Clwyd Area Scouts

Wrexham Scouts celebrate 100 years of adventure

600 Wrexham Scouts celebrated a century of adventure at Bangor-on-Dee racecourse last weekend with an event called RexJam.

The Scouts held the giant activity camp to mark the centenary of Wrexham District which records say was set up in 1910, just three years after Baden-Powell's experimental camp on Brownsea Island in Poole Harbour. It's part of a host of activities being held throughout the year. Scouts from the neighbouring Llangollen District are also taking part as they were part of the orginal Wrexham District.

A huge variety of activities were held over the weekend including water slides, air rifle shooting, and karting. The camp will even have it's own newspaper and radio station. The event opened with a carnival and campfire on Friday night, and closed with a celebration street party on the Sunday, with the whole event run by a team of volunteers.

Explorer Scout James Taylor, 18, said ''RexJam is one of the best events I've been on, the atmosphere is electric, it's amazing. Everyone attending is having so much fun, anyone can make new friends, and the activities are second to none.''

Camp organiser Sue Lister said, ''We were glad to be back at Bangor-on-Dee racecourse having celebrated the centenary of the Scout movement as a whole here 3 years ago. It's a great venue for the camp.''

Some of the youngsters attending the camp at the weekend are the newly established 1st Esclusham Beaver Scouts, one of many new groups that have opened recently as Scouting shows that it's continuing to grow.

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5 things that have changed in 100 years of Scouting:

1. The Boy Scouts are now just Scouts, with girls being admitted to every section
2. Leaders used to turn to Scouting for Boys for programme ideas, now they have an online database of over 3,000 activities
3. While Scouting has always been inclusive, the organisation that was once thought of as being for white middle class Christians is now made up of people from every background, with a third of Scouts being Muslim
4. Scouting matters a lot more now - from young people gaining awards that enhance their CVs, to Scouts campaigning for change
5. What started with a handful of Scouts camping on Brownsea Island is now a global movement with 30 million members

Added on 06/07/2010

Scouts attend biggest ever All-Wales Scout Camp!

Young people from NE Wales joined others from all over Wales at the weekend for the largest ever All-Wales Scout camp to date.

The Scouts from Wrexham, Flintshire and Llangollen were amongst nearly 1,000 boys and girls who set up camp in the sun on Friday evening and spent two nights at the showground site at Builth Wells.

The massive camp is organised in Wales every other year to bring together young people from every corner of Wales and give them a weekend full of fun, challenge and adventure.

The young people, all aged between 10 and 14 were in charge of putting up their own tents and cooking their meals. Dozens of adventurous activities were on site and included climbing walls, a zip wire, GPS orienteering and even a welsh cake baking session. Each young person took part in activities from three areas - Fun, Challenge and Adventure, which are fundamental principles of Scouting - and were designed to involve team work and co-operation.

There was no rest for the Scouts as the sun started to set. Evening activities included karaoke, circus performances, cooking competitions, a disco and of course, a classic campfire to keep warm by.

Geraint Hall, 12, from Wrexham said: ''The All Wales Scout camp was fantastic. I did loads of great activities including Mountain biking, obstacle courses, going on the climbing wall and loads of other fun activities.

''Being a Scout means that I can do all these great activities whilst meeting new friends and learning lots of new skills.''

Like the Scouts organisation as a whole, the All-Wales Scout camp was completely organised and run by volunteers. It took 400 volunteers to keep everything in hand, including 35 Explorer Scouts aged between 14 to 18 who supported the activities.

Pete Jeffreys, camp leader, said: ''My volunteer team and I have spent the past year preparing for this camp and I am so pleased that it was such a huge success.

''The Scouts and volunteers all had a fantastic time and got to meet new people from all over Wales and discover new skills.

''Each year this camp gets more and more popular, with this year's camp being the biggest ever. The fact that so many Scouts attended this year's camp is testament to the increasing growth of Scouting in Wales. Everyone has been so positive about the weekend, I know next year will be even more popular.''

