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Thank You From SE Scotland Region

Thank You From SE Scotland Region

23 Jun 2025

Picture of Martin Elliot

Martin Elliot

Lead Volunteer for South East Scotland

At Summit25 in January
Presenting a Chief Scout's Silver Award at Musselburgh
Presenting Angus with his Coronation Medal
Getting to meet Owls with Cubs at 10th Craigalmond
Joining volunteers and young people for Pride Edinburgh
1st Midlothian at Gorebridge Gala Day
Braid Chair and Regional Trustee Steve Gamble receiving his Silver Acorn Award
Melrose Scouts win fancy dress Cup at the Melrose Festival

As we come to the end of another eventful year, I want to take a moment to thank each and every one of you for your incredible commitment to Scouting across South East Scotland.

Whether you’ve been leading weekly meetings, supporting adventurous activities, helping behind the scenes, or offering a listening ear — your efforts have made a real and lasting impact on the lives of young people. Your time, energy, and passion are what make Scouting such a positive force in our communities.

This year has brought its share of change, not least the transition to the new membership system. We know it hasn’t always been easy, and we’re deeply grateful for the patience, resilience, and good humour you’ve shown as we’ve navigated this together.

Despite this we have continued to work towards our #SkillsForLife strategy with:

  • a 3% growth in membership, with 5 new sections opening in the first half of this year alone
  • continuing focus on being more inclusive, 
  • being shaped by young people 
  • having a positive impact on our communities
We have a lot to look forward to. In particular I hope to see many of you at the Regional Gala on 6th and 7th September. It promises to be a unique and memorable event with hundreds of members from across the Region taking part. 

As the summer approaches, I hope you find time to rest, recharge, and reflect on all you’ve helped achieve. You’ve earned it.

On behalf of the South East Scotland Scouts team — thank you again, and enjoy a very well-deserved break.

Yours in Scouting,
Martin Elliot
Lead Volunteer, South East Scotland Scouts

Many Voices, One Movement: Inclusion in Focus

Many Voices, One Movement: Inclusion in Focus

22 May 2025

Picture of Martin Elliot

Martin Elliot

Lead Volunteer for South East Scotland

As we are currently in Mental Health Awareness month and approaching Pride month in June, it is a time when we see inclusion given a higher profile as companies and organisations display rainbow colours and feature diversity more prominently. 

However, in South East Scotland this isn’t just something that we focus on for a month, it is a focus all year round. When I became Lead Volunteer 4 years ago I made it a key priority to make Scouting in the Region more representative of our communities and to remove barriers that prevent anyone being able to be part of Scouting. 

Our latest Census figures show that we are becoming more representative of our communities (see charts below) – in particular a sizable improvement in our gender mix. Our diversity as a Region should further improve with the establishment of our first Ukrainian Scout Group and Scouting in Hospitals.   

2025 Census Data for South East Scotland Scouts

How do we build on our progress?

I could finish my update here with our positive progress – which is only possible due to the hard work of volunteers and staff across the Region and should be celebrated – but we have to recognise that there is still work to do and that the progress that we are seeing is not the same across the Region. 

I am disappointed when I hear volunteers in the Region downplaying the importance of inclusion or in some extreme cases even fighting against it so I want to be clear that in South East Scotland Scouting is for all young people and volunteers irrespective of their gender identity, their race, their sexuality, their background or their additional support needs. Therefore, if you are actively preventing this by not allowing girls in your group or putting up obstacles to particular communities being part of Scouting then you probably need to consider whether Scouting is the right organisation for you. 

We recently gathered officebearers from all 7 districts for a workshop to look at areas of focus and how the Region and others can support with this. I was delighted that Alison, our Regional Inclusion Lead, was invited to present at it, celebrating some of the success that we have had but also sharing some ways that districts (and groups) can help to improve inclusion locally. 

