2015 has been yet another successful year, filled to the brim with lots of fun activities and a whole host of milestones and achievements. We take a look at some of them below.
A Year of Growth
- We have opened new Beaver Colonies at 2nd Stanford-le-Hope and Stifford Sea Scouts this year and a new Explorer Scout Unit in Grays called Fornax. This means we can offer Scouting to even more young people in the Borough. There has also been lots of work taking place during the year to bring Scouting back to Purfleet which will be happening in early 2016.
- Belmont Castle Academy were chosen to host an experimental Cub Pack as part of a joint project between The Scout Association and the Department for Education. We have been working with them, providing support where needed and helping to ensure the Pack will continue after the project has concluded in March.
Becoming Youth Shaped
- In October we appointed a District Youth Commissioner. Glenn Mead has been very busy over the last couple of months, visiting various activities and talking to the young people to gather their thoughts and opinions. His role will become more and more important as we plan to make Thurrock even more youth-led and achieve the national Vision 2018.
- Amy, an Explorer from Pyxis, represented Thurrock and Essex at the national YouShape conference in London earlier this year. Amy, along with over 120 others aged 14-25, had the chance to voice her opinions on how the young people in Scouting can shape their experiences. This has led to lots of resources from Headquarters to help Counties, Districts, Groups and Sections to become more youth-led and ensure the young people are a vital part of running Scouting locally.
Developing the District
- We held our District Development Day in January which allowed members of the District to help shape the future of the District. There were various workshops and discussions that took place which covered every aspect of the District and there was lots of good points raised throughout the day. The feedback from this event has helped to produce a District Development Plan for the next 4 years.
- The first phase of the new Toilet Block at Condovers was completed earlier this year and they have been a huge improvement to the campsite. The old toilets were in serious need of replacement and now we have modern toilet and shower facilities at both Condovers and Cherrywood. Both campsites are also planning more improvements to provide new and exciting activities and opportunities to Scouting and Guiding within Thurrock.
Achievements Galore
- A huge congratulations to everyone who has achieved an award this year, including all those who achieved their Chief Scout, Duke of Edinburgh, Length of Service and Good Service Awards. There were also 26 Wood Badges achieved this year by those who have dedicated their time to completed their training.
- A very special award was presented this year to Michael, a Cub from Ockendon. Michael received the Chief Scout’s Personal Award after acting quickly and calmly to save his dad’s life after his dad collapsed at home.
- A very personal achievement was achieved by David Tapsell, Assistant District Commissioner for Scouts, this year when he completed the London Marathon for a second time, beating his 2013 time by 26 minutes and raising over £2,500 for Scouting.
Lots and Lots of Activities
Alongside over 40 District activities, there were hundreds of Group and Section activities that took place over the year. While we cannot list all of these as it would take forever to read through, there were a few key activities to note:
- 3 Explorers and 2 leaders from Thurrock had the amazing opportunity to be a part of the 23rd World Scout Jamboree in Japan. As well as having the chance to meet Scouts from across the world at the Jamboree, they experienced Japanese culture and life with a Home Hospitality experience and had the chance to explore Tokyo.
- Scouts, Explorers and adults from Stanford-le-Hope and Corringham took on the massive challenge of walking the Cotswold Way in April. Their two-week expedition to complete the
102 mile journey was a fantastic achievement by all involved. - The DC’s challenge took on a new form this year which saw over 150 Scouts let loose on the streets of London to answer 25 questions about various landmarks across the city. It was a very successful day and in 2016 it will be an even bigger event as Guides from Thurrock’s two Divisions have been invited to take part in the fun.
- Lots of Cubs from Thurrock joined hundreds more from across Essex for Mega Camp in June for a space-themed weekend of fun. The Cubs had the chance to experience lots of different activities, including many that were space and
science themed . The weekend ended with the Princess of Wales The Tigers Freefall Parachute Team dropping into the closing ceremony. - October half term saw Cubs, Scouts, Explorers and leaders heading across Europe to Rieneck Castle in Germany for a week of adventure. The week saw them experiencing a torch-lit night hike and enjoying the Sensapolis indoor fun park. Next year’s half term trip is a return to Disneyland Paris which lots of Cubs will be looking forward to.
Looking Forward
2016 is looking to be another amazing year for Scouting in Thurrock with lots of opportunities for fun and adventure for Beavers all the way to Network and adults! Some of the things to look out for are:
- 33 members will very soon be off to Hong Kong and then Australia for their once-in-a-lifetime trip to the 2016 Australian Jamboree. As well as the
10 day camp, they will be exploring Hong Kong, Sydney and Cairns as well as seeing in the New Year in the shadow of the Sydney Harbour Bridge. - 2016 sees Beavers celebrating the 30th anniversary of their introduction in 1986 and Cubs celebrating their centenary. There will be lots of activities celebrating both anniversaries throughout the year and both sections have lots of challenges they will be trying to complete!
- The major event of the summer will be the Essex International Jamboree in Chelmsford. Thousands of Scouts from across the county, country and the world will be enjoying a week of fun activities and a large number of adults from Thurrock will be involved to ensure the camp is a success.
If you are up to anything exciting during 2016, whether it’s something fun during your weekly meeting or a huge international expedition, let us know all about it!