Cambridgeshire Scouts

Explorer Scouts

Explorer Scouts
For all 14 - 18 year olds

Explorer Scouts are young people, usually aged between 14 and 18 years old. There are many types of Explorer Scout Units, some may be linked to your local Scout Group, others may be based around different activities.

Not all Units meet each week, because you will often be out and about at weekends or in the holidays doing activities. There will be times when you will be busy doing other things such as exams, and being an Explorer Scout will have to fit around these.

As an Explorer Scout, you will get the chance to mix with other Explorer Scouts in your District, not just your Unit. By doing this, you will get the chance to take part in activities that your Unit may not organise.

For information on Explorer Scout events contact Tim Stopher. Email: tim.stopher@cambridgeshirescouts.org.uk

I want to join

If you or your child wishes to get involved with Scouting in Cambridgeshire, please complete the Scout Association's online enquiry form by clicking here.

 Cambridge Explorers return from Maltese Adventure

12 Explorer Scouts and three leaders from the Phoenix Explorer Unit in south Cambridge have returned home after an amazing 11-day Maltese adventure. The trip, which took advantage of many aquatic and cultural activities in Malta, continues the group's ongoing international ventures with previous expeditions to Italy and Poland. Read the full story here

British Heart Foundation Half Marathon
Sunday 14th September 2008

Here is an offer from BBC Radio Cambridgeshire for Scouts, Explorer Scouts, Scout Networkers and adult volunteers to participate in a fantastic event at Wimpole Hall in September 2008.

BBC Radio Cambridgeshire, CSV Action and the British Heart Foundation have partnered up to host a half marathon that will take place on Sunday 14th September at Wimpole Hall.

There are a number of things the organisers need in order to pull this off and unfortunately, money is, as ever, an issue!!

In particular they need a large marquee and marshalls to guide people along the way; individuals with basic First Aid skills would also be great.

Is there a Scout Group in the County that could lend a marquee for the event and are there Scouts, Explorer Scouts, Networkers and adult volunteers out there that would be interested in getting involved? It will be great fun, we may get on the radio but above all it will really help the British Heart Foundation to raise lots of money to support their quest to keep the UK population healthy.

For further information contact
Pam Mungroo, CSV Action Desk Producer at Radio Cambridgeshire (Email: pamela.mungroo@bbc.co.uk)
or Chris Ward (email: chris.ward@cambridgeshirescouts.org.uk)

Bridge the Gap Charity Walk
Also on Sunday 14th September 2008

The Bridge the Gap walk is a fund raising initiative by the University of Cambridge, Cambridge University Press and Cambridge Evening News. Over 1,500 people take part in the 5 mile walk which goes through of several different Colleges and bridges on the route. Last year £30,000 was raised for local charities.

People of any age or ability can take part and the route is wheelchair and push-chair accessible, so it really is open to all. It is also a non-competitive event, so participants are welcome to stop off at a café or restaurant en route!

The walk aims to ‘bridge the gap’ between charities and the public, between the Cambridge Colleges and the community and between good causes and the funds they need to make a difference to the people’s lives.

Organisers are looking for support for the 7th annual Bridge the Gap Charity Walk which will take place in Cambridge on Sunday 14th September 2008. The aim is to raise money for Arthur Rank Hospice Charity, Teenage Cancer Trust and Press Relief.

Scout Groups in Cambridgeshire are invited to get involved in this community fundraising event - either as walkers or by providing activities on the route to entertain the walkers on their way round. This might be something musical or a craft activity – the organisers would love to hear your ideas and welcome your support!

Contact Konstantinos Tselentis for further information or if would like to participate.
Telephone 01223 761674 or email: kt327@admin.cam.ac.uk

National Sedan Chair Rally
24th - 26th October 2008 at Tolmers

What is “The Sedan Chair Rally”?

The Rally is a weelend camp for Explorer Scouts, Scout Network Members, Ranjer Guides and Sea Rangers.

Costs are £15 per head (that is for camping and activities) we do a snack bar where you can purchase bacon butties, hot dogs, burgers, chips and hot and cold drinks.

Over the weekend

There will be a team quiz, wide games, team sports, climbing wall, archery, a fancy dress disco (see website for theme) and of course the race - full details on the website. Photographs of last year’s Rally are on the website.

The Site

The Sedan Chair Rally is at Tolmers Scout Campsite, Cuffley, Hertfordshire close to Potters Bar (TL300037, Landranger 166).

For Further Information and Guidelines

Send your application to:
Sedan Chair Rally, Sarah Connolley,
7 St Andrews Close, Eastcote,
Middlesex, HA4 9HA.

 CUSAGC Marathon Challenge - 2007

For nine teams of Guiders, Scouters and Explorer Scouts, Saturday 27th October was spent hunting for traffic cones in the Bedfordshire countryside, in an attempt to gain the most points in Marathon Challenge 2007. The annual event organised by Cambridge University Scout and Guide Club (CUSAGC) was a massive success, much enjoyed by both participants and helpers. Given just a list of 26 grid references at the start, teams had 9 hours to plan their route and navigate between as many checkpoints as they could. Bonus points were obtained at manned bases where challenges testing communication skills, teamwork, first aid and logical thinking where completed. Exhausted participants were welcomed back to HQ with a cooked dinner before the trophy presentation. Every team did exceptionally well, but congratulations to the winners – The Undertakers Scout Fellowship team, who managed to reach all the checkpoints in the given time and did so dropping only 37 points!

The continued success of this event depends on your support. It is open to all those over 14 years of age in Scouting and Guiding in Cambridgeshire and the surrounding counties. The event offers a fantastic, fun day out (as I’m sure all the teams who entered this year will confirm) with a chance to practice map-work, teamwork and many other Scouting/Guiding skills.