How We can Support Inclusion

  • Make inclusion part of your vision and strategic priorities, ensuring it is reflected in all decisions and plans.
  • Lead by example, ensuring the District/Group is welcoming, respectful, and representative of the communities the it serves
  • Provide funding for inclusion-related needs, such as:
    • Transport for young people who face barriers getting to meetings.
    • Additional equipment or adaptations for young people with disabilities.
    • Uniform grants or fee subsidies for families in financial hardship. The Regional Uniform Bank could help.
    • Support adult volunteers with training or materials that promote inclusive leadership and understanding of diverse needs.
  • Encourage inclusive language, imagery, and storytelling in communications, events, and materials.
  • Celebrate diversity through events, heritage months, and visible support for LGBTQ+, neurodiverse, disabled, and ethnically diverse members.
  • Promote inclusive policies and practices—for example, allowing flexible volunteering, being sensitive to cultural and religious needs, and promoting gender-inclusive facilities
  • Identify underserved communities in the District and support outreach to schools, faith groups, or community organisations that serve them.
  • Remove practical barriers to participation, such as inaccessible buildings, inconvenient meeting times, or complicated administrative processes.
  • Encourage diversity in leadership by proactively welcoming adults from all backgrounds and supporting their development into trustee or leadership roles.
  • Gather data (where appropriate and legal) on demographics of volunteers and young people to understand where inclusion can be improved.
  • Seek feedback from volunteers, parents, and young people about their experiences—especially those from minority or marginalised groups.
  • Act on findings to remove barriers and adjust practices.

  • Challenge discrimination or exclusionary behaviour, whether overt or subtle

  • Ensure safeguarding policies are inclusive and protective of all identities, including LGBTQ+ young people and those with additional needs.

  • Review trustee recruitment practices to ensure a broad pool of people are encouraged to join the board—including younger trustees, parents, and people from diverse backgrounds.
  • Provide DEI (Diversity, Equity, Inclusion) training for all trustees so they understand their role in fostering inclusion.
  • Work with Regional and National Inclusion leads for support, resources, and training.
  • Share good practice with other Districts or Groups to learn from their experiences and inspire improvement.
  • Highlight stories of inclusive Scouting in newsletters, events, and awards.
  • Recognise volunteers who go above and beyond to create welcoming spaces for all.

If you have questions or would like support with any inclusion areas please reach out to Alison at alison.robertson@sesscouts.org.uk 

The Inclusion Team is working on a number of initiatives to support inclusion in the Region:

  • Let’s Talk About Series – Covering key inclusion topics
  • Edinburgh Pride – I am really excited that South East Scotland Scouts will be attending Edinburgh Pride again this year. 
As I mentioned earlier, we have made great progress in Inclusion and I would like to thank all of you for the part that you have played in making this possible. It is only due to this work that we are in the position to develop our work in this area further.
Regional Mindfulness Day – A Huge Success!

Regional Mindfulness Day – A Huge Success!

31 Mar 2025

Picture of Nacho Luna Borras

Nacho Luna Borras

Scouting Support Lead

A heartfelt thank you to everyone who made the Regional Mindfulness Day on 8th March 2025 such an incredible experience!

The day, held at the beautiful Bonaly Scout Centre, was filled with energy, learning, and meaningful connections.

Our special thanks go out to the amazing professionals from PsychEd, Edinburgh University, whose mindfulness workshops and activities were informative, fun and inspiring.

The outdoor activities were a real highlight — fun, hands-on, and deeply engaging. It was powerful to see our young people fully present and embracing the positive impact of being in nature.

We’re also incredibly grateful to our Adult Scout volunteers, who worked tirelessly behind the scenes to ensure everything ran smoothly. Your dedication helped make the day not only possible but unforgettable.

And, of course, the grand finale around the campfire was nothing short of phenomenal. Songs, dances, laughter, and togetherness created the perfect ending to a meaningful day.

 

Thank you again to everyone involved—participants, leaders, volunteers, and professionals. This event truly demonstrated the values of our Scout organisation and how outdoor activities can positively impact our lives.

We can’t wait to do it all again next year!

Gang Show Auditions 2025

Gang Show Auditions 2025

31 Mar 2025

For any Cubs, Scouts, Explorers or Network members who may be interested in auditioning for this year’s show – now is the time!

Information and audition forms can be found here: www.edinburghgangshow.co.uk/auditions/

Junior Gang Auditions

Who? Cubs

When? Sunday 11 May, from 3 – 4.15pm 

Where? Blackhall St.Columba’s, Columba Road, EH4 3QU

Main Gang Auditions

Who? Scouts and Explorers

When? Sunday 27 April from 1.45 – 4pm. 

Where? St Anne’s Church, Kaimes Road, Corstorphine EH12 6JR

PLEASE NOTE

Pre-registration is required to attend the auditions.

Do this by completing the appropriate form online at:

www.edinburghgangshow.co.uk/auditions/

Anyone who has not pre-registered will be unable to audition on the day. 

Please do not just turn up on the day as it will not be possible to accommodate.

