Digital Skills - Webinars

#Adventure Continues: Challenge 9 - International 2

#AdventureContinues Challenge 9 returns to International as the theme. There are stages for Beavers, Cubs, Scouts and Explorers!

You can find out more details on the link - Challenges  for the information sheet and other challenges.  Have fun and remember to post or send in your pictures!

.

#AdventureContinues - Challenge 8 - The Great Indoors

The next #AdventureContinues Challenge 8 is all about The Great Indoors!  There are 3 stages to this and 9 activities in each stage • Practical skills • Outdoor skills • Physical activity • Community engagement • Social action • International activities • Creative skills • Spiritual activities • Nights away - that means you can do up to 27 activities if you're up for the challenge!

You can find out more details on the link - Challenges and also on the specific links on the menu bar for more details.  Good Luck!

COVID-19 News Bulletin #10 – Suffolk Scouts 3-Jul-2020

You have probably noticed that across the UK and Europe, things are starting to change as Governments try to come out of lockdown. This is positive news for us in Scouting. Coming out of lockdown is more complex than lockdown itself.

The Scout Association has now started to release information on their website and through webinars (the first was on 2nd July) about the process we need to take to get us to any form of face to face Scouting safely. I’d like to reassure you that the County and District Teams are digesting the information and we will be working with groups for a planned and considered approach to returning to face to face Scouting. There are three things that spring to mind:

   1.  RACE: This is not a race to get back to face to face Scouting as soon as we can; we need to “Think, plan and then do”.

   2. OVERLOAD: There is a lot of information and many more questions resulting. There is no need to take it all on your own shoulders. We will work as a County together across our 8 districts to ensure we all return to Scouting safely.

   3. SHARE: The County and Districts will be sharing resources, ideas and approaches for our safe return to face to face Scouting.

The state of readiness has not changed this week and remains at RED. Last week I said that The Scout Association would continue to follow the guidance set by the National Youth Agency who in turn, take all their guidance from the Department of Culture, Media and Sport. Please do not follow anything you see from the Department of Education, this is not of relevance to us in Scouting.

Regrettably, there have been a number of inappropriate Scouting gatherings cropping up across the country during the last few days and I would like to remind you, that whilst we remain at a readiness status of RED, no face to face Scouting can take place, even in a socially distanced way.

Read more ...

Getting everyone back together safely

As lockdown measures start to ease, TSA are working with youth sector partners and the National Youth Agency (NYA) government body to understand what a safe return to face to face Scouts may look like when the readiness level reduces from red (see article below in full for details).

HQ have a lot of information on their webpage at Getting everyone back together safely and there is a webinar on 2nd July at 19:00 (Zoom call) but you need to register to attend and receive the call details.  Click on the Register link to be able to attend.

COVID-19 News Bulletin #9 - 26th June 2020

I hope that you and your families are staying well. I strongly believe as Scouters we are part of a team and there to support each other. The fear of catching Covid-19 may be abating but in one way or another, our mental wellbeing has been affected and for some more than others. I ask you as volunteers that if there are adult leaders you’ve “not heard from John for a while” or “Sarah seems more withdrawn” that you take the time to call them and just make sure they’re ok. If you find someone asks for help, then please (confidentially) help and encourage them to seek out professional medical help, normally through their GP.

We had a very clear instruction from The Scout Association on the 17^th March this year, Face to Face Scouting is suspended from that date, which we duly did and continue to respect. As the Government starts to ease restrictions on lockdown, The Scout Association is starting a journey in line with the Government run National Youth Agency to ease aspects of lockdown. Doing this will be more complicated than lockdown and we will each need to put many things in place to enable a staged and safe return to normal Scouting. More details are set out below.

I hope that your sunflowers are growing well for our Suffolk wide support of Age UK Suffolk fund raiser and your dogs have been ably walked by you or young people for 5km to raise funds for young people through the Suffolk Community Foundation Trust. More details for both initiatives can be found at https://www.suffolkscouts.org.uk/adventurecontinues.  

Feel free to invite me to your section Zoom/Teams meetings or virtual camps - I’d love to attend.

Best wishes

Mark Pearson

County Commissioner – Suffolk

Read more ...

Virtual PRIDE event

Come and celebrate this pride month with Suffolk Scouts very first ‘Virtual Pride’

On the 28th June on Suffolk Scouts main Facebook page, we will be going live using ‘Facebook live’ and on this website to celebrate inclusion and diversity.

You can find out more here at https://www.suffolkscouts.org.uk/pride

There will be activities happening during the day for everyone (see below) and in the evening for our volunteers, a chance to book on to some informative sessions. 

We hope to see you there! 

Ollie Smith

Pronouns: He/Him

Deputy UK Youth Commissioner (Programme) 

Suffolk Scouts County Youth Commissioner & Programme Lead