Thanks to Avril Williams – Group Scout Leader 30th Abingdon – for this report …
The 30th Abingdon Beavers based at Abingdon Baptist Church have recently visited Downing Street to share their project on Clean Water and Sanitation to MPs interested in social issues.
The Beavers worked hard taking part in “A Million Hands”, a Scout Association social action project which aims to get over 500,000 Scouts involved over a 4 year time period in social issues such as dementia, disability, mental well-being and clean water for all.
The whole of the 30th Abingdon Beavers were involved, after choosing which social issue to explore, the Beavers then decided to collect number 1s and 2s (pennies), to fund a new toilet in Kisima, Democratic Republic of Congo.
The Beavers teamed up with the Abingdon School Science Partnership and visited Abingdon School science labs to carry out some experiments on water purification. The Beavers enjoyed a visit from Wateraid who helped the Beavers understand the importance of having access to clean water and toilets. Finally, as part of raising awareness, the Beavers made a story board and a video describing what they had learned, this helped the Beavers to learn about presenting their fund raising efforts to a wider audience.
During the visit to Downing Street the Beavers took it in turns to explain their work to several MPs. They also got the opportunity to try out a virtual reality headset of natural disasters and then, like true Beavers, proceeded to help everyone else use the headsets. It was a very long day for the Beavers and tired but successful, they headed home, after a few photo calls outside number 10 and 11.
To date, more than 96,512 hours have been volunteered nationally to help raise awareness and to support initiatives designed to improve the lives of those affected by the four social issues selected.
Adult Scouts volunteers work more than 364 million hours each year in their local communities, but they are looking for more volunteers to help support the young people hoping to join. Thames Ridge Scouts » Volunteer
scouts are lucky these days.
when i was in the cubs we had to wear vile olive green synthetic shirts and skintight grey shorts regardless of the weather.
Ah Rudi and. Kids died of diphtheria and beer was 1 and 10 a pint !
Why skin-tight ?? (sounds like a personal problem or just hyperbole ?)
In the Sea Scouts we had decent all-cotton wear but still met in unheated Drill Halls.
At Cubs age, school uniform was hairy woollen shorts, too. Accepted because it was the norm, even in Winter. Not long after graduating to long trousers, I ended up in Singapore (shorts again) to calls of “Get yer knees brown, lad”
… and petrol was 4 Gallons for £1.
Nostalgia ain’t wot it used to be.
Huh – not as bad as knitted woollen bathing suits!
How about candy mice? Gob stoppers,? Smiths crisps ( only 3d) Morland Abbey cola? Fish n chips with scratchings, Danset? Kodak Brownie etc etc?
Well done to these beavers, and to the adult volunteers who are putting in their time for the next generation.
Fantastic to see.
i think short were just generally shorter back in the day – these days they are just above the knee in most shops – back then for both adults and kids they were of a type that would get you arrested if you wore them in public these days.
Can’t agree with Rudi. I have just checked a photo of me in my Scouts uniform and the shorts are real “Empire Builders” (long shorts, or short longs ?) The only thing visible between top of long socks and hem of shorts is knee cap. Pressed crease in the shorts as well.
Perhaps Sea Scouts just adopted higher standards ?