Dear Volunteer
County Lead Volunteer
December was an opportunity to reflect on what happened in 2024. Growth, more Squirrel Dreys, Beaveree, Endurance, Top Awards event, Annual dinner, Big O, numerous camps and sleepovers with many young people and adults taking part, members participating in the Day of Celebration and Achievement at Windsor, PL and APL training camp. There are hundreds of activities that will have been done by members aged 4 to 17. S’mores, scuba diving, craft, experiments, pioneering, water activities, kite flying, raft building, games, stories and a whole lot of fun for everyone.
Thank you for all you did in 2024, many young people will have learned and developed skills for life. Your commitment, dedication and enthusiasm is brilliant. Now to look forward to 2025.
Activities in 2025
2025 is going to be a bumper year for activities across the County. These activities include
Endurance – 1 and 2 March https://enduranceevents.org.uk/
County Awards day – 17 May County Registration for Young People Top Awards (The 2025 event is full. Any further applications will be for the 2026 event)
County Get together – 17 May County Adult Get Together – May 17th 2025
County Cub camp – 30 May to 1 June County Cub Camp 2025 | Buckinghamshire County
Young Leaders’ training weekend – 26 to 28 September
Beaver Sleepovers at the National Space Centre – 4-5 October and 8-9 November
Big O – 11 October
Bucks Scout Camp 2026
We are holding a County camp from 22 to 26 May 2026 at the Penn House Estate. More details about cost, activities and how to book will be available over the next few months.
Unsung Heroes
Do you know someone who is deserving of being one of Chief Scout Dwayne Fields’ unsung heroes? If so, please nominate them by 31 January https://www.scouts.org.uk/news/2024/october/unsung-heroes-2024/
Learning
Details of learning courses for the end of this year and all of next year are detailed on the County website. These include first aid and modules 8, 9, 11, 13, 16, 18 and 19 https://www.bucks-scouts.org.uk/training The link also has details of Module K – First aid for young leaders. Before attending this course, the young people will need to have completed the Hampshire Scouts e.learning module. For further information please contact Stuart.black@bucks-scouts.org.uk
High Wycombe Gang Show
The High Wycombe Gang Show is running from 3 to 5 April. Tickets are available from https://highwycombegangshow.co.uk/ I am aware that tickets for one of the four shows have already been sold out.
Young leader First aid courses (Module K)
If you have young leaders working with your section, then please encourage them to sign up for a young leader first aid Course being run by the County First aid team. This is a two-part course with part 1 being online followed by a face to face session. The next one is scheduled for 16th February 2025 at the Quarries Scout Campsite near Milton Keynes
To sign up, please complete the online form [https://wkf.ms/4fkM25F](https://wkf.ms/4fkM25F)
Endurance events
Do not forget to sign your teams up for the County Endurance hikes
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Endurance80 is open to Explorers, Young Leaders, Network and any adult members. It is the ultimate challenge of the event, requiring the walkers to complete 80 km (50 miles) across the Chilterns within 24 hours.
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Endurance60 is for Explorers and Young Leaders only. As the name implies is a 60 km hike using large parts of the Endurance80 course.
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Endurance40 is open to any Scout section member, with teams either competing unaccompanied or with shadows over a 40 km course. There is an award for the fastest unaccompanied team.
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Endurance10 is the 10 km course for Cub Scouts between Chesham and Great Missenden.
Visit website for more details or to sign up Welcome to Endurance Events | EnduranceEvents
UK Youth Forum
The UK Youth Forum is coming up on Saturday, 15th March and we’re looking for some keen Scouts, Explorers, and Youth Leaders to get involved! The event is being held in Oxford. Further details can be found at https://www.scouts.org.uk/national-events/uk-youth-forum/
Please send all applications to youthteam@bucks-scouts.org.uk
NSRA Air Rifle course
The 1st Bourne End Scout Group are offering places on an NSRA Air Rifle YPS Course. This is being held on 8 and 9 March at 1st Bourne End Scout HQ, Furlong Road, Bourne End, SL8. Successful completion of the course allows you to offer Air Rifle shooting sessions to young people as part of Scouting. Places are limited and allocated in order of application.
