Robert Anderson appointed District Lead Volunteer for Braid

17 Aug 2024

Martin Elliot

Lead Volunteer for South East Scotland

I am very pleased to let you know that I have appointed Robert Anderson as the new Lead Volunteer for Braid District. Robert will take over from Judith Wood on 1st September.

In his new role, Robert will be responsible for providing leadership to the District’s Leadership Team, including its Group Lead Volunteers, and provide strategic leadership to Scouting in the District.

Robert currently leads the Cub Section team at the 7th Braid Group based at George Heriot’s School. In his Scouting journey Robert has held a variety of roles including Assistant District Commissioner for Cubs in Blackford District, International Adviser for the Region and SHQ Commissioner for Cubs.

I am delighted that Robert has agreed to take on this new role and am confident that his enthusiasm and dedication will ensure that young people and adult volunteers in Braid District continue to enjoy the opportunities that Scouting offers and I look forward to working with him to support and develop Scouting in the district.

I would also like to take this opportunity to thank Judith for the huge amount of work that she has done as Lead Volunteer, leading the district over the last 6 years, steering the district confidently through some challenging times. I would also like to thank her for the invaluable support and advice that she has offered me and I am pleased that she is staying involved in Scouting in the District.

I hope that you will join me in congratulating Robert on his new role and thanking Judith for her leadership as she steps down.

Beaver Scout’s Remarkable Journey of Achievement and Royal Recognition

9 Jul 2024

George Beattie, a dynamic Eight-year-old member of the 44th Braid Scout Group in Edinburgh, has set a new standard of excellence in Scouting. Demonstrating extraordinary dedication and enthusiasm, George has not only earned every badge available during his time as a Beaver Scout but has also been honoured with a Commendation Award for his remarkable achievements.

A Record-Breaking Beaver Scout Journey

George’s journey in the Scouts is nothing short of inspirational. During his time as a Beaver, he earned all 24 Activity Badges, including ‘Emergancy Aid’, ‘Disability Awareness’, ‘Global Issues’, and ‘Money Skills’. In addition to these, he also achieved 15 staged activity badges such as ‘Air Activities’, ‘Community Impact’, ‘Navigator’, ‘Paddle Sports’, and ‘Nights Away’, along with the Thistle Award, which focuses on Scotland, its people, and culture. His accomplishments culminated in the attainment of the Chief Scouts Bronze Award, the highest honour for Beavers, after completing all six Challenge Badges.

George’s mother, Dianne, expressed her pride: “George absolutely loves Scouting and was an eager Beaver from the start. Following his brother William’s enthusiasm to participate in the weekly programme and work on badges at home, George also made himself very busy! We are fortunate to be part of such a hardworking and enthusiastic Scout group with dedicated leaders who encourage the development of skills and experiences.” The emphasis on developing Skills for Life has been a cornerstone of George’s success, equipping him with the knowledge and confidence to achieve his goals.

Dianne continued “The OSM system has been invaluable at facilitating badge work. George would often rushed home from a weekly meeting and log on to see which elements had been completed, often before the leader would have a chance to get home, let alone log on and populate OSM!”

TrailJam Adventure and Inspiring Others

Having been inspired by his big brother, William, who did extremely well in Cubs in his own right, obtaining all but one of the Cub badges, and is now enjoying being a Scout and developing new skills. George’s own enthusiasm for Scouting has also inspired others in his group to strive for similar achievements. Another young Beaver, Matthew Allan, has followed in George’s footsteps and completed all Beaver badges as well. This sense of camaraderie and mutual encouragement was evident during the group’s Cramond Island Adventure as part of TrailJam 2024. The Beavers, Cubs, and Scouts enjoyed exploring the island and collected several large bags of litter from the beaches, showcasing their commitment to community service and the environment. These activities are designed to instil valuable Skills for Life, such as teamwork, leadership, and environmental stewardship.

Meeting Their Majesties

In recognition of his outstanding achievements, George was selected to represent South East Scotland Scouts at the Edinburgh900 event, celebrating 900 years of the city. During this prestigious event at Edinburgh Castle, George had the honour of meeting Their Majesties The King and Queen. According to Kieran Collins, South East Scotland Scouts Communications Lead, “George became one of the first, if not the first youth member of the Scout Association to be presented to HM The King since he became Patron of the Scouts in June this year. Nationally, we know of no others who have previously met the King in this capacity.”

While meeting their Majesties, George explained his recent achievements, which have been nothing short of remarkable, The King, who was clearly impressed, proclaimed “You are now my favourite Scout”. This declaration is not just a personal accolade for George but a shining endorsement of the values and accomplishments of Scouting.

George was thrilled with this recognition: “I feel very proud to be the first to achieve this prestigious award and honoured to represent Scouting at such a significant event and to meet the King and Queen.”

The Support Behind the Success

The achievements of young Scouts like George are a testament to the dedication of the adult volunteers who make such achievements possible. The group, led by a committed team including Lucy Stewart, Mark Allan, Laura Szpruch, Paul Brennan, and Group Lead Volunteer Alison Hill, provides a robust programme that encourages children to excel. Activities have included everything from indoor sleepovers and visits to fire stations to hikes, picnics, and magic tricks. These activities are meticulously planned to impart essential Skills for Life, ensuring that young Scouts are well-prepared for future challenges.

Lucy Stewart, George’s Beaver Team Leader, commented: “George’s dedication and enthusiasm have been truly inspiring. He has shown what can be achieved with determination and a passion for learning. We are all incredibly proud of him and his achievements.”

