;

Saturday Beavers

Connexions Service Factsheets and information

Development Conference season

Sikh Scouts in Gravesend

Start Up Grants

Development Case studies

This document is also available as an Adobe Acrobat (PDF) file: dp-2004-02.pdf

"A new Colony of Beavers held its first meeting in North Walsham on Saturday -earning praise from a national chief for breaking the mould. The 18-strong group, which includes two girls, is the town's second colony and its formation has virtually cleared the North Walsham waiting list.

Among those at the inaugral get-together was Marylyn Evans, National Commissioner for Beaver Scouts, who applauded local Leaders for "thinking outside the box" and deciding to start a Saturday colony - the first in Norfolk.

"There is always a need for Leaders and a Saturday colony allows more opportunities for adults who are at work from Monday to Friday to help with the youngsters." (North Norfolk News, Jan 15th 2004)

If you know of any other examples of Scouting working differently, let us know at development@scout.org.uk

Recent additions to ScoutBase include a set of four factsheets providing information about the relationship between Scouting and the Connexions Service. http://www.scoutbase.org.uk/library/hqdocs/facts/index.htm#sec_225

• FS452017 - The Development of Connexions
• FS452016 - The Connexions Service
• FS452015 - Explorer Scouts & the links with the Connexions Service
• FS452014 - Connexions - Best practice examples

A information booklet giving an overview of Connexions Service and Explorer Scouting is on target for circulation in early March. This will be sent to all Scout Counties in England, with other copies being sent direct to the Connexions Partnerships to promote the benefits and opportunities Explorer Scouting can provide to young people.

Scouting seems to be keeping the hotel and conference industry well afloat with many County Development conferences around the country - Norfolk, West Lanachire and Merseyside to name a few. The results are that development planning and focusing on some of the issues locally are being addressed as Scouting looks forward to growing and supporting local Groups. Many of these days have not just been for the County Team, but included DC's and GSL's.

The Development Team in Kent is currently working with the Sikh community in Gravesend. With over 150 young people of Cub age, they hope to open a new Cub Pack next month. The group are looking forward to marching in their Vasaki parade in April as Scouts - so watch this space for news about their progress!

We continue to look at how the provision of Start Up grants to new sections can be developed. Recently, it has been agreed that when the grants are sent out, recipients will also receive information about Awards for All, Gift Aid and other fundraising initiatives. Later on, the Fundraising Team at Gilwell will use the same database to send out further information direct to the Groups to provide direct advice and support. We already have had positive feedback on this initiative as we look to support new Sections/Groups in these early days.

The National Commissioner (Development) and the Core Team are keen to learn about local projects that have helped Scouting to grow. These could be running Scouting in a non-traditional way (like Saturday Scouting), methods people have used to recruit more adults or young people or using existing volunteer help in new ways. Case studies are slowly being collected for sharing, but more are being looked for. If you have anything you think might be of interest, please contact Bruce Murdoch at Gilwell Park bruce.murdoch@scout.org.uk . Case studies will be posted on ScoutBase in order to share ideas around the country.