Welcome to Gamlingay and Gransden Scout Group. We like getting out doing things and we hope your young person would like to join us.
We also want to make your introduction into Scouting as easy as possible so here are some details about us and how we operate. There is a joining form you can complete so we can have some details about you.
Meetings are held on weekdays during term time. Details of section meeting times and days are on the individual section pages. Meetings are held at our Scout Group Headquarters, in Cinques Road, Gamlingay, SG19 3NJ. We operate a varied programme and details are given in advance, particularly if we are to meet on other days or places. We will let you know the latest details when you come along.
In this time, you will meet the people in the section and will join a smaller group of 4 to 6 other young people led by more experienced members of the section. Where possible, we will fit you into a lodge (Beavers), six (Cubs), or Patrol (Scouts and Explorers) where you already know someone. This smaller group will look after you and all you have to do is join in and have fun.
When you decide that you like what we do and want to stay with us then it is time to join Scouting and be invested. To do this you will need a uniform. Details of the different section uniforms and where you can purchase them can be found here.
When you have settled into the section and you have your uniform, then you can be invested. Your section leader will arrange a suitable date, and we hold investitures at the beginning or end of our meeting nights so that parents or family can attend if they wish.
Details of where to place badges on the uniform of your young person can be found here for Beavers, Cubs, Scouts and Explorers.
Our Subscriptions are £50 per term payable by monthly standing order of £12.50. Subscriptions go towards the costs of running the Scout Group, – badges, camping equipment, upkeep of the headquarters and capitation fees to the Scout Association for insurance. Additional costs for individual activities such as camps are detailed separately in advance of each event. We want to encourage Scouting for all, if you are struggling with the costs involved then please talk to the section leader in confidence and we will see what help can be offered.
Each of our sections is run by a volunteer section leader, who is assisted by other uniformed and non-uniformed volunteers. All of are volunteers give up their time to help run our scout sections on meeting nights and other events such as camps and other outdoor activities. All of our volunteers go through the Scout Association DBS authorisation process. If you would like to volunteer to help our Group in any way please visit our volunteer page. Volunteering is fun and can be extremely rewarding.
It is good practice as well as Scout Association policy to have at least three adults present at all Scouting events. Whilst each section will have at least two permanent uniformed leaders, there may be the very odd occasion when only one permanent leader can attend. Therefore, we may occasionally ask parents to assist us in running meetings so that there are always other adults present during meeting nights. We hope that all parents are involved equally and it may mean that we ask you to attend one or two evenings per year at the most. You get involved as much or as little as you wish with the programme on the night. No special expertise is needed. Arrangements are made with us as and when the need arises.
Scouting is all about getting outdoors and camping if we can. To do this the same Child Protection rules apply and so we may need some volunteers to help attend camp. As this means getting more involved it requires helpers to go through the Scout Association DBS authorisation process. We have parents who have done this but other helpers are always needed and welcome. Let us know if you are interested. Our outdoor activities and camps are fun. Our volunteers find that getting involved in our outdoor pursuits is an opportunity to take a break from the daily norm.
To help keep subs low we usually do a number of major fundraising events each year, at The Gamlingay Village Show in September, and at other events throughout the year. Please get involved with these events, it really is a case of many hands making them worthwhile. We fundraise for the Scout Group, as well as for local charities such as our local food bank in Gamlingay, Over the years fundraising has enabled us to make a major investment in refurbishing our headquarters which is now complete. We also need to continually upgrade our camping and other activity equipment due to wear and tear.
As part of the joining process you will receive a Welcome Pack. In this pack, you will find a Gift Aid form. We would be grateful if this is completed by a tax paying member in your family household, and returned to us As a registered charity, this enables us to reclaim some of the tax you have paid on your subscriptions, and is a valuable source of income for the Group. Gift Aid will not cost you anything.
Our policy is to hold appropriate records about the individuals in the Group including contact details for parents / guardians / carers. We us a cloud based fully encrypted database with secure logon credentials. The data we hold is only used for Scout related purposes and is erased should the young person leave.
