The Mayor’s charities: The Scouts
Each year the Mayor of Peterborough selects a small number of charities to support through his or her office. In partnership with Perkins Engines, we turn our webpages over to the charities chosen by current Mayor, John Peach. Scouts from Peterborough are taking the lead by getting involved with some local and national community projects
Community Radio
James Traynor, Jamie Ward, Sophie Graham, Greg Pollard and Simon Burgess broadcast their own radio show on Hereward Radio. This was a first for all of them but for some it was the first time they had spoken into a microphone. A few weeks beforehand they had been given an introduction at the radio station and shown how to use the equipment by Matthew Kisby. In order to be ready for their leap into the presenter’s chair they had to select some music, decide which matters they would like to discuss on air and come up with some jokes! James took the presenter’s chair and the team spent over 45 minutes discussing Explorer Units (boys and girls aged 14 to 18) in the county, international camps they had been on and their plans for camping in 2016.
They interviewed adult volunteer David (Rusty) Robinson who said his most memorable moment in Scouting was getting his Queen’s Scout Award and attending an event at Windsor Castle where the Queen was present. They also interviewed Nigel Taylor from the Scout Association who spoke about the continued success of Scouting with ten successive years of growth; the 200 activities they did from abseiling to zorbing, with cooking, crafts and kayaking in between; the appointment of Hannah Kentish as the UK Youth Commissioner; and how the Association was very inclusive as they had over 60,000 girls in the movement, had members from all faiths and also those without any faith. Sophie said: ‘I was a bit nervous at the start but once I’d answered a few questions I became quite confident and having the microphone in front of me didn’t faze me. Who would have thought that when I joined Scouts I would have been speaking on the radio?’
Community Impact
Scouts from 8th Peterborough (Longthorpe) Scout Group are taking a leading role in a national initiative called A Million Hands. The Scouts were given the opportunity to consider improving the mental wellbeing and resilience of families, improving the lives of those affected by dementia, improving the lives of those disabled by society, and ensuring everyone everywhere has access to clean water and sanitation The young members of the Group selected dementia and invited speakers from Dementia Friends to visit.
The Group also plan to carry out a fundraising initiative in the New Year. So far, nearly 450 Scouts in Peterborough have registered to be involved in the A Million Hands initiative. Bear Grylls, UK Chief Scout, who launched the campaign said, ‘The Scout Association is pledging one million hands to support four of the biggest social issues currently facing the UK and the wider world. But we can’t do it on our own. We want all young people to come and give Scouting a try and to get involved. This is how we can all play a vital role in shaping tomorrow’s world for the better.’
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Steve Taylor, lead volunteer for Cambridgeshire Scouts says: ‘Scouting gives people of all ages great opportunities. As a young person they will often do something for the first time. This might be camping, climbing or kite flying. Adult volunteers will be able to develop skills, such as team working, planning and organisation which may help them with their career.’ He added, ‘Cub Scouts are celebrating their 100th birthday this year and there are activities and parties going on across Peterborough and the county. One of the highlights will be Cubs around the World, which will be a weekend of activities including climbing, inflatables, a water Slide and Go Karts.’
Scouting is open to boys and girls aged 6 to 25. For further information about Scouting please visit www.scouts.org.uk or www.cambridgeshirescouts.org.uk