Longcraig Update – February 2025

Longcraig Update – February 2025

7 Feb 2025

Picture of Ian Harrower

Ian Harrower

Longcraig Scout Centre

Looking forward to 2025

Our online booking system goes live in just a few weeks. So, if you or your section or your Group has any plans for a water activity event – either at Longcraig or elsewhere – that is anything out of the ordinary for a regular activity booking – get in touch!

By planning early, we welcome any suggestions for events or activities that we can support or indeed even run for you. This could be a special anniversary, or just a group day out by the seaside messing about in boats.

How to get in touch? getinvolved@longcraig.info

Longcraig Net Zero Project


The solar panels have continued to generate energy for us every day through the winter – although at a much-reduced rate as the days are much shorter. During the very cold spell in January, the output fell even lower – we think this was due to frost build up on the exterior of the panels on the roof, so we need to watch out for that. But already, at the end of January, we are noticing the difference, and we are gaining enough energy to keep all the background things operating, and to provide a little bit of warmth when we have people in at the Centre. The next few months will see a rapid growth in the energy generated – if you’d like a quick tour of what we’ve achieved, please give us a call to arrange a visit. In just a few days from now, our total energy generation (since last July) will surpass 5 Megawatt Hours – that’s enough to charge up a small Electric Vehicle 100 times!

Protecting our beach


Although the daylight over the winter has been short, and we’ve had several spells of very cold frosty weather, we have kept on with improvements to our shore defences as time permitted over the past months. So far, this work has been successful and is much improved upon how it was at the end of the summer. We’ve been very fortunate that the sea that sometimes takes away our shoreline sometimes also helps us repair it, with large lumps of timber washed up during some of the winter storms. We are currently planning how best to prepare and locate the big one (10 metres x 40ccm x 40cm) which will be placed just in front of our buildings and give us much needed storm protection for many years to come.

As always, we can still make good use of:

–        Heavy duty steel stakes (such as reinforcing bar)

–        Heavy duty pegs or pins (larger than tent pegs but same idea)

–        Topsoil

–        Grass or turf

Please just get in touch if you think you can help with any of these ingredients used in the baking of a strong shore defence!

Training Opportunities


Here are details of some firmed training opportunities early in the spring this year:

  • Paddleboard training /Assessment Day has now been arranged, this will be held as two One Day sessions over the weekend of 8/9 March 2025. The Assessor team from Lochgoilhead will be leading this event to support our own activities. The aim is to either assess for a permit or provide a suitable plan to each person to get one.

Beyond that, we can offer courses in:

  • Dinghy sailing
  • Kayaking
  • Powerboating
  • Raft Building
  • Marine VHF Radio

Which can lead to national qualifications if you wish to gain one of those, and/or to a Scouts Activity Permit which then enables you to lead activities with your own groups of young people.

Many aspects of seamanship such as: weather and meteorology; Tides and Currents: Basic navigation skills; knots, lashings and ropework.

We can also provide course for Badges for Squirrels, Beavers, Cubs, Scouts, Explorers and Young leaders.

These can in some cases cover the entire syllabus of a particular badge, and in many cases can cover one or more elements of a wider scope badge.

There are many badge options relating to water activities – there’s even one for ‘helping out at activity centres’ which may be of interest!

We strongly recommend having a discussion with us about what you might like to cover, how we can support that, and how best we can plan it in for next year – or even the year after!

For information on, or to register an interest in, any of these courses please contact us at getinvolved@longcraig.info

Volunteering?


Last year we welcomed a good number of new volunteers to help us operate the Centre and to help deliver the activities that young people want. 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. We now have a super-duper warm up to date activity centre to welcome volunteers into!

We’re still happy to hear from any potential volunteers whether your interest is on the water or off the water supporting the Centre.

Just get in touch for a chat, or come along to one of our Volunteer Drop In Sessions at Longcraig:

  • Tuesday 25th February at 7pm
  • Saturday 15th March at 1pm

We’ll take care of the rest!

Do please let us know if you would like to come along to any of these sessions. getinvolved@longcraig.info

Let’s Talk About Inclusion

7 Feb 2025

Let's Talk About Inclusion

Over the course of 2025, the Inclusion Team will be running some 'Let's talk about' sessions. These are designed to be informative and a place where you can bring all your questions and concerns. The first session will run on Monday 10th March 7.30pm, on Teams. Please register below.

We will be joined by Graham Coulson MBE, who will talk about inclusion in Scouting and then be available to answer your questions. Please join us, and if you are interested in being part of the Inclusion team please get in touch!

Alison
Inclusion Team Lead
alison.robertson@sesscouts.org.uk

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