They are also offering places on an NSRA Air Pistol YPS Course. Successful completion of the course allows you to offer Air Pistol shooting sessions to young people as part of Scouting. This is being held on 5 April at their headquarters. Places are limited and allocated in order of application.
https://forms.office.com/e/VyZTLXK48w https://forms.office.com/e/DafJiBaNCz
County Conference 2025
This year’s County Conference is being held on Saturday 26 April from 10.00am to 4.30pm. The venue is Adams Park (Wycombe Wanderers Stadium), High Wycombe .
The conference is for all Lead Volunteers and members of the District Teams to come together for a strategic update from Buckinghamshire and UK Headquarters (with guest speaker) alongside a number of workshops that you will be able to sign up to nearer the time and select your attendance for the topics that matter to you. To confirm, the roles that are invited to this day are (unless approved by your DLV in conjunction with me) – Group Lead Volunteer, Group Chair, any previous Deputy Group Lead Volunteer, District Lead Volunteer, District Team Leader, District Team Members subject to Team Leader & DLV approval, District Youth Team, District Chair, County Team Members.
If you would like to attend but do not hold one of the roles above, please contact your DLV or County Team Lead. We do hope you are able to join us for the day. Please note that the attendance is not intended for Group Team Members but is open to Group Leadership Team members where you may have a volunteer who, in the past, would have been a Deputy Group Scout Leader, and is also open to your Trustees.
Register your attendance here: Bucks Scouts County Conference
Transformation
“Go Live”
We now have a new online adult membership system! Have you logged on and started using it? While I am sure it will take a little getting used to, there are lots of great new features that are receiving lots of positive feedback. Online NAN forms, online awards and permit applications, great new join-in journey process for new volunteers, online access to all the mandatory training in a great new easy to understand format. Reminders for outstanding training and other actions as well as some great tools to help Group and District lead volunteers.
Having difficulties logging on or need support with the new system? Contact your local District Go live support teams or visit Go-Live-Support | Buckinghamshire County
Safety training
Delivering safe Scouting is a key responsibility of all leaders. As part of Scouting’s commitment to safety, the mandatory training module that all volunteers need to do has now been updated. This means all Volunteers will need to refresh their training in the next 6 months (by July 2025). The module is an easily accessible online module and is a great way to try out the new training methods of the new system. Log on to the new system and visit “my training ” to find the link to access the training. You can complete it all in one go or stop at any point and revisit it. It is automatically validated and recorded on your records once completed. Once completed it is valid for 3 years. Make it a New Year’s resolution to get it done as soon as possible and not leave it until June/July to avoid being chased to complete it.
First aid training (Adult)
There is now a full list of County-Run First response first aid courses available on the County website. Visit Training | Buckinghamshire County to check out the dates. While we have increased the number of courses, demand is very high so please book on to a course in plenty of time and before your current First aid certificate runs out. Contact the County office to book a place.
Revised NAN process
Do you have an upcoming camp or nights away? Remember there is a new process now for NAN forms. All forms must now be submitted online via the new membership system. Iit’s a very simple and efficient system, fill in all the usual details online, attach risk assessments and other supporting documents and press ‘go’. The submission can then be reviewed by your local nights away team or District lead volunteer who will approve or feedback online. Please apply in good time (system will not allow less than 7 days) to enable the required checking to be done. (Good idea to drop the DLV an email in case they are not online to see if one has been submitted) . There is a good online help guide to the process Nights Away | Scouts
Braid Wood
The weekends of 25 to 27 April, 13 to 15 June and 12 to 14 September 2025 have been designated as Scout camping weekends only. The price list effective from 1 January 2025 can be found here Price list – Braidwood (braid-wood.org.uk)
Bucks Scout Radio
If you would like Bucks Scout Radio to come to an event, or come to a section meeting where they can talk about it and how it is used; and probably get the children or young people to tell a joke or answer a question about what they like most about their section, please contact Bucks Scout Radio at info@bucksscoutradio.co.uk I’m sure this would count towards the Scouts Media and Marketing badge.
County Dinner
Invitations have now been issued for the County Dinner. This is being held on 12 April at Horwood House, Little Horwood, MK17 0PH.
New version of POR
A new version of POR came into effect from the date we went live. You can see the new version via this hyperlink https://www.scouts.org.uk/por
Nigel Taylor
County Media Lead
County Support Team Member
01525-633134 07963-304426
nigel.taylor@bucks-scouts.org.uk
www.facebook.com/BuckinghamshireScouts
www.bucks-scouts.org.uk