampshire Scouts
We are really excited to invite all Explorers and Scouts aged 13+ to the next Hampshire Scout Youth Council at Ferny Crofts from Friday 21st to Sunday 23rd March. We’d like to fill as many of these spaces as possible with people from different parts of the County.
Youth Council is a brilliant opportunity for Young People to develop leadership skills and engage with mature themes to make a difference to scouting within Hampshire. At each Youth Council, we focus on an important issue within Hampshire, which will be identified in the New Year. Furthermore, Youth Council provides a platform for Young People to voice their opinions, wants and concerns to senior Hampshire Volunteers and sign up to several Youth Rep roles within the Hampshire volunteering structure.
Where: The Lodge, Ferny Crofts Scout Activity Centre – options to sleep indoors or camp out.
When: Friday 21st March, 6pm, to Sunday 23rd March, 4pm.
Cost: Covered by the District – email Andy at [email protected] to confirm.
Sign up: Fill in this form, and email Andy above.
The weekend includes a Youth Council Necker, weekend accommodation, instructor-led on-site activities, and a weekend of training and project-based activities with lots of game and challenge sessions.
Please check your tilly lamps
From Scouts Safety team
Please check your High-Pressure Lamps for asbestos. Asbestos containing materials (ACM) have been identified in preheating wicks of High-Pressure Lamps (Tilley lamps, which are historically popular for Scout activities), and in string tying the mantle and main pipe together. Over the years, it’s likely that most of the ACM has been disposed of and replaced by glass fiber.
We’re aware there may still be some historical mantels present in various Scout buildings. If you suspect that any of your High-Pressure Lamps contain ACM, you should stop using the lamps and have the materials checked by a technical expert. If they confirm the lamps contain asbestos, arrange an appropriate and specialist licensed disposal. Read our managing asbestos guidance for more help.
Earn your Climbing badge at Calshot
From Calshot Activities Centre
Have you tried the Scouts Climber Activity Badge (refreshed this month) with your troop yet? If you’re looking for options of how to deliver this badge, why not try the Calshot Climbing Wall in Fawley.
They are a Hampshire County Council facility that provides a range of activities and adventures for all ages. Calshot Activities Centre has a fantastic climbing facility with a range of auto belays, bouldering and roped climbs. If you want to know more, email the centre to discover more at [email protected].
Help put Tails together
From Steven Osborn, Support Team Leader
At the moment our District Media and Comms team, who help produce Tails each month and look after our social media so more people know about the amazing things we do, consists of just me. I’m looking to grow the team so if you’ve got a social media savvy parent, or someone who knows or wants to learn simple website tricks, share this opportunity with them (via the scouts website) or email me at [email protected].
What’s been happening?
From festive events, giving and looking back at the year gone by, there’s been a lot to catch up on this month. Let’s crack on!
Totton Santa Run a huge success
Despite wind and weather warnings causing some nervousness in the run up to the event, the Totton Santa Run organised and in aid of 5th Testwood Scouts was one of their most successful to date with over 300 runners and thousands raised:
Concerts and Christingles
It’s the season for concerts, fayre, parties and events all round. As well as Stanley’s Own Scout and Guide band, who managed to hold their concert despite a water outage at their main venue, our Beavers from across the District joined up for a Christingle:
A time for Giving
As part of their Money Skills badge, each Cub at Dyak Pack at 2nd Copythorne Stanley’s Own received a £1 coin and were told to go away and make more money, with the total going to charity. When they came back, they told the rest of the pack what they did raise money, how they went about it and how much they raised. We had varied ways that the Cubs had made their money, from cake making, dog treats, washing cars and even an old style ‘bob a job’ community tasks.
The Cubs raised £240 to go to a charity of their choice. We asked the Cubs for suggestions of what cause they would like to send the money, we had a few suggestions and we got the Cubs to vote for the one they thought it should go to.
The majority of the votes went to Cash For Kids, with the money raised used to support their Mission Christmas campaign so every child can receive a gift at Christmas. We brought as many toys as we could from the money raised and dropped them off at our local drop-off point at Brewgas, Old Lyndhurst Road in Cadnam. There were so many, the leadership team got an email from Sharon Petruv, the Director at Brewgas:
“I came in this morning to find my desk covered in toys! I’m told by my colleague that the toys have come from the Cubs just up the road in Copythorne. I’m overwhelmed with pride, that a local group of young people would make such a special effort for those children that will not receive a gift this year. I’m going to contact ‘Greatest Hits Radio’ in hope they will give a shout out to this very special kind group of children.”
Sponsored Silence Success
Meanwhile, Netley Marsh Cubs have made a huge splash by helping raise hundreds for the restoration of the church next door through a sponsored silence:
Kickboxing Squirrels
Being a part of Scouts can bring many surprises with it, so who would thought our 4-6 year old Squirrels would get to try kick boxing when the 3rd Ringwood and 1st Fordingbridge Squirrels met up:
A Fantastic Term for Testwood Beavers
Speaking of wish fulfilment, how does it sound to go on a steam train, have a Christmas sleepover and wrapping each other up like mummies (ahem First Aid) sound for a term of activities? For this team, they were pretty happy about it and were pumped that’s what they get to do when volunteering:
A truly fantastic camp under the stars
And finally, 5th Testwood Cubs looked back on a truly great camp at Broadstone Warren, made thanks to the wonderful team at Scout Adventures, the leadership team and with the use of funding from the Under the Stars scheme from the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
Remember you can stay up to date with what’s going on on our Facebook page (/newforestscouts) or Instagram (@newforestscouts). Plus if you’re a volunteer you can be part of the Facebook group for members too. Do remember to share your stories with us throughout the month so we can share them directly and keep having great Scouting adventures.
From all our leadership team, we wish you a Happy New Year.
Robin and Kevin.
Send your news and items for the next edition of Tails at the end of January before the 25th to [email protected].