We were pleased to be invited along last weekend to meet Beavers from the 1st Bradley Stoke Scout Group, as they joined forces with the Woodland Trust to plant a native hedgerow in the Three Brooks Nature Reserve as part of the charity’s Jubilee Woods project.
The Trust is aiming to plant six million trees across the UK during the course of the project to mark the Diamond Jubilee of Her Majesty The Queen in 2012. Schools and communities across the region are taking part by planting free trees provided by the charity.
Katherine Robinson, Beaver Leader told us “We are proud to be joining forces once again with the volunteers from the Three Brooks Conservation Group who have kindly let the Beavers plant their Jubilee Hedge in Savages Wood. In such a special year for the Country it will be really nice for these young people to look back and remember how they marked the occasion. As well as appreciating how important it is to look after our native woodland, it also gives them a vested interest in their own community that will help protect it in the future and secure bonds between volunteer groups. Perhaps one day they will bring their own children to see the trees they have planted!”
Amongst their Autumn pack, donated by Woodland Trust, there was an exclusive Royal Oak Sapling which had been grown from an acorn gathered from a Royal Estate.
The Beavers had lots of fun being outside, planting their trees and splashing about in the stream. After all that hard work and some very important Health and Safety Rules, we all enjoyed some toasted marshmallows, squashed between two chocolate biscuits! Yum!!
If you would like to help with the Scouts, please email Mark Gallop, Group Scout Leader – 1st Bradley Stoke Scout Group - mark.gollop@avonscouts.org.uk. Scout Group web site www.bradleystokescouts.org.uk. Follow on Facebookhttp://www.facebook.com/bradleystokescouts. Follow us on Twitter @BS_Scouts. The Scout Association web site www.scouts.org.uk
On Saturday 10th November some 90 former Leaders, Committee Members and Fund Raisers, along with present members, met up at the Community Hall in Little Stoke. Some had travelled from as far away as South Wales and Coventry to join in the celebration.
Bradley Stoke has had its own scouting unit for 10 years and over this time the number of boys (and girls) involved has grown from 30 to the current 92. However, up until recently there were also 60-80 children on the waiting list to join! By far the highest wait list is for Beavers, which children can participate in from the ages of 6-8. Group Scout Leader Mark Gollop tells us “When I started helping with the 1st Bradley Stoke Scout Group there were a lot of children on our waiting list to join. Over the last few months we have worked hard to recruit some more adult volunteers and we were able to open up a new 2nd Beaver Scout Colony last September and have just started a 2nd Cub Pack and new 2nd Scout Troop.”