Longcraig update – June 2024
Porpoises After an absence of some 15 years or more, we had several sightings of porpoises near Longcraig over the first weekend in June. The first sighting was made by a very observant Gide Leader who was visiting along with a group of Brownies and guides, A short time after, one porpoise leapt straight out of the water, and a small school of them (at least two, possibly more) were sighted playing in the waves between our pier and Inchgarvie Island. It was a very gentle breeze and a calm sea, so they were easily spotted. The following day, there were once again several limited sightings of them, although the sea was much more unsettled, and it was quite windy. It’s great to see these sea creatures back again – their presence is a good indication that the water in the Firth of Forth is fairly clean, so that’s always a good thing! NOT at Longcraig, but this is what they would look like. Photo courtesy of the Whale and Dolphin Conservation We’ve reported the sightings to the Whale & Dolphin Trust so we should now appear as a dot on their sightings map of the waters around Scotland. 2024 Summer Months – July, August, even into September…… There are still plenty of opportunities to get some activity bookings at Longcraig in the summer months – especially for small or medium size groups. Check our bookings calendar on the website for up to the minute availability, or email us if you have some specific questions – bookings@longcraig.info. We can offer taster sessions, badge training or assessments, or complete training courses for sailing certificates or paddling certificates. Especially during the summer holiday months, Longcraig can sometimes be a good venue for a BBQ or a day out by the seaside, with all the things that entails. Check us out or get in touch to find out how we may be able to help you plan your event. DID YOU KNOW? You can hire a lot of our equipment during the summer for your own activities (provided there is someone competent in charge) – such as kayaks, paddleboards, Topper and Pico dinghies and such like. We can even do just buoyancy aids or wetsuits if that’s what you need! Get in touch and see how we can help. Journey to Net Zero What is Net Zero? The term net zero means achieving a balance between the carbon emitted into the atmosphere, and the carbon removed from it. This balance – or net zero – will happen when the amount of carbon we add to the atmosphere is no more than the amount removed. (source: Energy Saving Trust) Latest update The final phase of our Journey to Net Zero is starting to fall into place. We had to apply to the electricity network provider (Scottish Power) for permission to install solar panels before we could even start! This permission was granted at the end of May, so our contractor is now preparing to gather the material together and arrange for installation. We are planning that this will be in early July – we have a relatively quiet spell then after a busy June, so they can get on with the work unhindered. So, by some point a little later in July, our project should be complete! We’ll provide a full report in the next Newsletter, showing this final phase, and also some details of the benefits what have been gained form this activity. DATES FOR YOUR DIARY Leaders Day Saturday 20th July Calling all adult leaders and Members – Did you ever wish you could get out on the water to do some activities but there wasn’t space? Or – you didn’t really want to when your Young People were around?? Or – you’ve never really had or taken the opportunity? Come down to longcraig and have a go at any of our activities – kayaking, paddleboarding, dinghy sailing (single, crewed or longboat), powerboats, even rafting. We’ll have our whole kit available throughout the day (open form 11am through to 5pm to take best advantage of the tides) so you can get out on the water for a short try, a longer float about, or a good proper activity session for as long as we can all manage. We’ll have the BBQ running throughout the day for some sustenance, and of course there’ll be tea, coffee and light refreshments available too. Formal Opening/Dedication of the Facilities Upgrade and Net Zero Wednesday 28th August Training Opportunities Paddleboard training /Assessment Day We are planning to run a Paddleboard training /Assessment Day sometime during the summer. The date has not been fixed yet with the Assessors, but for anyone interested in finding out more, please get in touch and give us your details so we can let you know as arrangements firm up: getinvolved@longcraig.info Safety Boat Training Course Safety Boat Training Course (leads to RYA Safety Boat Certificate) 5th and 6th October – 2 days course. Pre-requisite for this course is Powerboat level 2 and a reasonable number of logged hours driving powerboats in varying conditions. Powerboat Level 2 Course Powerboat Level 2 Course (one weekend) planned for later in the year (October/November timescale) This can be a follow up to a Powerboat 1 Course or it can be done directly. It is a necessary pre-qualification for anyone seeking to do the Safety Boat course (see above) For information on, or to register an interest in, any of these courses please contact us at getinvolved@longcraig.info Volunteering? As the demand for our activities grows and we constantly seek to expand what we can offer, we need more volunteers to help us implement our plans. Ther are two distinct types of volunteers that we can effectively make use of: Type 1 These volunteers are the people who make the centre operate. We have spaces for: Skilled water activity people who could lead activities on the water. Semi-skilled people who have some skills, but we can help develop
One of the oldest groups in the UK is reignited