Added on 23/06/2010

Prince of Wales and Bear Grylls honours Wrexham Scout Leader

Mark taking part in an RNLI training course which he did for the residential part of his award

23 year old Scout Leader Mark Jones from Wrexham has been honoured by HRH The Prince of Wales and international adventurer Chief Scout Bear Grylls for gaining his Queen's Scout Award.

Bear greeted The Prince of Wales to honour 350 new Queen's Scouts at Windsor Castle on Sunday 25th April. This was the first time that both of them have attended this prestigious occasion. The event has come at a boom time for Scouting following last week's announcement of the Movement's greatest growth for 38 years with membership numbers now totalling nearly half a million.

The Queen's Scout Award is the highest honour in Scouting and is awarded for outstanding personal achievement. This honour is achieved by young people aged between 16 and 25 who have completed a range of challenges, which includes service to their community, completing an expedition in wild country, undertaking a five-day residential project in an unfamiliar environment and learning a new skill or developing an existing talent.

Mark said: ''Having been involved in Scouting since I was six, the thought of achieving The Queen's Scout Award has always been of great importance to me. Completing the award has been the pinnacle moment of my time in Scouting.

''The journey allowed me to experience many new and fulfilling opportunities: I volunteered with the RNLI for 5 days, covered nearly 50 miles of the Snowdonia National park in a four day expedition on foot, learnt how to drive power boats and completed my leadership training within Scouting.

''The Queens Scout Award and Duke of Edinburgh Gold Award has helped me greatly outside Scouting, my achievements set me apart from others and helped my to gain my current career position.

''Attending the national Queen Scout Parade in Windsor was really exciting. It was great celebrating my achievements and sharing my experience with other Scouts from all over the UK.''

Chief Scout Bear Grylls said, ''All these young people have lived the adventure of a lifetime to achieve their Queen's Scout Awards, and I admire that spirit so much. They are huge inspirations to the other 500,000 scouts in the UK and I am so pleased that both Scouting and The Prince of Wales have honoured them today. They are amazing.''

The Windsor Castle event has been held regularly since 1934 on the Sunday nearest to St. George's Day (23rd April). St George is the Patron Saint of Scouting. Since the Queen's Scout Award was instigated, over 100,000 of these awards have been presented to young men and women for outstanding personal achievements and service to their local communities. They have learnt new skills and taken part in many of the 200 different activities on offer by Scouting across the UK.

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Added on 27/04/2010

Duck Race fun to raise cash for new Gwernaffield Scout HQ

Loggerheads Country Park near Mold will be the place to be this Bank Holiday Monday, with fun for all the family including a Mayday Duck Race held by Trinity Fammau Scouts. The Group are raising much needed funds to go towards the cost of building a brand new Scout headquarters in the village of Gwernaffield.

Scout Leader Peter Jones said, ''We welcome all to come and join us in this beautiful location. There will also be lots of fun stalls and fun games. The ducks will bombing down a stretch of the River Alyn and owners will be able to cheer for their ducks from the banks of the river.''

The Scouts current building has not been used as a HQ for at least the last 10 years and up until recently was only suitable for storage. It was deemed beyond economic repair by the Local Authority and is now due for demolition.

The Group are currently meeting in Gwernaffield Church hall, together with other users, meaning organisations wishing to make use of this facility can't as it is already taken. By building a new HQ they will be providing a safe environment for the Beavers, Cubs, Scouts and Explorer Scouts to to use, in addition the building could be used by other Scout Groups, with the activity area and kitchen facilities being available to the wider community.

Explorer Scout Helen Lloyd, 15, said: ''To have a new Scout HQ would mean everything to us, at the moment we have no space of our own and nowhere to put all our equipment. When we make stuff we would have somewhere to show it off and be able to keep it rather than take it apart.''

The event takes place from 10am to 3pm on Monday 3rd May.

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Added on 22/04/2010

Biggest membership surge for 38 years for NE Wales Scouts

103 new members in North East Wales have helped the UK Scout Movement achieve its biggest growth spurt since 1972 according to statistics for the last year released today.

Scouting in the region has grown 4.5% since 31 January 2009 helping total UK membership reach 499,323.

