Page 63 - feb-mag-2022

February 2022 February 2022
BERE REGIS SCOUT GROUP their welfare and wellbeing by having regular contact with them particularly
following discharge from hospital.
Happy New Scouting Year! Despite all the Covid As well as relatives, friends and neighbours can also play a valued role in
restrictions, all of our four sections; Beavers age 6 - supporting people in the local community. There are many examples of how you
8; Cubs age 8- 10½; Scouts 10½- 14; Explorers 14- and our partners have worked together to meet the challenges. One example I
18, have started the New Year refreshed after the wanted to share was how we worked collaboratively over the holiday season with
Christmas break. In these difficult and uncertain the Volunteer Centre Dorset where more than 250 people signed up to be on
times for our young members we hope to bring standby to assist in emergency situations.
some degree of stability, continuity, normality and fun through our weekly
evening meetings and occasional weekend activities Volunteers provided welfare checks to vulnerable people which prevented the
need for more complex assistance from us and our health colleagues. Some of
Planning meetings have been held in each section, involving the youngsters, to the help we were able to give included providing a one-off food supply to a
work out activities for the coming term and beyond. Undaunted by Covid, some family, assisting a vulnerable resident with providing food, drink and medication
really exciting activities are planned. prompts which bridged the gap until a more formal solution could be put in
place and assisting a resident to leave hospital and providing meals.

Cub Pack These welfare checks meant that some of the pressure was relieved and
enabled us to focus on our residents with more critical needs. Continuing
The Cubs finished off last term with a fantastic talent show. Magic tricks, table the development of this partnership is being explored to ensure we continue to
tennis skills, jokes, singing and dancing were just some of the talents on show. We build upon the learning, and we deliver this support during the year.
sold tickets to friends and family to raise money for a worthy cause chosen by the
Cubs. This talent show earned the Cubs their Entertainment Badge to go with the Cllr Peter Wharf, Dorset Council’s portfolio holder for Adult Social Care and
Scientist and Swimmer Badges that most achieved last term. This term we are Health, said: “The families and friends of residents, who unfortunately have to go
focusing on the World Badge which will mean learning about different cultures into hospital are going to be so important this winter. “Residents who are
around the world. We are going to celebrate Chinese New Year with some medically well enough to be discharged from hospital may need some additional
cooking and the Indian Festival of Colour with some chalk drawing. We are all help when they return home. “By being the someone who is there to make sure
very excited looking forward to our sleepover in the church in the half term. they have provisions, a hot meal, something to drink, and are taking any
prescribed medication, will not only help their loved one get well in their own

environment, but will help another Dorset resident who needs a hospital bed. “This
Scout Troop will also mean precious care resources are being used by those who are most in
need.”
The Scout section remains a brilliant weekly get together for young people from
where they can get out of school/home-ed shackles for a couple of hours and do
different stuff. Road salting

The program this winter has been very varied with caving, cooking, geocaching, On a typical cold night, we will
wide games, Remembrance events, team building, Christmas fun, and, the one salt the Main Precautionary Priority
where the Scout Leader usually shows much more enthusiasm than the Scouts, Salting Network consisting of
map reading, yay! To keep safe much of the programme has been outdoors 1100km of roads (approx. 28% of
even in the "dark term". our road network). If we are
looking at a prolonged cold snap
Patrol Leaders (the most experienced Scouts) held a Patrol Leader Council to or period of snow, we will also salt
help plan the start of 2022. They came up with some brilliant ideas which we will the Community Routes Network –
deliver up to Easter. February will see the return of our famous "24 hour flash approx. 170km. Our webpage
camps" - starting with Frostbite Camp, brrrr!
shows when routes were last
salted and when the next runs are

62 19