G O V T A C E H T R E I R COU The Area
5
ummer 201
Issue 123 S Newsletter
New Area Commissioner
g.org
www.catvo
Area Annual Awards Nominations
It's that time of year again when nominations are required for Scouts, Explorer Scouts and members of Scout Network, who, with your support, have achieved: I am pleased to announce that Steve Evans has been appointed as Area Commissioner for Cardiff and the Vale, taking up the post from July 1st 2015. ScoutsWales have exciting plans for the vision towards Scouting in 2018, and Steve will be leading these in the area, whilst ensuring Groups and Districts have the support they need. I’d like to congratulate Steve and I’m sure everyone will join me in supporting him in his new role. Steve can be contacted on ac@catvog.org Gareth Watson Prif Gomisiynydd Cymru Chief Commissioner Wales
Congratulations to 1st Creigiau who recently celebrated their 30th anniversary.
The Chief Scout's Gold Award The Chief Scout's Platinum Award The Chief Scout's Diamond Award The Queen's Scout Award and the GOLD Duke of Edinburgh Award only. The Presentation Evening, which will be hosted by the City and County of Cardiff, will be held on Tuesday 8th September at the County Hall, Atlantic Wharf, Cardiff. However, it is essential that we receive details of Award recipients by Sunday 23rd August 2015 at the very latest. PLEASE NOTE it will not be possible to accept any names after this date, so please act now so as not to disappoint the young people who have worked hard for their Awards. Please forward nominations - Name, Address, Telephone number, E-mail address, Scout Group/Unit and the Recipients Award - to the Area Scout Office as soon as possible. See the website for details. You can phone or email the Area Office, but if using the answer phone, please speak clearly. REMEMBER this information must be received by Sunday 23rd August 2015. David Gerrard - Deputy Area Commissioner Relationships@catvog.org
Beaver camp success East and South District held their first Beaver camp which was truly amazing! One of the things that made the weekend so great was the people in which they shared it with. A huge THANK YOU to all the inspirational Beavers, supportive parents, dedicated leaders and enthusiastic core team. You really did make this weekend very special!!!
Swimming Gala
r 28th Dates have been set fo 20th February (heats) and March (final).
On Social Media? If so follow @CATVOGScouts on twitter or facebook.com/CATVOG for the latest updates and news from around the Area.
New Area Website
Photo of the month
Work is taking place to produce a new mobile friendly website for the Area. We’re looking for a supply of good quality photographs that promote the Scouting brand values: • • • •
Everyday adventure Challenge Fun and friendship Positive impact
Please send any full sized images you have to: comms@catvog.org so that we can look at including them on the new website.
JULY 2015 Little Jack became a young Beaver to help out at the Barry Scout Fete. Remember to keep sending your images in to comms@catvog.org
July Miskin Residential Weekend Great fire building skills were gained during the weekend.
Sea Service for Barry District Beavers, Cubs and Scouts of 11th Barry Sea Scout Group attended a Sea Service Sunday on the 12th July at the Seafarers Memorial at the waterfront in Barry. Members of the Group had previously spent many hours before the Service removing bags of weeds and rubbish as part of the Groups commitment to the Million hands project as the group took it upon themselve to maintain and improve the area. Also present were Scouts from 6th Barry, members of the Royal British Legion, the Royal Air Force Association, Officer Cadet Ross of the Merchant Navy, along with other representative of the Merchant Navy, the Coast Guards and the Local Coast Watch Station.
Š Bear Photography
Discount and Instruction Evenings at Go Outdoors Go Outdoors are offering Scout Groups in the CATVOG Area a wide array of instruction evenings. This could be anything from tent pitching on how to use trangia's or even kit advise for walks or camps. All you need to do is send an email to the following address: cardiff@gooutdoors.co.uk giving them an idea of what areas you would like them to cover. Go Outdoors will require at least 2 weeks notice and they can set up an event evening for you at the store but in extreme cases they can come to your Scout Hall. Go Outdoors also offer discount not only to Leaders but Beavers, Cubs, Scouts and Explorers. Leaders get 15% off the club card price and Section members get 10% off the club card price. All you need is to have is a current discount card or set up a new one which costs ÂŁ5.
CBeebies Radio, Eddie Green with Beavers from Barry District
Parking at the Hub
We have received a complaint from a resident living in Quentin Street relating to parking.
We are delighted to announce that the BBC CBeebies Radio, Eddie Green and his Friends, is now airing. This podcast features Eddie with Beavers from 11th Barry Sea Scouts whilst rock pooling over Barry Island and an investiture back at the Scout Hall.
They seem to think that users of The Hub have been parking in the permit holders only spaces in Maitland Street and Quentin Street forcing the residents to drive around looking for alternative car parking spaces.
Just follow this link to listen to the podcast: http://www.bbc.co.uk/cbeebies/radio
PLEASE remember if you cannot park in the grounds of The Hub, park around the back of The Hub by Maitland Park. This is accessed by turning into Heathfield Road which is further along Whitchurch Road.
Well done to the Beavers and hope they enjoyed their adventures with Eddie.