After an 18-month hiatus, the 9th Braid GWC Scout Group is back up and running. The 9th, which operates through agreement with George Watson’s College, is one of the oldest Scout groups in Scotland (if not the oldest), having formed in 1908. It is an Open Group, meaning pupils at the school are welcome to join – as well as any young people in the Beavers and Cubs age range who live in the local community. Following a period recruiting new leaders and developing a new programme, meetings started again on Friday 14th June with the first of two taster session evenings for young people interested in joining Beavers and Cubs. Lead Volunteer Greig Torpey said: “We’re delighted to have restarted the Group with the initial taster sessions for Beavers and Cubs, and are looking forward to launching our weekly programme from Friday 6 September. “We would encourage everyone who enjoyed the Beavers and Cubs sessions in June to spread the word, and we also appeal to parents to get involved. “We have big plans for the Group and hope to re-establish a Scout Troop next year. But growing the 9th back to full strength and ensuring continuity will depend on parents being able to contribute their time. We know they’ll get a lot out of it if they do. “We’d like to thank South-East Scotland Scouting Support staff Amy Irvine and Nacho Luna Borrás for their help in getting things off the ground again.” Joining Greig on 9th Braid’s new team of volunteers are leaders Ben James and Jamie Cavaye, supported by Chris Small focusing on communications and admin for the Group. Weekly meetings will take place on Friday evenings during term time in the school’s Centre for Sport. Any parents interested in their child joining Beavers or Cubs, or volunteering to help the Group grow, should email: 9thbraidbeavers@gmail.com or 9thbraidcubs@gmail.com
Exciting events coming to Bonaly
Bonaly Scout Centre has a number of exciting events coming up later in the year. Cubs Cubs Nature Awareness and Conservation Camp 13th – 15th September This is an opportunity for Cubs to learn about nature awareness and conservation by taking part in several Bonaly led activities. These will include bug hunting, burn dipping, animal games and doing nature crafts. The activities will take place on Saturday and each group will be allocated four different activities. The Cubs also get the opportunity to stay overnight in Ken’s Den. The nights away permit will be covered by the Bonaly Team. Beavers Beavers Adventure Day 13th October An opportunity for Beavers to take part in lots of Adventurous activities which count towards the “My Adventure Challenge Award. Explorers Explorers Halloween Survival Camp 26th – 27th October Explorers are challenged to survive the spooky Halloween weekend! Sleeping out without tents, cooking everything on open fires and learning survival skills. To register an interest and get an information pack please contact events@bonaly.org.uk
Young Leaders update – June 2024
My name is Allison Gamble, and I am the newly appointed Regional Lead for Young Leaders. I have been involved with the Young Leaders Scheme for over 15 years at district level in Derby East, Morningside, and currently Braid District. Young Leaders is a passion of mine, encouraging our next generation of leaders to gain skills that they can take forward into a leadership role. Who and What are Young Leaders Explorer Scout Young Leaders are Explorers who volunteer alongside adult leaders in a Squirrel Drey, Beaver Colony, Cub Pack or Scout Troop. They’re a valuable asset to any leadership team and play an active role in the section, bringing a range of fresh ideas to the table and acting as positive role models for the young people they work alongside. All Young Leaders in the Squirrel, Beaver, Cub and Scout section who are between the ages of 13.5 and 18 must be members of a Young Leaders Unit. There are three types of Young Leaders: Explorer Young Leader – are Young Leaders that are also part of an Explorer Unit as well. District Young Leader – are Young Leaders that have decided that they are only going to do their Scouting as part of the District Young Leader Unit Volunteer Young Leader – are members of the public or Girl Guiding who have decided to Volunteer with Scouts for an allocated amount of time for either Duke of Edinburgh or their Top Awards. They are not a member of the Scout Association. The Scheme The Explorer Scout Young Leaders’ Scheme is the training programme for Young Leaders. It contains 11 modules and four missions for them to work through whilst volunteering in their chosen section. Modules give Young Leaders the skills and knowledge to be successful in their role, while missions allow them to put everything into practice with support. As well as developing valuable life skills, the scheme is an opportunity for Explorers to make a positive impact in their communities and to fulfil the service elements of many of the top awards in Scouts, or their Duke of Edinburgh’s Award. Recognition of achievement is available along the way, and on completion of the Scheme, the Young Leader is awarded with an Explorer Scout Young Leader belt buckle. What can I do as a Leader? Working alongside an Explorer Scout Young Leader (ESYL) opens up many great opportunities for a section. ESYLs can bring a range of different skills and experience to the section they support and can help invaluably with the planning and running of your section. This not only benefits your section but allows the ESYL to develop skills for later life, equipping them for successful careers, and to take on adult roles within Scouting. More information on supporting Explorer Young Leaders in your section, click here The best thing that you can do is encourage the Young Leader in your section to complete the Missions. The four missions are designed to allow the Young Leaders to put the learning from the modules into practice. By doing so, they will gain in confidence and become an integral part of the leadership team within their Section and Group. For more information on the missions, click here If you have any questions about Young Leaders, then please email me on youngleaders@sesscouts.org.uk Young Leader’s Day We have a confirmed date for the Young Leader Day on Saturday 5th October at Bonaly. We have a fantastic opportunity for Young Leaders from across the Region (all 7 districts) to come together, have fun and learn from each other. The event will be at Bonaly on 5th October 10am with registration starting from 0945, Finishing about 2030, please bring packed lunch, we will supply dinner (please advise of any dietary requirements, when you sign up). Cost will be £5. Young Leaders will need to sign up through their districts, we will let the districts know when registration is open. Places will be given to Young Leaders who have adult leaders attending to support the event. Leaders are asked to note their interest by emailing allison.gamble@sesscouts.org.uk or Youngleaders@sesscouts.org.uk. Ideally, we are looking for at least 2 Leaders from each of the 7 Districts. If any Young Leader has ideas for activities they would like to see offered, please email Youngleaders@sesscouts.org.uk.
