NEWS UPDATE

Dear Parents

Just to let you know we are all still here planning on how to get back to Face to Face Scouting.
The new restrictions put in place by the Government from Monday 14th September on numbers of people who can meet does not have any affect on Scouting as these are organised and Risk Assessed meetings.
We have taken a number of measures at the Scout Hut where hand sanitizers are being installed and we have purchased a ‘Fogger’ to disinfect the premises in between anyone using it…..for when we are ready to start back inside.
For the moment though any activities are encouraged to be outside with limits on the number of young people. This in itself is a challenge to ensure everyone will get a opportunity to join in when the time comes.
Each Group is starting up again at different times, not only when the young people are happy to but also when the leaders are too, the same goes for each section.
Your Section Leader will be able to let you have an idea when this will be, but there are many things going on in the background and many Risk Assessments to get completed and approved before we will be allowed to be back. When the time comes your leader will also let you know of any systems for dropping off and collecting that have been put in place.
In the meantime PLEASE keep in contact with Facebook or Blogs we have running and I believe Zoom meetings are also in the planning (Yep need a Risk Assessment for these too). We want to know what our young members are getting up to and if they have earned themselves any badges.
Finally…….Subs payments.

We have been very encouraged by the number of parents who have been able to maintain their subs payments, very grateful too.  We are very lucky as a Group to own our Scout Hut and a Boat Hut but this does also mean that there are costs which still need to be covered even though we haven’t been there to use them. We also need to consider the annual ‘Capitation’ payment due per young person to the Scout Association which for this year is estimated to be £50+.  On the other side we fully understand when these payments have been a struggle for parents and they have felt the need to stop paying.
Under the circumstances, as we all never considered the break in meetings to be so long, we fully appreciate if any parent feels the need to stop the subs payments until we are running again. Though we would ask if you would consider instead reducing your payment by 50%.

All the best to you all
Caroline (Baloo)Group Scout Leader