Parental Help

Parental Help Rota
Beaver and Cub section meetings often require parental help; this takes some of the pressure off the leaders running the section evening and ensures a good safety ratio of adults to children. You can help by participating in the running of games and activities, setting up activities or clearing up as the leaders move the children on to other things and generally just joining in the fun! Additional parental help during activities outside of the Church Hall eg at the Shaugh Bridge Camp Site is also most gratefully received where the risks increase. Should you wish to participate in any activity regularly, (and we are delighted if you would like to) you will require CRB clearance to work with children, please see a leader to obtain a form.   

Parents Committee (4 Vacancies for 2 Beaver Parents, 2 Cub Parents)

27th Plymouth is a registered charity, and apart from the odd grant for some equipment we do not receive funding from any other stream other than that raised by subs and the parents committee. We are entirely reliable on committee fundraising to keep the Group solvent and they have done a fantastic job of this recently. Subs payments go towards an annual membership fee to the Scout Association ( in the region of £28.00 per person in the group for 2011) and the running of activities. The actual running of the Scout Group, including rent to the Church, upkeep and maintenance of the campsite etc, runs to approximately £2,000 per annum and that is before we try and update kit and equipment!

It is imperative therefore that we receive help and support from parents to raise money to keep our Group going. But it isn't just about money.......

The Group Parents Committee exists to support the Group Scout Leader (Nigel) and the other leaders. The Committee is responsible for:

• the maintenance of the Group's property and equipment;
• the raising of funds and the administration of the Group's finances;
• the insurance of persons, property and equipment;
• Group public occasions;
• assisting with the recruitment of Leaders and other adult support

Dates of the committee meetings are posted on the notice board, newsletters and on our website. The committee usually meets about 3 times a year and should have representatives from all the sections. This work is really valued by the leaders as it means that they can focus on running the weekly programme of activities that the young people so enjoy. We currently have 4 vacancies. Please speak to Nigel about this if you can help. Please support us by attending meetings and fundraising activities.

Gift Aid
If you are a UK taxpayer we can claim the tax on your subscriptions from the taxman, this is a great fundraiser for us and all we ask is for you to complete the gift aid form in your new joiners information pack, from any leader, or downloaded from our website (to be added soon). We currently have around 70 children on our books (Jan 2010) and about two thirds have signed up to gift aid. Last year we received around £1000 from the taxman. If all members signed up we could increase this amount with little or no effort.

Facts about adults in Scouting

Adults in Scouting are from all walks of life. Yet the one thing they share is the enjoyment of helping young people reach their potential. You may not be aware of the following facts:

• None of our Leaders are paid – they are all volunteers.
• The majority of our Leaders have full time jobs and a family.
• Leaders get involved because they want to have fun and make new friends themselves.
• Leaders don’t have to be ‘superheroes’ who know everything. They are given training on the job and learn new skills as they go along. The one thing that unites our Leaders is the energy and enthusiasm they have for giving young people the adventure of Scouting
• Whilst all our volunteers are passionate about what they do, many help out on a flexible basis due to other commitments. Some may help out once a week or fortnight whereas others help once a term or at summer camp.
• 27% of volunteers help out in Scouting as they are a parent of a current Member. Many were not Scouts when they were young but have learnt new skills and made new friends through Scouting.
• Not all volunteers have to wear uniform.
• Many of our adult volunteers say they are more confident in their everyday lives as a result of their involvement with Scouting.
• Not all adults who volunteer for Scouting work with young people. There are a variety of other jobs that need to be done such as gardening and general DIY, organising events, doing the accounts and writing press releases. This means that adult Leaders who do work directly with young people do not have to spend all their time doing paperwork.
• All our Leaders are covered by a comprehensive insurance policy while taking part in Scouting.
• New Leaders in Scouting go through a criminal records check to ensure they are fit to work with young people.

Everyone has something to give

You may feel that you have no skills to offer Scouting - but everyone has something to give. Doing things such as making squash and organising games means the Leader has more time to spend with the young people. Do you have any hobbies and interests that you could share? For example, are you a qualified First Aider who could run an interactive session or do you have an interest in nature and could take a Group on a fun walk through the local woods? If you don’t have time in the evenings when Groups meet could you use your work skills to help out a few hours a month to suit you? Are you a gardener, an accountant or work in Public Relations for example or could you take a Group to your place of work such as a police station or garden centre?

What you can get out of volunteering

Volunteering in Scouting is fun and rewarding. You will have the chance to learn new skills, rediscover adventure, make new friends, spend more time with your child if they are a Beaver, Cub or Scout and give something back to your community.

Contact us at:    0845 456 1498

 

© 2012 27th Plymouth Scout Group, All rights reserved