This impressive surge in membership - the fifth consecutive year of expansion - has helped cement Scouting's position as the largest co-educational youth Movement in the country.

A large part of this growth locally is due to record numbers of teenagers joining in Denbighshire, Flintshire and Wrexham. This is the fastest-growing age group with 44 new members in the last year, up 15% on 2009. This means there are now around 350 teenagers in Scouting in North East Wales - 46% more than 2001 when such detailed data was first collected.

Scouting is all about adventure. In the UK Members can enjoy more than 200 activities including zorbing, water skiing, abseiling and adventure glider flights. So it's easy to see why more and more teenagers are signing up. But that's not all. Scouting helps young people achieve their full physical, intellectual, social and spiritual potential as individuals, as responsible citizens and as Members of their local, national and international communities.

Adults can get just as much out of Scouting as young people. Not only through enjoying the same activities but also by developing skills that can be transferred into other areas of their lives. For the second year running, The Scout Association has seen a rise in adult Leaders in North East Wales with numbers up a massive 21% from 2009 to this year.

But despite this growth, overall waiting lists to join Scouting remain at an all-time high due to popularity amongst young people and the need for more adult volunteers.

While The Scout Association has been able to create over 13,500 new places this year thanks to 2,871 new adults volunteering their time to local Groups, there are currently over 33,500 young people waiting to join Scouting throughout the UK.

Ellen Pusey, 15, joined K2 Explorer Scout Unit in Wrexham last year. She said: ''I joined Scouts because I like outdoor activities such as rock climbing. I get to learn new skills and get awards like the Duke of Edinburgh's Award. I can also get to do all this with my friends.''

Chief Scout Bear Grylls said ''It's fantastic to witness such a huge surge in Scouting - the biggest growth for thirty eight years - and it is proof that Scouting is appealing more and more to teenagers. Scouting is empowering, wild and fun, and offers so many adventure-based activities for young people and adults alike. My goal is for every young person that wants to be involved in Scouting to be able to be. So I hope to inspire even more adults to volunteer and help this happen.''

Sarah Hughes volunteered to become a Leader at a newly formed Beaver Scout Group in Corwen this year. Sarah said: ''We have now been successfully running since September and have a growing group of Beavers and parent helpers. I enjoy feeling that I am providing something that the children really enjoy. When we start the closing ceremony each week there is a chorus of 'do we have to go' which makes us feel it's all worth it!''

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Added on 19/04/2010

Wrexham Election Candidates to attend Scouts' Question Time

Candidates standing in Wrexham for the General Election have accepted an invitation from K2 Explorer Scout Unit in Wrexham to debate issues at a 'Question Time' style event on Monday 19th April in Rhosnesni, Wrexham.

Ian Lucas for the Labour Party, Gareth Hughse for the Conservatives, Tom Rippeth for the Welsh Liberal Democrats, Arfon Jones for Plaid Cymru and John Humberstone for UKIP have all agreed to attend.

The event will be chaired by Explorer Scouts aged 14-18 and they have also thought up a wide range of questions. It is part of a wider campaign from the Scout Association to get young people interested in politics.

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Results

Explorer Scouts interviewed on Heart 103.4 - tune in Monday morning

The Leader:

Added on 08/04/2010

Bravery award for Llangollen Scouts

Five Explorer Scouts from Llangollen Dragons ESU have been awarded the Chief Scout's Commendation for Meritorious Conduct after saving a pregnant woman from a sinking canoe.

Gavin Scott, George Jones, James Cragg, Suzie Gregory and Sam Dodd, were paddling from Glasbury in Powys to Hoarwithy in Herefordshire last September when they came across a group in distress. A canoe had tipped over throwing one paddler into the river and leaving the other, a young pregnant woman, standing terrified in the sinking canoe.

Three of the quick thinking Explorer Scouts went to the aid of the party, one going after the person in the water and the others rescuing the woman from the boat.

At a presentation evening the five teenagers were presented with the award by the Chief Commissioner of Wales, Jill Gloster. Jill said, ''They have personified what Scouting means - teamwork, courage, self-respect and confidence. You can't imagine how much pleasure it gives me to present these awards.''