The provisional date for Marathon Challenge 2008 is Saturday 8th November 2008 so put that in your diaries and look out for information nearer the time!

www.cusagc.org.uk/marathon

Marathon Challenge…. a participants story

After 35km my legs just about managed to shuffle to the kitchen to collect my dinner – possibly the most hard earned baked potato I’ve ever had. It’s easy to forget in Cambridge that there is a world beyond, but to escape the flat terrain and essay deadlines for a day spent hunting traffic cones is a pretty good antidote. Our last minute team reshuffle worked fantastically and we had a great time with the Network girls we walked with. The walking was great with well laid out checkpoints that lent themselves to a choice of routes. The four manned bases were all good fun, although I was rather putout to discover that I was worse at the lego communication challenge than the Brownies who had ‘tried it out’ the week before! We finished exhausted but pretty pleased with our 23/26 checkpoints, a respectable second behind the unbeatable Undertakers! The phenomenal amount of organisation that went in to Marathon again this year really paid off, with an event that was thoroughly enjoyable and faultlessly planned. I’ll be back next year and this time I’m aiming for all 26!

Katie Siddle, 38th Cambridge Brownie Owl

 Icenorum Living History Group

Icenorum Living History Group covers the Iron Age, Roman, Anglo Saxon and Viking periods and they would love the opportunity to present their displays.

They have recently received a grant from the Local Network Fund to enable them to do just that, to put on events for community groups such as the Beavers, Cubs and Scouts, a grant which has reduced the cost a great deal to just £1 per child.

The group is particularly interested in exploring ideas raised concerning changes arising from immigration/invasion, the improvements this brought and how this country became what it is thanks to excellent new ideas.

Although this might sound rather serious and daunting, in actual fact it is great fun trying out, for example, Roman weaponry and armour (all child-safe), talking about a day in the life of an auxiliary, or preparing (very smelly) Roman food!

If you would like further information then contact Mary Hannigan at icenorum@hotmail.co.uk

By the way, they are all teachers and parents and are all CRB checked.

Cambridge Scout Expedition Ghana 2008

Cambridgeshire Explorer Scouts will be travelling to Ghana in the summer of 2008. The plan is to work with the Scout association of Ghana on a building project, building a Scout hut in the Hohoe region of the country.

Ghana is situated in the North West of Africa. During their visit it will be hot and probably dry. For those involved there will be certain amount of training to undertake and of course, fund raising.

As well as building the Scout Hall there will be an opportunity to see the wider aspects of Africa and Ghanaian life.

For up-to-date information look at www.expeditionghana2008.btik.com/home.ikml

This will not be the last Cambridge expedition, others will follow in subsequent years but this should be an experience of a lifetime and a good starting point for countywide expeditions.

Programmes Online in Cambridgeshire

Programmes Online is a tool designed to make it easier for adults to programme plan. It is for members only and can be found at www.scouts.org.uk/pol

Media training for young spokespeople

The most positive and geniune messages about Scouting always come from the young people themselves. They are infused about Scouting because they take part in the adventure it brings.

In developing the Cambridgeshire PR strategy it is vital that we can rely on at least one young spokesperson in the locality of each District to help deliver the message through radio, television and the press.

If there are any young people who you feel would make a competent spokesperson then please let me know. I will contact them individually about attending the next young spokesperson training event run by the HQ media team. The County will fund the places and we are hoping for an enthusiastic and motivated Cambridgeshire contingent.

For more information, please contact Chris Ward - chris.ward@cambridgeshirescouts.org.uk

 SpyMasters

SpyMasters is an exciting action adventure centre, at Bar Hill near Cambridge, which challenges both physical and mental agility, together with observational skills, in a team based environment (sounds a bit like Scouts eh?!).

The centre is designed to look like the inside of a Russian Embassy. Teams will act as Secret Agents making their way through the complex…..avoiding numerous alarms, cameras and infra red beams to complete their mission. They have a set of equipment given to them which they have to use to avoid detection and get them through the Embassy.

Participants are in teams of 4 or 5 and each group goes off 10 minutes apart. The teams are given a starting score and points will be deducted for setting off alarms and being seen by the Embassy cameras. Points will be added for completing certain objectives throughout the mission. Team work is essential for SpyMasters so it is co-operative rather than competitive and good for creating a group or team spirit.

Spymasters would like to invite you to come and try on any weekday evening after 5.00pm (excluding Mondays). For 16 or more players there is a discounted rate of £10 per player (see website for normal prices).

Please look the website www.spymasters.co.uk– to find out more or call Gill Thornton on 01954 789134.

Milton Country Park

If you are planning to use Milton Country Park, Cambridge for an activity in future, please remember to book with the Park Rangers in advance on 01223 420060 or email: miltoncp@scambs.gov.uk

 Children's Scrapstore

Children's Scrapstore at 82 Akeman Street, Cambridge is open First Friday of every month from 2pm to 5pm

The Children’s and Young Peoples Participation Service Scrapstore provides a source of recycled materials for children and young people to use in art, craft and play activities. They also sell arts and crafts equipment at cost price.

Just turn up on the day.
Scrap will be sold at £1.50 per carrier bag full, these will be provided.
There will be an extra charge of 50p per bag for County users.

Note: Although the organisers take every step to ensure that materials are suitable for play, they cannot take responsibility for the safety of items used. The Children and Young People’s Participation Service Scrapstore will not be liable for damage, loss or injury that might arise from using any materials supplied.

For more information contact:
Hannah – 01223 457873
Hannah.townsend@cambridge.gov.uk

Duxford Air Museum

If you are looking for a Unit visit, think about a the Imperial War Museum, Duxford for a great day out.

For further information see the museum website http://duxford.iwm.org.uk

A terrific opportunity and it's in our County