Author: Mike Wild

Scouting & Guiding in Lockdown…there’s more going on than you think!

Mike Wild Guides, Scouts

Girlguiding during lockdown

Guiding has continued in 8 of the 9 units since lockdown. Indeed some units have been extremely busy indeed. To thier credit, the units are still following the Guiding programme activities despite no face to face contact. Skill builders, theme, bronze, silver & gold awards have been all been earned at Guide, Brownie & Rainbow level. Many have also done Interest badges & many other fun activities. Parents of younger units Rainbows do not want regular activities, just special spontaneous activities, so they are doing a little less.

1st Burley Brownies are having zoom meetings every week & most of the other units are giving girls the opportunity of guiding activities via email, facebook & delivering items to girls’ homes.

8 out of 9 units took part in Northumberland Scouts world record breaking Virtual Camp over Easter. We had over 100 girls who took part

The World breaking virtual “Camp at Home”.

Northumberland Scouts challenged all young people in Scouting & Guiding to take part in their world record attempt of Largest Virtual Camp. It was a month long Virtual Camp across April from 1st April until the 30th April, ending with an attempt to set the world record for the Largest Virtual Camp on 30th April 2020.

Rules were varied depending on age – girls were challenged to:
• Build a den, pitch a tent, make a bivvi, hang up a hammock (whatever you can)
inside or outside in the garden
• Sleep in your shelter of choice for a night
• Make a dinner or breakfast
• Make a snack to have in your tent
• Take your camp blanket & teddy & don’t forget to sing a couple of camp songs

95,000 Scouting, Guiding & other participants from 68 counties took part & made the largest camp ever!

Burley Rainbows, Brownies, Guides & Rangers had enormous fun pitching tents or building dens & sleeping out. Not to be kept out, parents also joined in the fun, as did the leaders. Over 100 girls took part in Burley in the record-breaking attempt. Several parents later thanked us for inspiring their girls to take part – they were struggling with no school & no friends, & this really caught their imagination.
A great way to spend lockdown!

Scouting During lockdown

The Scouting units have been busy during lockdown by walking to the moon and back to raise money for BBC Children in Need and Comic Relief, supporting those most affected by COVID-19

Hike to the Moon
On 23rd April, BBC Children in Need and Comic Relief got together for their Big Day In on Radio and their Big Night In on TV. This was a massive fundraising special to celebrate the incredible people making a difference in communities across the UK, and to support people who need it most during the coronavirus crisis. Scouts, along with friends and family, collectively walked more than 240,000 miles (the distance to the Moon), raising hundreds of thousands of pounds for the event. Eleven of the twelve people who’ve walked on the Moon were Scouts. It’s where we feel most comfortable (second to Earth). Those taking part didnt need to leave thier homes for this: 2,000 steps around the garden or 20 minutes walking on the spot is about 1 mile

The money raised will be split between Comic Relief and BBC Children in Need, and will go on to support local charities and projects in the UK

https://www.scouts.org.uk/volunteers/scouts-at-home/scouts-helping-others/hike-to-the-moon/

Meanwhile Beavers have had virtual sleepovers, cubs have worked on their International Badge – an activity designed by an Explorer for her Queens Scout Award.

Explorers have had a successful Bronze DofE awarded. Leaders have been working on their mandatory training. We are all busy planning camp and activities for 2021 and look forward to welcoming all of our young members back soon

Co-op Local Community Fund

Mike Wild Executive

Our Scout & Guide Group were chosen again to be part of the Co-op local community project in Burley-in-Wharfedale, which ran until October 2019.    The Co-op Local Community Fund helps pay for local projects that Co-op members care about. Every time Co-op members shop at the Co-op, 1% of what they spend on selected own-branded products and services goes to help fund community projects in our area.  The Co-op also give all money raised from shopping bag sales to our causes, to help even more

Two years ago we were lucky to have this opportunity & after a year we were presented with £1850!    This year we were given a cheque for £3090!!

Many thanks to all residents who took out a Co-op card to help us with our donations – and thanks in particular to the Co-op for supporting us in this way

 

New defibrillator for the Scout and Guide Headquarters

Mike Wild Executive

Thanks to the White Rose Lodge of Mark Master Masons, Burley-in-Wharfedale now has two defibrillators for the use of the community. The new defibrillator is positioned outside the new Scout and Guide Headquarters at Peel Place.

The headquarters manager, Howard Thompson, who is also a member of the Lodge, secured the funding from the Cleeves and Whitehead Trust, Mark Masons of West Yorkshire.

He said: “We are very fortunate to have this additional defibrillator for the village of Burley-in-Wharfedale, many thanks to the Lodge for funding this.”

Pictured at the presentation of the defibrillator on Saturday, September 28, by the Cleeves and Whitehead Trust Mark Masons of West Yorkshire to the Burley-in-Wharfedale Scout and Guide Headquarters are, left to right: Angela Hewett, Burley Group Scout leader, Mike Wild, chairman of Burley-in-Wharfedale Parish Council, Jim Stanley, chairman of the Cleeves and Whitehead Trust, Sue Vint, Wharfedale Division Commissioner plus Burley Group Guide leader, Byran Collins, group executive chairman (recently retired) and Howard Thompson, Burley Scout and Guide headquarters manager.

Read the full article here

https://www.ilkleygazette.co.uk/news/17969981.additional-de-fib-burley-in-wharfedale/

 

Burley Guiding joins #PlasticPromise

Mike Wild Brownies, Guides, Rainbows

As part of ‘Future Girl Acts’ week which ran from from September 30 to October 6 Rainbows, Brownies, Guides and Rangers from Burley-in-Wharfedale took part in activities in their meetings to learn about plastic pollution and to encourage others to be more aware of the negative impact of single-use plastic.