A letter from the Chief Scout, Bear Grylls said, ''your story is an inspiration to so many, and personifies all that is best about Scouting. You are a shining example of bravery and courage, and your contribution and devotion to Scouting is such an inspiration to me and many others. You should be rightly proud.''

Watching the Scouts receive their award was the Mayor of Llangollen, Mike Pugh. Mr Pugh said, ''I think what they did that day comes down to initiative and training. What they learned through Scouting is of benefit to them and obviously to the community worldwide. The town council rightly feel very proud that we have something like this in Llangollen.''

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Results

Llangollen Scouts awarded for bravery after saving pregnant woman - Daily Post

Added on 30/03/2010

Flintshire Scouts part of biggest adult team to Jamboree

Rob Byrne and Andy Needham from Hawarden in Flintshire have been selected from Scouting's 100,000 adult volunteers to represent the UK at the 22nd World Scout Jamboree in Sweden in 2011. As well as being a fantastic opportunity for young people, the event is an amazing chance for adults to be part of the International Service Team (IST).

The IST are the volunteers who make the Jamboree happen, and their theme is 'Contribute, Develop, Inspire' which is exactly what they will do for the 30,000 Scouts at the event. Rob and Andy decided to apply after attending EuroJam in 2005 and they now want to do it as an adult. They are two of 500 successful candidates chosen for the trip of a lifetime after impressing at a special event in Runcorn. At the event Rob and Andy had to complete a variety of team activities and creativity tests to demonstrate why they should gain a place at the 2011 World Scout Jamboree.

Attending the Jamboree is an opportunity of a lifetime for Rob, Andy and the other UK adult volunteers selected. Not only will they get to meet 30,000 people from nearly every country in the world - and share their knowledge and experiences whilst working towards greater international understanding - this Jamboree offers them the chance to learn new skills that they can use in other aspects of their life.

At the event the two will be close to nature, living in wild Scandinavian grassland surrounded by trees and woodlands for the two weeks the Jamboree runs. Nature is a key theme and the Jamboree programme will use the natural environment as a learning tool, demonstrating both its vulnerability and what individuals can do to better protect the world we live in.

Rob from Hawarden said: ''It's one of the best opportunities anyone will get to meet so many people from such diverse cultures, and help them to have the best time ever. I'm looking forward to get the chance to help people to enjoy themselves and be part of a multinational team. It's not going to be a holiday, but the hard work will bring the reward of an amazing experience and smiles on participants faces.''

Chief Scout, Bear Grylls said: ''Congratulations to Rob and Andy, and all the other UK volunteers who have been selected to go on this trip of a lifetime. Whlle lots of people know that Scouting is all about adventure, they often don't realize that adult volunteers get to do just as much as our young members through their involvement. The World Scout Jamboree is a great example of this. Over the course of the Jamboree they will be able to meet people from around the world, take part in amazing adventures and experiences and be challenged to think about global issues in a new light. I wish Rob and Andy all the best and I know they are going to have an amazing time next year.''

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Added on 30/03/2010

All night adventure for teenagers

Over 130 Scouts were up all night last weekend when they took part in an 'Escape and Evasion' event, proving that the Scouts isn't just for young children, but for teenagers as well.

The Explorer Scouts, aged 14 to 18, came from across North Wales to meet in Penycae before being bussed to mystery destinations around Overton, Bangor-on-Dee and Penley. Their task was to navigate between different bases before getting to their pick-up point in the early hours of the morning.

All this was made even more difficult as the maps they'd been given had been specially printed without any place names.

Ollie Morris, 17 from Gresford said: ''The dark made it more fun and tested our navigation skills. It was a really good turn out with lots of Explorers from different Units, and that brought out everyone's competitive side.''

''I have been in Scouting for ten years now and it still throws new challenges at me. It's a great experience, you get to do things you wouldn't be able to do normally, and you meet lots of new people. I am staying in Scouting as I want to become a Leader soon and will have plenty of new challenges to face including mountaineering in Switzerland this summer.''

