Greenbank Jumble Sale
SATURDAY 12th APRIL 2025:9.30am – 12 noon Jumble Sales are rare these days, but the 4th Braid Group and Greenbank Explorer Unit run an amazing one every year at Greenbank Church. There are four halls, and outdoor space around the Church, crammed with bargains. The Sale attracts hundreds of customers – as well as providing a lot of fun and lessons in negotiating skills for a big team of young people and adult helpers. An Edinburgh institution, it needs to be seen to be believed!
Martin Silver Acorn
Martin’s exceptional commitment to Scouting over the past two decades has been truly outstanding, making him a highly deserving recipient of the Silver Acorn award. His leadership and dedication have significantly shaped Scouting in South East Scotland and beyond. Starting as an Assistant Section Leader in 2004, Martin has held numerous key roles at Group, District, Regional, and National levels. His impact has been particularly evident in his leadership positions, including his current role as Regional Lead Volunteer for South East Scotland, where he has been instrumental in driving strategic development and supporting volunteers. Throughout his journey, Martin has played a vital role in adult training, governance, and volunteer support, serving as a Scotland Region Trainer, District Training Adviser, and Deputy Regional Commissioner for Adult Support. His influence extends nationally as a UK HQ Committee Member for People and Culture and as a Scotland Lead Volunteer overseeing Regional Lead Volunteer Team. Martin’s long-standing commitment to youth development, particularly in the Beaver Scout section, demonstrates his passion for empowering young people. His ability to lead, mentor, and innovate and has created a legacy for future generations in Scouting, making him an exemplary role model and a truly deserving recipient of this prestigious award. John Cannon, Regional Chair said ” This is an extremely well-deserved award for Martin. I’m sure I speak on behalf of many people across the Region by saying Martin is an excellent Volunteer Lead and is well known by volunteers and young people alike. He gives his time willingly and often for the benefit of others and demonstrates an enthusiasm and passion for Scouting that is infectious. I thoroughly enjoy working with him and believe he is an excellent role model for our young people.”
Bonaly Update
We are pleased to announce the introduction of three new self-led activities at Bonaly Scout Centre. These include Soft Tomahawk Throwing; Soft Archery and the long-awaited Agility cube is now open and available for booking! Soft Tomahawk and Archery give a safe, self-led version of our Axe Throwing and Archery Sessions. Great as an alternative for younger groups or a relaxed taste for olders. The Agility cube is a mixture of different obstacles and low ropes ideal for Beavers and Cubs to let loose! Leaders Training Day- 10th May at Bonaly Scout Centre Just a reminder that we will be running a Leaders Training Day on the 10th May. This will be an opportunity for leaders to meet and brush up on Traditional Scouting Skills. We will be running workshops on things such as Fire Lighting, Campcraft and Knot Tying. The aim is to get Leaders comfortable with their own skills and how to run sessions safely. We will have a range of experiences attending so please don’t worry if you are a complete beginner or an experienced camper just wanting to practice their skills. If you are interested, please contact Sean Crossan sean.crossan@sesscouts.org.uk
Family Gala Day
Monumopoly
Over the weekend, of 14-16 March 2025, 48 Young Leaders from 5 Districts took part in the First Regional Young Leaders Camp since Covid, supported by 12 Leaders from across the Region. The idea was based on Monopoly, but this version was about monuments around the City of Edinburgh. Each monument had a different monetary value, with over 7,000 points up for grabs in the end. The Young Leaders arrived on Friday night, where they took part in some team building games and a quiz. They were then asked to get into groups of 4 – 6 Young Leaders and were also given the opportunity to discuss tactics and strategies. Each group was given an information pack including their token (a numbered Scottish Flag) which was required to be in all photos, along with the whole group. On Saturday, the Young Leaders helped cook breakfast and wash up before they got themselves ready to start the game. The Young Leaders were sent off in groups, two at a time, with them heading for either a Number 10 or 16 Lothian Bus. Their finish point was the Ross Fountain in Princess Street Gardens, six hours later. The Young Leaders had to post pictures to the Leaders to confirm that they had made it to each monument. We even had one group who headed up Arthur’s Seat to get multiple photos in one go! Most of the Leaders were out and about in Edinburgh to provide support and to hand out