Keswick Scouts Celebrate Achievements in Style

Keswick Scout Group’s Greta Troop celebrated the end of a fantastic few months with a glitzy black-tie awards dinner.

Over 50 activity badges were presented to the troop’s young people, recognising their completion of a varied programme including navigation, survival skills, local knowledge and much more. A selection of special awards were also handed out for best newcomer, clumsiest scout and the troop’s scouts’ Scout, the young person who best represents scouting values chosen by the rest of the troop.

Greta Troop looking over Surprise View on a recent camp.

Parents and special guests were invited to find out just how many activities the children had experienced before the start of the Easter break and a brand new programme designed to be based outside in the stunning Lake District countryside as much as possible, focussing on fun, adventure and developing skills for life.

The most special awards were saved until the end of the evening before being presented to Angus Beechey and Isla Harrison. The Chief Scout’s Gold Award is the highest a scout can achieve before moving onto Explorer Scouts at the age of 14. It can take the full four years to earn and requires multiple nights away, the learning of new skills, and an expedition planned, arranged and undertaken as independently as possible.

Scout Leader Job Forster says “We’ve had a fantastic few months with Greta Troop, the dark nights and cold weather haven’t stopped us at all! We’ve had two camps at our Ashness site in the Borrowdale valley this winter, one of them a survival camp where the young people built and slept in their own shelters as well as cooking their own food. We can’t wait for even more adventures after the Easter break!”

Keswick Scouts have been active in the town for over 100 years, starting just two years after the Scouting Movement was founded. If you would like more information on volunteering please contact us.

Keswick Scouts Adventure & Remember

Keswick Scouts marked 100 years since the end of the First World War earlier this month with a special camp, memorial service and adventure at Honister slate mine.

Asked how they wanted to mark this important centenary, scouts from the group’s Greta Troop decided together to do so with a camp at the group’s Ashness Hut in the heart of the Borrowdale valley and not far from the war memorials of Castle Crag and Great Gable.

As well as short service of remembrance designed by the scouts themselves, the young people spent the weekend putting into practice skills developed in weekly troop meetings by planning and cooking the weekend’s meals, pitching tents and most importantly having a lot of fun!

The scouts also made the most of the fantastic early winter weather with a walk through the Borrowdale valley, taking in classic sights including Surprise View, before travelling to Honister Slate Mine for a Climb the Mine Experience.

Scout Finn said “I really enjoyed my first camp with Keswick Scouts – my favourite part was Honister. I really liked playing with my friends and having adventures outside in the dark.”

Scout Leader Amanda Harrison says, “It was a fantastic weekend, I was very proud of the remembrance service the Scouts put together and enjoyed watching and supporting them to work as team. I can’t wait for the next camp.”

Keswick Scouts meet weekly in term time as well as running other activities at weekends and during the school holidays – if your child is interested in joining, or if you would like to learn more about volunteering, please visit www.keswickscouts.org.

Hiking past Surprise View with Keswick in the background

 

Starlit night camp with Keswick in background