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Results

Added on 18/03/2010

Award helps Explorer Scouts head for new heights

Atlas Explorer Scout Unit, based in Coedpoeth in Wrexham, are receiving a new award from Wrexham County Borough Council at an event this Friday. The award has unlocked a grant which the group will be using to provide more activities for young people.

The Wrexham Award for Excellence is part of a trial kite-marking scheme developed by AVOW on behalf of Wrexham CYP Framework Partnership.

The scheme has been developed to ensure that youth groups are meeting required standards including safety, child protection, recognising achievement, supporting volunteers and involving young people in decision making.

Achieving the award gave the group access to a grant of £2,500 that has allowed them to buy expedition equipment, and fund leader training in first aid and mountain leadership, which will enable Explorer Scouts to undertake more adventurous activities.

Explorer Scout Elliot Jones, 15, said: ''It's going to help us a lot, and enable us to have our equipment so we don't have to rely on borrowing things from other Scout Groups. The award makes us feel really proud knowing what we're doing is right. Our Leaders are really supportive and help us getting through the Duke of Edinburgh's Award.''

The Explorer Scout Unit, which offers a huge range of activities for young men and women aged 14 to 18 years, has only been up and running for 18 months. The group started with 7 members and has gone from strength to strength with number now at 19.

Those interested in joining the Scouts can visit www.scouts.org.uk/join or call 0845 300 1818.

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Result

Added on 25/02/2010

Haiti helped by Wrexham Scouts

Members of the 1st Rhosnesni Scouts in Wrexham are sleeping rough outside their Scout hut this weekend to raise money to help the people of Haiti. At the same time they will experience in a small way the hardships that some of the 30,000 Scouts of Haiti are experiencing in the earthquake hit country.

The Scouts are raising money for ShelterBox, the UK-based charity who send out boxes that provide an extended family of up to 10 people with a tent and essential equipment to use while they are displaced or homeless.

Scout Leader David Morris said, ''As soon as I heard of the massive destruction in Haiti I thought there must be a way we could help. The Scouts have a partnership with ShelterBox and I realised this was just what those who'd lost everything in the quake would need.''

This Friday night the Scouts, girls and boys aged between 10 and 14, will be building makeshift shelters and spending the night out in the open. Luckily they're used to sleeping in unusual conditions as they recently camped out in the snow at the Scouts' national Winter Camp.

Each ShelterBox includes a ten-person tent, drawing books & crayons for kids, blankets, tools, a stove, water containers and cooking pots and utensils. The Scouts hope to raise £490 - the cost to supply one box and get it to the disaster zone. Donations can be made at www.justgiving.com/rhosnesniscouts or by sending a cheque made payable to 1st Rhosnesni Scouts to David Morris, 55 Bradley Road, Wrexham, LL13 7TG.

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ShelterBoxes arriving in Haiti

Scout Groups in Haiti (blue dots)

Results

Added on 19/01/2010

Snow doesn't stop Wrexham Scouts' weekend camp

15 Scouts from 1st Rhosnesni Scouts in Wrexham are joining 2,500 others from across the UK this weekend to welcome a new year of adventure. The Scouts were attending The Scout Association's annual Winter Camp, braving sub zero temperatures to camp at Gilwell Park in Chingford, the home of Scouting and outdoor adventure.

Winter Camp takes place every January and provides the opportunity for all Scouts to take part in over 70 adventurous and fun activities ranging from abseiling to zorbing. Over 1,800 boys and girls aged between 10-18 along with over 600 adult Leaders will enjoy the experience of sleeping in tents for two nights, cooking on open fires and enjoying a packed programme led by a team of 200 adult volunteers.

Chief Scout Bear Grylls who is well known for his adventures around the world, said ''Every young person deserves an adventure. It's great to see so many young people from Wrexham are getting stuck into adventurous activities like climbing, abseiling, quad biking and having a go on the high ropes, all in the coldest month of the year.''

