6th Fulwood Scout, Cub and Beavers groups are setting up a virtual campfire by moving to online Zoom groups for their weekly meetings.
AdvertisementThe groups are still meeting and doing activities from home, trying to get their badges during the coronavirus pandemic.
Norma Bruce, Group Scout and Group Beaver leader for 6th Fulwood said: “It was important for the leadership team to move quickly but consciously because we wanted to keep things running as normally as possible.
“We did have the choice to not do anything but our feeling was very much that we wanted these sessions up and running.
“We’ve been doing group Zoom video calling for our scout and beaver sections, and we will roll this out to our cubs this week.”
The leaders are trying to keep their groups active during the crisis by asking them to come up with activities they can easily do from home to keep them all safe. They are getting the children working on their badges such as hobbies and pitching tents which the children can do from home.
Some suggestions from scouts is to send pictures to care homes and hospitals to help brighten up people’s day during the pandemic.
Beavers activities set by the leaders will include them spelling out ‘Beavers’ with items in their house.
Norma said: “Keeping that routine is so important, so for us it is keeping that sense of normality.
“Just because we’ve had to make sacrifices, doesn’t mean our young people should have to miss out, and for us that’s been one of the biggest things.
“I couldn’t do this without my leadership team and I just want to say a massive thank you to them, a massive thank you to Preston District Scouts and a massive thank you to West Lancashire Scouts.”
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Other groups in West Lancashire are carrying on as normal as is possible, with the West Lancs Scout Group setting challenges and tasks to keep everyone involved.
James Hume who volunteers in Communications at West Lancashire Scout Group said: “We are doing an online quiz where everyone in West Lancashire Scouts is able to jump on and fill in the questions, and we have been able to make is so its West Lancashire based.
“We are also offering the neck flip challenge, which involves seeing how well the children can tie their knots on their necky.
“We also have an email where groups can send their ideas to this inbox and we can then publish these ideas for the rest of the county.
“We are trying to reassure people and give them that sense of calm, a lot of our young people will be panicking about school and we want to reassure them that it will be okay.”
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What do you think of Scouts going online? Let us know in the comments.