"Established in April 2005, the Group consists of children from the ages of 6 to 18 made up of Beavers, Cubs, Scouts and Explorers.

On Saturday 12 April we celebrated its our third Birthday by hosting an open event for the whole community. The day was the climax of a lot of hard work from leaders & friends and was a big success.

We started the afternoon off with our Annual General Meeting, which in previous years meant that if we had 1 parent attend we were lucky. We broke all records this year and had over 15 parents stay to give us their support. The AGM went well and concluded with a presentation and thanks to our former Group Treasurer and Secretary.

The afternoon continued on with the Cubs running a small stall to help raise money for the Group, whilst the scouts set up camp and showed off their woggle making skills with the help of Mark our new Assistant Scout Leader. The Explorers did an amazing job in keeping the teas & coffees flowing and the Beavers made finger puppets with some of the younger children.

One aim of the afternoon was to encourage new members to join the Group. I am pleased to say that we have had enquiries from a number of children looking to join. I am also very pleased to say that a number of parents have expressed an interest in helping the Group and I was very pleased to receive a thank you, on behalf of all the leaders, from a parent.

A rousing chorus of Happy Birthday met the Birthday Cake as it was brought into the room. Our newest Beaver Scout and our oldest Explorer Scout meant that the candles were soon out and the important job of cutting the cake was underway. The cake was well received and was soon polished off.

The leaders then led the children in a number of traditional campfire songs before we gathered for the renewal of promise. The Beavers, Cubs, Scouts and Explorers were brought to attention and the group received a very nice blessing from the new vicar. The presentation of the Groups new neckers brought this special day to a close.

A big thank you to all the children & parents who made the day very special and a special thanks to all the leaders who worked tirelessly to make the day happen.

The standard has now been set and we hope to repeat the success next year. If you are interested in joining our group or have items that you wish to donate, then please contact us via our website. "

Article by Chris Hatch