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- Photos, plus quotes from Scouts and Leaders will be available on Monday
- Interviews via phone direct from the camp will be available on request

Results

Wrexham Scouts on BBC Radio 5 Live from the camp

Added on 05/01/2010

Scouts to represent Wales at World Jamboree

Scouts from the region are today waiting for the post to see if they have been selected to represent their country at the next World Scout Jamboree. Letters were sent out earlier in the week letting the teenagers know whether they'd be joining 30,000 other Scouts from across the globe at the huge event taking place in Sweden in 2011.

A selection weekend was held at Gwernyfed High School near Brecon in November after 158 young people applied for just 129 available places. During the weekend the Scouts aged 12 to 16 were put in mixed teams of ten and took part in various team building challenges while being assessed to see how they got on with their peers.

Chloe Lloyd, a 13 year old Scout with the 1st Mynydd Isa got her letter this morning, and it was good news. Chloe said: ''I was really happy when I got the news. I wasn't expecting to get through as I was in a really good group and there was lots of competition. I'm so looking forward to meeting new people from across the world at the Jamboree.''

Four units of young people and volunteer Leaders will be representing Wales as part of the United Kingdom contingent. World Scout Jamborees occur once every four years and are attended by Scouts from over 200 countries as diverse as India, New Zealand, Brazil and Uganda. During the 12 day camp the youngsters will take part in a packed programme including adventurous activities, learning new skills and finding out about each other's cultures.

Simon Fairless from Scouts Wales said, ''The selection weekend was completely hectic. However, a lot of fun was had by all and Wales will definitely benefit from having a fantastic group of motivated, keen individuals, thrilled to be attending such a prestigious event.''

Those Scouts who are chosen will now face the challenge of raising money to pay for their trip of a lifetime.

Added on 16/12/2009

Explorer Scouts bring Christmas to Zimbabwe

Scouts from Wrexham have been helping out at Operation Christmas Child, the local charity which arranges for gift filled shoeboxes to be sent out to children in Africa, Central Asia and Eastern Europe. The teenagers from K2 Explorer Scout Unit based in Rhosnesni made up their own shoeboxes and also went along to the charity's depot on the Whitegate Industrial Estate where they helped check the shoeboxes, sort them into age ranges and box them up ready to be loaded into a lorry.

Last year, through Operation Christmas Child, over 1.2 million shoeboxes packed full of gifts and goodies were wrapped, packed and sent to children in disadvantaged situations by children and adults in the UK. The Scouts were checking and packing boxes that were destined for children in crisis-hit Zimbabwe.

Leah Ritchie, a 16 year old Explorer Scout from Wrexham, said: ''I'm really touched by this. I think it's so amazing that these shoeboxes are going all the way to Zimbabwe.''

Explorer Scout Leader David Morris said: ''I'm really proud of our Explorers who've really pulled out the stops for this project. Last night we were inundated with gifts, wrapping paper and shoeboxes, now we've got a great turnout here to help send them on their way to Africa.''

Operation Christmas Child depends on volunteers and donations. Those interested can call 0870 011 2002 to find out how to help.

Results

Added on 25/11/2009

Scouts looking for adults to join the 'SAS'

Scouts in Wrexham are launching one of the first Units in the UK of a new section of Scouting. It's an easy way for adults to help out, but also enjoy outdoor and social activities themselves. Scout Active Support is a way for those who can't commit regularly to other roles in Scouting such as being a Cub Scout Leader, but would be able to offer an hour or so when it suits them.

Scout Leader David Morris said: ''I volunteer regularly, running meetings every week, but understand that lots of people just don't have the time to give this much commitment. Having someone to help out just once in a while though would really help Leaders like me.''

''We think people could help out in different ways depending on what their interests are. For example someone who's a keen angler could take a group of Scouts fishing for a couple of hours one evening. It could be as much as once a month, or just once a year.''

The Scouts have been using some modern methods to publicise the new format. Messages have been sent to people via the social networking site Facebook, and already quite a number of people have expressed an interest.

Christian Edwards from Wrexham was a member of the Scouts when he was younger and is now getting back involved with Scout Active Support. He said: ''I can't commit lots of time as I'm a father of three and that keeps me pretty busy, but this is flexible enough for me to help out when I've got time.''