Interested in getting a hillwalking permit?
Anyone who wants to get a hillwalking permit for taking young people into the hills will require an assessment by a Scout Association appointed hillwalking assessor. Generally, this would be an assessor in your region but if none is available, assessors from other Regions can be approached. To apply for a permit, you either need to have the relevant Mounting Training qualifications or you need to be able to demonstrate an equivalent level of experience and skill. In addition, you will need to demonstrate knowledge of the activity POR Rules and how they affect the activity within Scouting. If you do not currently have the required level of experience to hold a permit but are interested in developing your own skills, you would be welcome to attend an “Assessment Training” weekend. However, you would need to: have appropriate personal kit including walking boots, waterproof jacket, waterproof trousers, suitable clothing (see the layering system), sleeping bag, sleeping mat, etc. have a suitable rucksack for carrying your personal kit and lightweight camping equipment for one night on the hill. (Camping and cooking equipment can be provided on request.) be able to walk over rough terrain not following paths, and on steep ground and be out for a full day (up to 5 hours travel time with appropriate rests and lunch break, bringing it up to a 7-hour day or more) be prepared to undertake some navigation exercise during the hours of darkness to simulate low visibility conditions. While the above list may feel a little bit daunting, if you are reasonably fit and want to learn new skills, the weekends are very enjoyable. While we will be travelling for several hours each day, the distance we travel tends to be low because of the time taken to do navigation exercises. The South East Scotland Scouts team of assessors run two weekends each year, one in April and one around the end of September. The weekend allows us to cover the full syllabus, including the lightweight camping aspects. Our next assessment and assessment training weekends are: 28 and 29 September 2024 26 and 27 April 2025 4 and 5 October 2025 If you are interested in attending an assessment / assessment training weekend, please get in touch by sending an email with the following information to the following address: hillwalking@sesscouts.org.uk Name Mobile phone number Permit type you are looking for: T1 Summer or T2 Summer What you are attending for: Assessment or Assessment Training For assessment, you will also need to provide an application form and your walking log. For Assessment training, you do not need to send us any forms, but an outline of your hillwalking experience would be helpful, including a walking log if you have one. Emergency contact details, including name and mobile phone number. Any medical issues that we need to know about, for example asthma, allergies, etc. If you simply have questions or would like to find out more, please feel free to also contact us through the hillwalking email address. I look forward to seeing you on the hill.
Edinburgh Gang Show update – June 2024
Supporting your local Gang Show With the holidays approaching the Gang are in the final pre-summer rehearsals and already a huge amount of work has been undertaken. If you are meeting over the summer holidays to plan your Autumn/Winter programme, please consider a trip to the Festival Theatre to support the Edinburgh Gang Show 2024. Follow us on our social media platforms and new for this year we have Aonghas Hunter creating content for the South East Region TikTok. Give it a follow and find out more about the build up to the show! More Cubs wanted! We are offering another opportunity for Cub Scouts to be in this year’s show. Please pass the details on to Cubs who may be interested. Cub Scout – Junior Gang Audition Sunday 25th August 2pm St Ninian’s Church, Corstorphine More details will be in the next newsletter and on social media. To visit our various social channels, please click on one of the links below. Remember to save the date Edinburgh Gang Show 2024 Festival Theatre Tue 29 October to Saturday 2 November Tickets on sale now from Capital Theatres – Edinburgh Gang Show 2024 (capitaltheatres.com)