The girls have made a #PlasticPromise to reduce single-use plastic. It is the UK’s biggest ever girl-led campaign to tackle plastic pollution. They were encouraged to think about ways in which they can reduce their usage of single-use plastic and encourage others to do the same.

As well as making a #PlasticPromise, the girls took part in a plastic-themed activity during their weekly Girlguiding meeting. They used their creativity to show why protecting the planet matters, taking plastic waste and turning it into sculptures of animals they want to protect from plastic pollution.

Over a number of weeks, the girls collected over 500 pieces of recyclable plastic in order to make the sculptures. The girls created, dolphins, sea turtles, octopuses and jellyfish. The girls also took the time to create a speech-bubble for their sculpture which contained a message about the species they focused on.

The Brownies also had a visit from Charlotte Hawkins, owner of the ‘Waste Not Shop’ in Burley-in-Wharfedale. She spoke to the girls about alternatives to using plastic and brought them all a bamboo straw.

The #PlasticPromise campaign and week of action builds on the launch of Girlguiding’s Future Girl manifesto. 76,000 girls and young women shaped Future Girl by sharing the issues that matter most to them. Taking action to protect the planet is one of their top five issues, with plastic pollution named as one of the biggest threats to their future.

Read the full article here

https://www.thetelegraphandargus.co.uk/news/ilkleynews/17960668.burley-guiding-join-plasticpromise-uks-biggest-ever-girl-led-campaign-tackle-plastic-pollution/

2019 Annual General Meeting

Mike Wild Executive

The Burley-in-Wharfedale Scouts and Guides Annual General Meeting was held in the new HQ on the 19th September

2019 has been another very busy, high-achieving, year for the whole Group – with all our units full, many training courses completed, awards won, the recruitment of a few very welcome new assistant leaders and helpers and all this against the background of a major project.

Congratulations and thanks go to the youngsters in the units and the adults involved in leading them for such achievement, despite some unavoidable interruptions.  Thanks also go to parents and guardians for their co-operation during this challenging year, especially regarding getting youngsters safely to and from the former hut and recently the new HQ.

Although at this AGM we rightly focus on what has been achieved in the units – the details of which will follow in the next reports – the new HQ will provide us with excellent facilities for this generation of scouts & guides and for many generations to come.  It will also be a valuable community facility.  Thanks to members of the project group and the fundraising team for their determined and successful work and all those leaders, parents and supporters who have contributed.  In addition, thanks are also extended the lay members of the Group Executive who, alongside leaders, have given so much of their time and expertise to running the overall operation of the Group.

We look forward as a Group to being able to enrol more members from the waiting lists and to being able to run our training programmes and special events more easily and effectively.  However, that is completely dependent on recruiting and training more leaders, assistant leaders and helpers. We need more people to come forward or we won’t be able to respond to demand. We particularly and urgently need more leaders for the Scout troop as a consequence of Roger’s well-earned retirement.

Please find below the reports that were delivered and accepted at the AGM

AGM 2019 – Chairman’s Report

AGM 2019 – New HQ Report

Copy of BALANCE SHEET GROUP ACCOUNT

Copy of BALANCE SHEET NEW BUILD

Copy of YEAR END BALANCE SHEET 2019

GGL REPORT AGM 19th Sept 2019 (1)

INDEPENDENT EXAMINERS REPORT 2018-2019

Autumn 2019 letter from your Local Fundraisers

Mike Wild Uncategorized

Welcome to the Autumn newsletter from your local fund raising group. Phase 3 is almost complete and we are nearly there but still desperately need your help to raise the last £25,000

Thank you all for your contributions and continued support in the recent events:

Summer festival coffee morning £154,

Waitrose green tokens £253,

Bottle tombola £273,

Sue’s open garden £1275

You can read more about our fundraising events here:Autumn news letter 2019

Dream HQ becomes a reality for Burley Scouts and Guides

Mike Wild In the Press, News

AFTER five hard years of tireless fundraising the dream of a new headquarters for Burley Scouts and Guides is about to become a reality.

The new building in Peel Place, Burley-in-Wharfedale is due to be completed in the next few weeks.

It features two large meeting rooms, each with its own kitchen and breakout space. With over 350 youngsters using the building each week it is a superb facility for the young people of Burley-in-Wharfedale now and in the future..

Guide leader Sue Vine said the Scout & Guide Group were extremely grateful and overwhelmed by the generosity of the local community.

“We would like to thank all the local people who donated or raised funds to make this possible,” she said. “We are having the official opening of the new Burley Scout & Guide Headquarters on Saturday, September 28 and this will be followed by ‘open house’ from 3.30pm to 6pm for anyone to come look round, and enjoy tea and cakes.”

“We are amazed that so many people have helped us over the last five years by raising money and supporting us in so many ways. Much of the money has been raised by hard fundraising and by local community and individual donations. We want to thank everyone who has helped us however small by inviting them into our HQ so we can say a very big thank you for all their support. Everyone is most welcome.”

She added: “We still have around £27,000 to raise but with continuing fundraising – running the village bonfire and fireworks night, Santa sleigh and taking part in local events, we will manage to raise the remaining amount.

“Leaders are delighted that Rainbows, Beavers, Brownies, Cubs, Guides, Scouts, Rangers and Explorers have now started meeting in the new building and are thrilled with their new home. With more space we have already opened another Brownie unit and hope to open more units in the future. We would welcome any new volunteers to help run a unit.”

 

https://www.ilkleygazette.co.uk/news/17908074.dream-hq-becomes-reality-burley-scouts-guides/