''I'm a keen mountain biker and have been told that I could help by assessing Explorer Scouts who are doing the sport for the Duke of Edinburgh's Award. It's an easy way for me to help out, and it's great to be encouraging young people to take up a sport that I love.''

Members would also be able to get something out of it themselves, whether by taking part in activities with other members, such as going walking in Snowdonia, to enjoying social activities, camps and even international travel.

One of the Scouts' recent recruits is TV adventurer, and Chief Scout, Bear Grylls. He said: ''Our biggest challenge in Scouting is getting enough adults to share their time and talents. Scout Active Support is a brilliant way for adults of all ages to volunteer on a flexible basis.''

''It's the best of both worlds - it fits around people's commitments, helps them to use their individual talents and volunteer with their friends. Not everyone can contribute every week - but this way, people can still make a great contribution to Scouting.''

Those who are interested in getting involved can phone Moz on 07779 272340 or visit www.facebook.com/WASPSactivesupport

Higher quality images available on request

Added on 19/11/2009

Scouts have special weekend in London

Cub Scouts from Wrexham were in London last weekend taking part in the Remembrance Sunday service at Westminster Abbey. They are the only Scout Group in the UK that take part in the service.

The 37 Cub Scouts from 1st Moss and 6th Wrexham travelled down to London by coach on Friday night, spending the night at a Scout hut in the west of the city, before heading into the centre for a day of sightseeing.

During their visit Chris Hitchcock and Struan Nisbet were invested as Young Leaders on the step of Number 10 Downing Street. Young Leaders are Explorer Scouts aged 14 to 18 who help out with the younger sections of Scouting.

Struan, 14 from Wrexham, said: ''It was an honour to be allowed into Downing Street to be invested. I was really excited and it was the highlight of my trip.''

The main reason for the visit took place on the Sunday morning as the Scouts joined dignitaries from the City of Westminster, the armed forces and other VIPs at the service of Remembrance at Westminster Abbey.

Scout Sion Davies said: ''We really enjoyed London. The journey was fun, the Science Museum was scientrific, St. Paul's Cathedral was amazing, Downing Street impressive, pizzas were yummy but most important of all we paid our respects at Westminster Abbey. We remembered.''

High quality photos available on request

Added on 18/11/2009

Rhostyllen Cubs cycle across Wales

Two Cub Scouts have crossed Wales on two wheels to raise money for their Group. Huw Rees Jones and Josh Jones, both aged ten from Wrexham, cycled 60 miles from the English border near Chirk to Barmouth at an average speed of 12 miles per hour.

Huw's dad Peter volunteers as a Leader at the 1st Esclusham Cub Scouts and arranged the sponsored event. Peter said: ''The Cubs did really well during the ride which took almost five hours. They raised almost £300 but we're still after people to sponsor them.''

Both Huw and Josh are members of the Scouts and local cycling clubs. They have been members of 1st Esclusham since the age of six, and are members of the Alf Jones Cycle club.

1st Esclusham Cubs, based on Spring Road in Rhostyllen, currently have room for new members aged eight to ten and a half. Boys and girls are welcome to make new friends and join the fun and adventure. Contact Peter on 01978 753900 to join the Cubs or to sponsor Huw and Josh.

More photos available on request

Added on 03/11/2009

Scouts Keep Wales Tidy

On Saturday 26th September 2009, members of the 3rd Prestatyn Scout Group took part in a beach litter pick as part of the Tidy Wales Week. Gareth Jones from Keep Wales Tidy provided the necessary equipment and advice before the youngsters got stuck in.

To assist the groups that took part, Keep Wales Tidy produced 1000 free clean-up kits. Sponsored by the Welsh Assembly Government, the kits contained posters, promotional items, and tabards.

Speaking about the week long campain, Tegryn Jones, Chief Executive of Keep Wales Tidy commented: ''We hear constant complaints in the press and on TV about the state of our streets, beaches and rivers. The truth is that resolving many of the problems highlighted lies in our own hands. People create litter and with a little bit of effort we could make a massive dent in the annual £50 million it costs to remove our rubbish and waste.''