Martin Elliot, Lead Volunteer for South East Scotland Scouts, praised George’s accomplishments: “I was thrilled to present a Commendation Award to George Beattie. This is an incredible achievement, and it was clear the positive effect that Scouting has had on him.”

Looking Forward

Now a Cub Scout, George has set his sights on earning all Cub badges, continuing his journey of growth and learning within the Scouts. His story serves as an inspiration to young Scouts everywhere, highlighting the rewards of dedication, hard work, and community involvement. George’s ambition reflects the core mission of the Scouts: to provide young people with the Skills for Life they need to thrive in an ever-changing world.

Longcraig update – June 2024

24 Jun 2024

Malcolm Leckie

Longcraig Lead

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) 5^th and 6^th 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 those to a level where they can lead activities.
People with some skills to lead our shore-based activities (for bad weather days or to expand the operations of the centre)
Volunteers who can help in a number of ways ‘behind the scenes’ – with e.g. finance, marketing, recruitment, maintenance, boat or building repairs.

Please simply contact us at getinvolved@longcraig.info with your details.

We’ve set aside the following dates where we will hold an introduction session to welcome any potential new volunteers and explain further what wed o and how you can get involved:

Saturday 6^th July 11am

Monday 19^th August 7pm

We’ll take care of the rest!

Do you have any parents in your Group who might be interested in this? Please do let them know!!

Type 2

We can also offer a different type of volunteering, which is to provide an opportunity for groups of adults, scouts or explorers to come along during the ‘closed’ season and give us the benefit of your volunteering – this could be just for one event, or it could be – say – once a month for a period of time.

This can count to a number of outcomes, such as DofE volunteering, various scout badges and awards, or simply to lend a hand for a few hours. Things you might get involved in could be checking of buoyancy aids, fixing boats, painting, and decorating some parts of the centre which were not impacted by the recent building improvements, beach protection work, or behind the scenes stuff like preparing our land activity kits.

If you’re interested, please get in touch to make arrangements or discuss further.

Whatever you have planned, have a great summer!

Graham Coulson awarded MBE in Kings Birthday Honours List 2024

15 Jun 2024

We are proud and delighted to share that South East Scotland Scouts very own, Graham Coulson has become a Member of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire by being awarded an MBE in the Kings Birthday Honours List for 2024 for services to Scouting and to the community in Selkirk, Roxburgh, Ettrick and Lauderdale.

This follows on from receiving Scouting’s highest award, the Silver Wolf, in 2013.

Graham has led the way in improving the inclusivity of Scouting throughout the Region, but also across the UK in his role as the Practice Lead for Equity, Diversity and Inclusion for UK Scouts.

This has seen initiatives such as training to support members with additional support needs, mental health awareness, and our first Regional attendance at Pride Edinburgh come to fruition.

Inclusion is an area that is easy to talk about, but what marks Graham out is the way that he has backed up what he says with action and his happiness to develop others through training and mentoring so that they can do likewise.

Locally, Graham’s dedication to Scouting in the Scottish Borders is evident by his willingness to step into the role of District Commissioner during the COVID pandemic to provide leadership and support to volunteers and young people during an unprecedented challenge to Scouting, and through his hard work, Scouting continued to provide safe and fun opportunities to young people. All of this is done on top of his regular commitment as a Cub Scout Leader in his local group in Selkirk where he is highly regarded by young people, parents, and fellow volunteers.

Alan Gueldner, District Lead Volunteer for The Borders said “Well done Graham, on this well deserved award. This award recognises Graham’s immense contribution to Scouting in the Scottish Borders but also nationally and internationally, as well as his long service to the Selkirk community.”

Martin Elliot, Lead Volunteer for South East Scotland said: “Graham has made an enormous contribution to Scouting in the South East for over 50 years, and I’m overjoyed to see him recognised with this award. Graham’s work on Diversity and inclusion in particular has had a huge impact, locally, nationally and Internationally.

Personally, Graham has been a mentor to me in this important area in my various roles and, in particular, since I took on the role of Regional Commissioner in 2021.”

Congratulations Graham. Everyone involved in Scouting in the South East Scotland region is immensely proud of you.

Volunteer Opportunity – Edinburgh Tattoo 2024

12 May 2024

THE ROYAL EDINBURGH MILITARY TATTOO 2024

The Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo is the most spectacular show in the world, enjoyed by an international television audience of 100 million.

But there’s no substitute for being there, as part of the 217,000-strong audience over its three-week season at Edinburgh Castle. As a member of Scouting you can become part of it.

The Scout Association in Edinburgh has been part of this fantastic experience since the first Tattoo in 1950 and you could be part of its magic!

We are looking for enthusiastic and confident Explorer Scouts to be part of the sales team to sell programmes on the stands at the Castle Esplanade to the Tattoo’s home and international audience as they go to their seats.

You will need to be available for about five or six nights between 1^st & 24^th August 2024.

You will be on duty from 7.15pm until approximately 9.45pm on weeknights and from 4.45pm until 9.45pm on a Saturday.

Explorers can possibly use the event to complete sections of their badge work or towards a section of their Duke of Edinburgh Award Scheme.

If you are interested, then please complete the form below and return it by email to sue.timmins@sesscouts.org.uk by 19^th June 2024.

For further information please contact Sue Liddle 07954 386571.

Volunteer Application Form

Learning update May 2024