Chance and Community Chest Cards to the groups which were worth extra points. If the groups were late, there was a deduction of 10 points per minute but luckily everyone returned in time. In addition, if they didn’t send regular photos, there was the risk of being put in jail but fortunately, this didn’t happen to any of them. Saturday night saw the Young Leaders having dinner and a campfire where the winners were announced. The winning group was a mixture of Craigalmond and Borders with a total of 6100 points. We also awarded prizes for “Teamwork and Encouragement” and “Being the most organised group” (with them numbering all their photos before submission, making the tallying easy!). Sunday saw a leader delivering Scouts Own followed by several awards to Leaders including investing one of the Leaders who had been supporting the event. After this, the District Lead Volunteer and 14-24 Network Lead from Braid presented a Kings Scout Award and Wood Beads to one of the Leadership Team at the event. This was a fantastic weekend for both Young Leaders and adult volunteers to mingle across the region and one which we hope will lead to lots more events and camps in the future. “Best Camp EVER!!” “The whole Monopoly Run was a great idea and really fun.” “Meeting friends that I haven’t seen for months” “I loved that it was a bit more chilled back; it was busy but not overwhelming.”
Learning Update
Safety Safety remains our top priority, and throughout 2025, we’re committed to making Scouting even safer for all members. A key part of this is learning—helping volunteers feel confident in delivering activities safely and responding to incidents. That’s why we’ve launched a new, improved Safety learning course, which all volunteers must complete. Why This Learning Is Essential Our previous safety learning needed improvements, as highlighted in the Prevention of Future Deaths report. The new course is comprehensive, easier to apply, and was developed with the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA). It covers: Our safety policy and its importance Volunteer safety responsibilities Risk assessment and management Incident response and reporting The course includes practical scenarios to help volunteers apply these principles effectively. Who Needs to Complete It and When Most volunteers must complete the learning, with specific deadlines based on their expiry date: Expiry date updated to 14 July 2025 – Those whose learning was due after this date now have until then to complete it. Unchanged expiry dates – Those due before 14 July 2025 must still complete it by their original date. Overdue learning – Must be completed immediately. New volunteers or role changers – Must finish the course within 30 days. Holding roles – No immediate requirement but must complete learning when moving into full roles. Completed learners – Those who finished the course since November 2024 will have their next renewal set three years from completion. Volunteers must complete the training before their expiry date to remain compliant— failure to do so could result in suspension. How to Access the Learning Volunteers can access the training via My Learning on scouts.org.uk. Once signed in, click ‘Start Learning’ to begin. First Response First Response learning needs to be undertaken by adult volunteers in the following roles: Group Lead Volunteers Section Team Members (including those who were previously Sectional Assistants) Section Team Leaders 14-24 Team Leaders New volunteers in these roles must undertake First Response within one year and previous Sectional Assistants who are now Team Members, must complete First Response within the next two years. There are three main ways to complete First Response: Attend a f2f First Response Course (usually 9.30am to 4.30pm) – we have a range of courses available during qtr. 1 – you can register here South East Scotland Scouts Training Team Events – 12 Upcoming Activities and Tickets | Eventbrite Undertake First Response via the Blended Model where you do some online learning (3 hours), attend an online confirmation session (2.5 hours), and then attend a f2f practical session (30 mins). Details of the Blended model can be found here Delivery methods | Scouts and you can register for the online learning here First Response e-learning 2025 Undertake an External First Response Course e.g. FAW or BASP) and or present your Professional Qualifications as evidence as having the appropriate First Response Skills. You will need to send your course certificate or details of your professional qualifications to firstresponse@sesscouts.org.uk. A Regional First Response Trainer will validate your learning/experience and confirm whether it meets Scouting requirements or whether you need to do some additional learning e.g. Child CPR. For more details, visit the South East Scotland Scouts website or contact Fiona Elliot. Learning Lead, Fiona.elliot@sesscouts.org.uk