Also, our policy is to take photographs of the various Scouting activities we undertake as a record and to use for display purposes within Scouting, particularly in our HQ to encourage others to participate in events. If anyone disagrees with this policy and how it is applied, they should raise this with us.
We operate a balanced programme intended to give each individual the opportunity to learn new skills, try a broad range of challenges and find out about both teamwork and themselves. We do this in an environment where risks have been assessed and where training has been given, but overall, the emphasis is on each young person to learn by doing, for themselves and their peers. And, most importantly to have fun in the process.
Our Code of Conduct and for all of our age groups / sections are based on these core values of Scouting:
Integrity: We act with integrity; we are honest, trustworthy and loyal.
Respect: We have self-respect and respect for others.
Care: We support others and take care of the world in which we live.
These core values will be shared with members of each section as part of our annual programme in an age-appropriate open forum led by section leaders.
We expect all young members of our Group to follow these core values and principles at all times.
We communicate with all members by email, normally on a weekly basis during term time, and would ask you to check your emails regularly. Please respond to all emails promptly, when requested to do so, especially if we need to know whether your young person is attending activities and events. This is especially important where we are buying food or other costs for these events / activities.
All of our young members are expected to wear their full uniform to all meetings unless otherwise instructed. Ideally, they should always wear a T-shirt underneath so that during games and strenuous activities they can take part comfortably out of uniform. When uniform is not required for a particular meeting, we will let you know beforehand.
We ask you to let us know by email if your young person is not attending a weekly meeting; this will help us schedule out programme accordingly. It also helps us to understand attendance patterns and gauge that we are getting things right and engaging the young people. Please do let us know even up to the last minute if your young person is unable to attend a meeting. That way we can start the meeting on time. If we know your young person cannot come to a particular meeting. we will record this as such, rather than mark them down as just being absent.
Parents/guardians of young people are asked to drop off their young people no more than 5 minutes before the meeting or activity is due to start. Parents/guardians should ensure that their young person enters the building safely and into a leader’s care. Please remember that the area outside the HQ is a busy car park and is not an area where young people should be congregating or playing before or after a meeting or activity.
The Group Policy for collection arrangements at the end of a meeting vary from section to section depending on the age of the young person, however at all times the safety of our young members is paramount.
Beavers
It is the Groups policy that at the end of any meeting or activity, Beavers will only be released directly back into the care of their parents/guardians on a one-to-one basis. If for any reason this arrangement may change then we ask that Parents/Guardians pre-advise the section leader of any changes to collection arrangements of your Beaver on a case-by-case basis. We would also ask you to ensure that you are ready to collect your Beaver from the HQ or place of activity promptly at the end of the session. For safety reasons, Beavers will not be allowed to cross the car park unattended to meet parents/guardians in their car.
Cubs
It is the Groups policy that at the end of any meeting or activity, leaders will ensure that Cubs are only released back into the care of their parents/guardians. If for any reason this arrangement may change then we ask that Parents/Guardians pre-advise the section leader of any changes to collection arrangements of your Cub on a case-by-case basis. We would also ask you to ensure that you are ready to collect your Cub from the HQ or place of activity promptly at the end of the session. For safety reasons, Cubs will not be allowed to cross the car park unattended to meet parents/guardians in their car.
Scouts
It is the Groups policy that at the end of any meeting or activity, leaders will ensure that Scouts are only released back into the care of their parents/guardians. If for any reason this arrangement may change then we ask that Parents/Guardians pre-advise the section leader of any changes to collection arrangements of your Scout on a case-by-case basis. We would also ask you to ensure that you are ready to collect your Scout from the HQ or place of activity promptly at the end of the session. For safety reasons, Scouts will not be allowed to cross the car park unattended to meet parents/guardians in their car.
We are aware that the age range of the Scouts is between 10 and 14. Their pick up and drop off arrangements may well change over time. We therefore request that if you wish to allow your Scout to be able to walk to and from Scouts unaccompanied, that you tick the appropriate box on the membership form. Should these circumstances change we ask that you advise your section leader by email.
An explorer, adventurer and TV presenter, Dwayne's been seen in BAFTA nominated Channel 5 series Race to the Pole, on BBC Springwatch, Countryfile, National Geographic and Disney+.
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