Cub Scout Leader John Bebbington said, ''Luckily the sun shone and the tide wasn't too far out. As well as Beavers, Cubs and Scouts, lots of Mums, Dads, brothers and sisters turned out to help. We started at the Nova and went along the promenade towards the Ffrith and came back on the beach.''

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High quality images available on request.

Added on 05/10/2009

Scouts welcome Rain Tax announcement

The Scout Association is delighted that The Government has announced today it is going to intervene to stop Ofwat's Rain Tax and introduce a sensible social water charging regime.

This announcement today will be welcomed by all community groups across England and Wales who have been frustrated by Ofwat's failure to understand the damage and financial hardship their policies were causing to the clubs and groups that we the Scout Association, The Football Association, Lawn Tennis Association, the England and Wales Cricket Board, the Rugby Football Union and the Church of England represent.

We are therefore delighted that The Government has worked with us collectively to resolve this matter and we will be seeking assurances from all of the main political parties for wide ranging cross party support to make sure these measures become law in the Floods and Water Bill to rotect community and voluntary groups which are the life blood of many communities.

18 year Scout Leader Nancy Ibrahim said: 'It's great news to find out that the Minister has kept his promise to Scouting to stop the rain tax. We were really worried about where we were going to find the money to pay these charges and the cuts this would mean for our activities as a result.'

Chris Lilley, Treasurer of Penrith Rugby Club said: 'We fully welcome the news that DEFRA have recognised the contribution that sports clubs make to both their local communities and the health of all participants in porting activities through this announcement which will remove'

General Synod Member Martin Dales said: 'With over 16,000 places of worship, Church of England parishes and cathedrals were facing an annual bill of several million pounds. Today's announcement is very good news for them. We look forward to the early implementation of what has been promised.'

Added on 28/09/2009

Scouts in river rescue drama

A group of 16 year old Llangollen Scouts have been involved in a river rescue drama on the River Wye during their Duke of Edinburgh's Award expedition.

The five Explorer Scouts, Gavin Scott, George Jones, James Cragg, Suzie Gregory and Sam Dodd, were paddling from Glasbury in Powys to Hoarwithy in Herefordshire as part of a three day expedition. The aim of their expedition was to visit campsites along the route to evaluate them for future Scout activities.

On reaching Whitney-on-Wye the Scouts saw a group in locally hired boats who were in obvious distress. One of their canoes was stuck against the pillar of a bridge due to a strong current. The boat had tipped over throwing one paddler into the river and leaving the other, a young pregnant woman, standing terrified in the sinking canoe.

Three of the quick thinking Explorer Scouts went to the aid of the party, one going after the person in the water and the others rescuing the woman from the boat. River levels were reasonably high, about 2 feet higher than normal and flowing fast following recent rain.

Gavin Scott said, ''Once I'd assessed the person in the water was OK, I paddled upstream against the strong current towards the lady in the sinking canoe which was pinned against the bridge. Me and James shouted to her to reassure her and told her to jump in the water where we'd catch her, but she was scared and didn't want to, stating that she was pregnant. Eventually, with George's help we managed to get a boat alongside her and she managed to get in so we could take her to the side where she was looked after by Sam and Suzie while we recovered their battered boat.''

All five of the Scouts are experienced paddlers and spend hours learning how to rescue people, but this was the toughest challenge they'd had to face.

Leader Joanne Gregory said, ''I am really proud of the way the Explorers worked together as a team to manage the situation. They quickly assessed that the other members of the other party didn't have the ability or equipment to manage the situation, and directed them to safety while they managed the rescue, ensured their own safety by assessing the river conditions, and acted quickly for fear that the stranded canoe would buckle under pressure causing injury to the woman.''

Despite the drama, the group completed the expedition covering 51 miles in the 3 days, and are on course to gain their Duke of Edinburgh Silver Awards and the Chief Scout's Diamond Award.

ENDS

High quality images available on request

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