Please can you pass this information on to any users of The Hub you can think of.
Beaver success for Penarth District
Many thanks. Fay - Area Administrator
At the end of the last financial year we paid almost ÂŁ1,000 back to Groups as part of their 10% commission. Nine more Beavers from the 1st Penarth Scout group recently earned their Chief Scout Bronze Award. The evening finished off another exciting year for the colony where 22 Bronze Awards and 460 badges have been earned. Thanks to all the adult helpers who made this possible.
Yet another successful year and thank you for your continued support. scoutshop@catvog.org
Congratulations to Kay Holmes on Her Award of the BEM
Rhiwbina/Llandaff Scouts clear overgrowth
Congratulations to our District Commissioner for Cardiff East and South District, Kay Holmes, who has been awarded a British Empire Medal in the Queen’s 2015 birthday honours list for her services to Young People in Cardiff. Kay has been Scouting for over 20 years, of which the last 10 years has been as District Commissioner at Cardiff East and South. Prior to that Kay has held many roles in Scouting including a Venture Scout, an Assistant Cub Scout Leader, Scout Leader, ADC Scouts, DESC and DDC. Kay is also a holder of the Queen Scout Award.
On a damp Saturday afternoon in June, a group of Scouts from 1st Rhiwbina and 2nd Llandaff, worked to clear part of the cycle track at Tongwynlais. After a couple of hours work they had made the stretch of track 2 foot wider and high enough for cyclists to ride without having to duck their heads.
Kay stated “I have an amazing team in the District, they are amazing individuals and I would not have been able to achieve what I have without them.” Congratulations again Kay, very well deserved. Steve Evans Area Commissioner
Well done to all the Scouts who took part and thanks to the adult volunteers for their help.
Cubs Year of Adventure 1st Penmark Cubs are having an exciting year trying lots of adventures! The last few weeks we have tried Climbing and sleeping over at Boulders, and also Skiing at Fairwater Dry Ski slope. They have had a great time, and are wondering what comes next....
Area Update – July 2015 I am delighted to be able to tell you about a number of changes on how we manage and support you in the Area. The current structure has been in place for a number of years. Districts have developed and grown their own resources and support structures over time and it has become appropriate for us to examine how the Area can best serve Scouting, enabling you to continue to provide great opportunities for young people to experience the best that Scouting has to offer, whilst ensuring we meet the 2018 objectives of Growth, Inclusivity, Community Impact and Youth Shaped.
As such, from September 1st a new management and support structure will be in place in what we believe to be much more focussed and aligned with our goals. Some previous Area roles, such as sectional commissioners are being discontinued as we are creating some key new roles to lead some exciting but perhaps challenging initiatives. We have found that having one large team of Commissioners, Advisers and Scouters is not always the most efficient way to meet and communicate. As such the new team will be split into smaller clusters, allowing for more frequent contact and communication and increased flexibility in terms of meetings and availability. We are also splitting the roles of management and support to be clearer about reporting lines and support structures.
Area Management Team The Area Management Team will consist of the Area Commissioner, the Area Chairman, the Deputy Area Commissioners and the District Commissioners. This group will meet regularly and will focus on peer support, line management and governance of the Districts and in turn the Area.
Area Support Team The Area Support Team will consist of the Area Commissioner, Area Chairman, Deputy Area Commissioner (Adult Support), Deputy Area Commissioner (Operations) and Deputy Area Commissioner (Growth and Development). Each Deputy Commissioner will lead a provision with the support of a team of Assistant Area Commissioners.
Adult Support For a long while we have understood that there is a lot more to do in supporting our biggest and most valuable resource (our adult volunteers). The Deputy Area Commissioner (Adult Support) will lead the team responsible for delivering the Adult Training Scheme, Compass Support, Bespoke Training, Ongoing Learning, Permits, Mentoring/Peer Support Groups, Safeguarding Training, First Response and Recognition (both internal and external)
Operations Essentially this team will support anything that is ‘currently’ happening in day to day Scouting. The team will consist of an Assistant Area Commissioner for: Programme 6 to 14, Programme 14 to 25, International, Scout Active Support and Media & Communications. The Programme Commissioners will look to bring dialogue and communication of the sections they support across the Districts, looking at how we can share best practice, develop how we offer the programme locally and champion the sectional awards such as the Queens Scout Award and Duke of Edinburgh Award Scheme and identify and support any Area Events that may take place. The International Commissioner will continue to support groups/units that wish to undertake international projects, trips and expeditions and champion the Global elements of the programme currently offered to our young people. The Media and Communications Commissioner will establish a Media and Communications Team to include a range of skill sets to help develop and improve how we communicate both internally and externally, ensuring a common brand and message, utilising our existing communication channels, improving upon them and exploring new ones. The Scout Active Support Commissioner will line manage and support any operational Scout Active Support Units in the area. The largest of these currently is our Activities Team, which will become a Scout Active Support Unit and become known as our Adventure Team.
