[I]n an exciting change over last year, Scouts in Cumbria are delighted to have been joined by more than 200 additional leaders and supporters in the last year.
With over 1,250 adults involved in Scouting across Cumbria, the association has greater potential for young people to take part in an amazing range of activities, challenges and adventures. Scouting not only helps young people from 6 to 18 develop a wide range of skills for life, through an internationally recognised training scheme the association also helps adults to gain a wide range of leadership skills.
Youth membership of Scouting in Cumbria, remaining broadly the same as in 2017. Although a shortage of leaders for the youngest section led to a small decrease in the number of young people in Beavers, elsewhere the Scout section has kicked perceived trends and attracted more young high-school children than for many years.
For the first time since the creation of the X-Box, there are almost 1,000 Scouts in Cumbria!
County Commissioner Eddie Ward said: “It’s brilliant news that we have so many more adults helping us deliver Scouting to our young people, and I would encourage anyone who wants to develop new skills to come and talk to us. You needn’t have been a member of Scouts as a child, and you don’t need to be a super-hero, we will give you all the support you need as you become a very valuable adult member of Scouting.
“We do need to try and fill the temporary gap in leaders for our youngest members, the exciting and energetic Beaver Scout but overall, I think we are in great shape to provide Scouting skills for life for more and more young people across Cumbria.”
Beavers, Cubs, Scouts and Explorer Scouts meet all across Cumbria, from Walney Island in the Southwest of the county, all the way up to Bewcastle, near the border with Scotland. At regular meetings, on camps and during a wide range of challenges and adventurous activities the young members of Scouting work towards different stages of the Chief Scout Award.
This year Scouts in Cumbria earned 194 Bronze awards, 169 Silver awards, 64 Gold awards, 15 Platinum awards and 4 Diamond awards. Beyond that, six amazing young adults from Cumbria completed the prestigious Queen’s Scout Award this year and were honoured at an awards ceremony at Windsor Castle on St. George’s Day. In order to gain the Queen’s Scout Award, which is similar to, but tougher than the Duke of Edinburgh’s award, participants undertake a range of challenges and volunteering projects, as well as an international expedition.
This year has also seen the launch of the exciting new Cumbria Challenge. The challenge scheme involves youngsters from each group in the county setting challenges for everyone else to try. From simple activities such as stepping through a sheet of paper, or racing an orange down a hill, to more adventurous challenges like watching the sunrise from the top of a mountain, there is something for everyone to tryAnd not content with supporting an amazing program and a huge range of activities, County Commissioner Eddie Ward has given permission for the Scout movement in Cumbria to trial a new concept: Sustainable Scouting.
Matt Sanderson, Assistant County Commissioner (Environment) explained: “Sustainable Scouting is all about encouraging every member, young and old, to think about what they are doing and how it impacts upon our planet. We want everyone to have a great time in Scouting, and at the same time to do so ‘sustainably’.
New ideas about how we do this are developing all the time, so watch this space.” If the scheme works well in Cumbria, it is hoped that it will spread widely throughout Scouting.
Any adult or young person wanting to learn more about Scouting can visit the website Scouts.org.uk or pop along to their local scout hut.
