Following on from last month’s newsletter, we now have some more details of the sorts of roles and activities that we are seeking additional volunteers for.
Water skills instructors/leaders:
Anyone who holds a recognised paddle-sport, sailing or powerboating qualification is welcome to get in touch. We operate up to five evenings a week during the summer season, and every weekend, so we need a lot of volunteers to cover all of these. If you have a passion for sharing your skills with young people and help them develop their own knowledge, then this would be an ideal role for you.
Some water skills:
As above, but we can help you develop your skills and experience first of all to gain a formal qualification, which you can then share with others once you have the confidence level needed. In the meantime, you would be able to gain some of that experience by simply helping out with some of our activities, as well as separate dedicated improvement time for yourself.
Land based activities:
As well as our extensive water based programme, we have a number of resources (but not enough people to deliver) to support additional activities off the water which we can utilise either if the weather conditions are not ideal, or to supplement water activities on some occasions when we have to cater for large numbers. These can include indoor and outdoor activities, covering all ages of the Scouting programme. Ideal candidates might also help take some responsibility for organising and maintaining, and expanding, this sector of our operation.
Support activities:
We can split these into two parts – we have a small group who assist our water based instructors with preparing and running safety checks for young people before they go out on the water; escorting groups to their boating activities as required; then assisting with folks when they come off the water to help ensure everything is cleaned, stored and that the participants get suitably warmed up and into dry clothes if necessary. This can also include kitchen support – we have a comprehensive kitchen facility which can provide hot drinks, and can expand to barbeques and on occasion to meals and snacks.
The second part of this is simply (but obviously quite extensively!) the support needed to just operate an activity centre – from running repairs, to fuelling up boats and the tractor, to mowing the grass, cutting roadside verges, and some straightforward painting, woodwork, electricals and any skills that people can bring to this support role.
So, who is this for?
Well, obviously you are now reading this article! But we appreciate you have probably got your hands full or at least half full. So, look around at your parents/carers in your group. Do any of them have what it takes and would they be interested to find out more or get involved? Or your work colleagues. Or your friends and family…….. there are many people you know, so please assist us by just mentioning the opportunity to them. We can follow up soon after once we know who they are.
Or we welcome visitors at any time to come and see for themselves!.
For all of these – getinvolved@longcraig.info
Bookings for 2020 open
We’ve now been able to do the homework on tide times and other external influences for our 2020 season and our online booking tool is now open.
As always, you will note that there are certain dates that are unavailable, although we do always aim to minimise these, we have to stay on the side of safe working for tides and suchlike. We also have a few significant big events during 2020 which have also been factored in. And finally, as you will read elsewhere, we are investing some session times this year to allow us to focus more time on training and assessment opportunities, both for our own instructor team but also for any leaders seeking to take on board some skills training or permit assessments. This will enable use to offer more activities in the future, and to consider the option for some slightly larger numbers of young people on our activity sessions.
2020 – Scotland’s Year of Coasts and Waters
Following on from the initial notification last month, here are more details of events local to South East region which may be of interest to our members. You can find further information on the VisitScotland website.
St Abbs Marine Station Talk: 6 Feb 2020 7:30pm-9:30pm
St Abbs Marine Station is a charity dedicated to marine science, conservation and education. A speaker from the station’s staff will give a talk about the work they undertake.
Duns Parish Church, Castle Street, Duns, Scottish Borders, TD11 3DD
Seabirds on the Isle of May Talk: 5 Mar 2020 7:30pm-9pm
David Steel, Reserve Manager on the Isle of May, gives an illustrated talk.
Duns Parish Church, Castle Street, Duns, Scottish Borders, TD11 3DD
Keepers of the Light: 25 Apr 2020 8pm
“This lighthouse is home to a mystery…One of Scotland’s darkest tales.”
December, 1900. Three keepers disappear from their post on the Flannan Isles lighthouse, 20 miles west of the Outer Hebrides. What happened to the men has never been answered
Festival Theatre Edinburgh, 13–29 Nicolson Street, Edinburgh, EH8 9FT
Marine Fest: 1-30 Jun 2020 Times vary
An interactive festival running throughout June to celebrate Scottish marine wildlife with walks, talks, science shows and craft activities. Explore the wonders of Scotland’s marine environment at the Scottish Seabird Centres’ Marine Fest 2020. An interactive celebration of Scotland’s amazing coastal habitats and wildlife. The Scottish Seabird Centre (North Berwick) and partners will host a series of events throughout June 2020.
Edinburgh International Film Festival: Scotland’s Shores: 6-28 June 2020 Times vary; Film Fest on the Forth: 6 -7 June 2020
Edinburgh International Film Festival presents Scotland’s Shores, an exciting programme showcasing some of the greatest moments in Scottish film history.
Film Fest on the Forth will be a totally unique outdoor cinema experience, where audiences can swap the multiplex for the sandy shores of the Forth, and dip their toes into a programme of classic films celebrating the many beautiful landmarks and locations on Scotland’s coasts and waterways that have featured on the big screen.