As the Area continues to grow there may become demand for additional SAS Units to support certain elements of the programme. The SAS Commissioner will provide support and guidance to those wishing to set up these units and help develop and review their service agreements. Although no appointment is to be made for an AAC (Events), where there is an identified requirement for an Area Event to take place, a Project Leader will be appointed by the DAC (Operations) in conjunction with the Area Commissioner. The purpose of having this as a short term appointments is to allow us to identify a person with the appropriate experience for the type of event being held and also a good understanding of that section.
Growth and Development The final strand of our restructure very much looks to the future - The Growth and Development of our Area. The Deputy Area Commissioner (G&D) will lead the work on the Area development plan in consultation with districts and the wider Area Team. Part of this work will be to set targets for growth, but with an underpinning plan of how to achieve these realistically. The G & D Team comprises Assistant Area Commissioners for: Growth, Inclusion and Community & Relations. The Growth Commissioner will provide focussed support in the areas of recruitment and retention of adults. Whilst this person won’t be recruiting individually for Scout groups, they will be the point of contact for groups who need support with recruitment, devise a strategy with Districts for recruitment and develop local resources to assist. The Inclusion Commissioner will identify and lead a team of local ambassadors that we can gain advice and support from to champion diversity in Scouting, also being able to direct adults in Scouting towards organisations or National Advisers where appropriate. The Ty Hafan Scout Group will also be supported by this appointment. The Community & Relations Commissioner will look at Community Impact projects, liaise with other local voluntary organisations, keep good dialogue with key people in local government and Scouts Wales and build relationships that may enable us to grow Scouting. The Lord Mayors Own Troop will also be supported by this appointment.
So, lots of new work is going on which we will endeavour to keep you updated with. We will announce who has been appointed into the relevant roles once the formal appointment process has taken place. If you feel that you may have something to contribute to one of the roles and would be interested in applying, please do not hesitate to contact me via email ac@catvog.org
Area Review The Area Executive Committee has approved that a working party be established to undertake a review of the Scout Districts and their boundaries within Cardiff and the Vale of Glamorgan. The last change to the boundaries took place over ten years ago, and since then, membership and leadership has changed significantly. The purpose of the review will be to establish whether the current structure of the geographical boundaries meets the needs of our members and whether it is sustainable. Over the coming months, the working party will be holding consultations with members to see where support is currently working, and failing. It will also look at whether the current structure is sustainable. The working party will make recommendations on their findings which will be presented to the Area Scout Council at the Annual General Meeting to be held in June 2016.
Social Media Please remember we now have a “like page” on Facebook – search Cardiff and the Vale of Glamorgan Scouts and also a twitter feed @CATVOGScouts Steve Evans Area Commissioner - ac@catvog.org
Phoenix ESU (E&S) trying out new hammocks on a survival skills camp.
Ramble raises £500 for The Breast Centre at Llandough The Breast Centre at University Hospital Llandough (UHL) received a generous donation of £500 on Friday 6 June from the Cubs, Scouts, Brownies and Guides. The local Cubs, Scouts, Brownies and Guides took part in a sponsored Roman Treasure Ramble last autumn to raise money for a worthy local charity. The winners each received a trophy provided by Barry Rotary Club. Everyone who took part received a “Roman Medallion” and in the case of the Guides and Brownies, they also received a certificate from their organisation.
150 Scout and Guide personnel started their ramble from the ruins of the Roman Fort on the Knap, Barry, along the Barry Heritage Trail and visited a number of places of interest along the way. At each stop there was a team challenge to complete. Jane Hutt AM said: “It is wonderful to see the Cubs, Scouts, Brownies and Guides raising funds for the pioneering Breast Centre at Llandough Hospital. I felt very honoured to be invited to join them for the presentation. The contribution they have made to the charity will really help make a difference.” Winners of the four categories were: 2nd Barry Brownies, Dinas Powys Guides, 1st Penmark Cub Scouts and 2nd/4th Barry Scouts.
Free bug hunts, pond dipping and hedgerow surveys for your group.
Sumit Goyal, Consultant Surgeon at the Breast Centre, University Hospital Llandough said: “I’d like to thank the groups for kindly raising money for the Breast Centre. Donations such as these make a huge difference to the services we provide and help us deliver the best care that we can.” Jack Hardman, Community Liaison for the Scout Association said: ”The event was a huge success; everyone who went along and took part had great fun.”
Each group will get a survey pack with a key to help identify species, so you can also do a follow up to the survey.
The Opal project runs free bug hunts, pond dips and hedgerow surveys with schools and community groups. It has been running for over three years but has only recently been available in Wales. I can come to your cub, beaver or scout group and lead a survey activity with the group using the grounds immediately outside your meeting place, or close by. The data can be put immediately on the web site if you have access to the web in your meeting place.
Do get in touch if you would like me to come and help your group. The early autumn season can be good for a lot of these activities. Barbara Brown Opal Community Scientist National Museum of Wales Cathays Park Cardiff CF10 3NP 02920 573 233 Mobile: 07561 121 642 Barbara.Brown@museumwales.ac.uk
Submission deadline for the next Courier is: Sunday 15th November 2015 Editor: Gareth Johns c/o The Hub CATVOG Scouts Maitland Street Gabalfa, CF14 3JU