Key dates for the calendar
- Area pulse check (online) – all volunteers are welcome
- Area drop-ins
- Lots of development modules
We will shortly be announcing the finalised date for 2023 Adult Reunion and Skills Weekend and also the Area Seminar for 2023. More events are being added on an almost daily basis. You can find out what is going on and book in by going to our Eventbrite portal by clicking on the button below.
As we announced in the strategic plan last year, it’s the Area Leadership Teams’ plan to provide a 2-year rolling calendar of events to give everyone enough notice. We intend to deliver on this promise and, if you look at our Eventbrite page, I am sure you will agree that we are already well on the way to delivering it.
Welcome to 2023 everyone!
If you are like me, and you have no idea what happened to 2022 then I am glad I am in good company. I hope that you all had a great Christmas and had a chance to unwind, relax and recharge for the new year ahead of Scouting and activity! 2023 is looking to be a banging year for the Area with plenty of activity!
In November last year, the Area Leadership Team launched the new Area Strategy #get2good which you can find here Clwyd Area Strategy Plan 22-25 – Clwyd Scout, and a bunch of edits were made to the Area website to help make this visible. Having a strategy is good, but it’s just words unless we actually do what we said we were going to do. This is why 2023 is crucial to success. We need to build momentum on change early this year so that by December we are a completely different animal, streamlined and delivering a far better volunteer experience and supporting the Districts better than ever before.
We should all be proud of what we achieved in 2022. We are dealing with the implications of a succession of global events, on top of still recovering from the fallout of Covid-19. 2023 is going to be tough but it can also be transformative and we all need to embrace the challenges ahead, accept that the only constant thing is change and that to stay relevant in this world and continue to provide #skillsforlife, we need to keep our eyes up and looking outward so we don’t get caught out.
I am excited and proud to be on this journey with you. To find out more about the plan, click on any of the below images. There is a full-fat version or the diet version (one page) depending on how interested you are! Feel free to also watch the video recording of the plan launch if you want to. It may help fill in any blanks.
The three Area objectives for 2023 are:
1. Make the Area truly youth shaped by bringing youth into the Area Leadership Team and Trustee Board
2. Create a coordinated, transparent and easy-to-use adult learning and development capability in the Area so that we can run all of the core modules in-house.
3. Restructure in line with changes that are being led by UK Scouts Headquarters across the UK (more on this below and in the very near future).
Below you will see a section of the Area Update by David Morris, our newly appointed Area Transformation Lead. Moz is responsible for spearheading the team in delivering the new changes across the Area, specifically around communication and support to those that need it. I have given Moz a section of this monthly update for the foreseeable to help keep the drumbeat of communication around these changes.
Changes On The Horizon – By David Morris, Area Transformation Lead
Hopefully, you may have heard of some changes in the pipeline, all designed to make things easier for existing volunteers, and so it’s easier to recruit new ones!
Don’t worry this will be a gradual process as indicated on the timeline below and you will find out more information throughout the coming year.
I’ve created the ‘one page change’ document below which outlines the four areas of change and the reasons for that change.
New Horizons Funding
Your time is running out to apply – don’t miss out on the opportunity!
The deadline for submission of New Horizons Funding applications is midnight, Tuesday 28th February 2023.
The fund intends to ‘actively promote participation in activities that capture the imagination and focus youth members and adult leaders to take part in life-enhancing activities that will develop them as individuals and sustain their involvement in Scouting to support future members in every section.
All members of The Scout Association in Clwyd are actively encouraged to apply for funding from the New Horizons fund via the application form below
Examples of such activities might include:
- World jamborees.
- Explorer belt expeditions.
- Exceptional activities for the King’s Scout and Duke of Edinburgh Gold awards (possibly overseas).
- Overseas Explorer/Network activities with a notable service element part; Area, District or Unit level.
The Area has a pot of funds we are looking to provide to accepted applications. If you don’t apply, you can’t be accepted, so please take some time to get the applications in!
Mandatory Ongoing Learning (MOGL) and Suspensions
Late last year I was in the unfortunate position of having to suspend a number of adult volunteers due to their Compass records showing outstanding safety and/or safeguarding. Suspension of the role is not something that I enjoy doing but the protection of our youth members is paramount and PORs are crystal clear on this point. If you have an out-of-date safety or safeguarding module, you will be suspended until it’s fixed. There is no flex on this.
Scouts HQ are now sending monthly data to all Commissioners. Scouts HQ will email individuals three, two and one months prior to learning going out of date, and then every month afterwards. They will use the email address in Compass to do this so if that’s not right, or if you don’t check your emails, or if the emails are going to junk and you aren’t picking them up, you will likely miss your expiry date.
This is where our leaders come into play. If you are a Group Scout Leader, please keep on top of this in your Group. The last thing any of us want to do is suspend a volunteer because of MOGL being out of date.
Census 2023
The next census will take place on the 31st January 2023
Whilst the census date is 31st January (as every year), the census opens on 16 January 2023, so you should target to collate information in advance and draft your return ready for formal submission for approval on the 31st.
Census passwords will be issued to relevant managers week commencing 9th January.
Updated information and guidance regarding the census are available from Scouts website.
Scouts UK – All Members Online Meetings
Helping to keep you in the loop
I suggest that to help keep you in the loop of any changes that are coming, and generally just keep your finger on the pulse of the development of the Scouting movement, you attend the ‘All members online meetings’ held by Scouts UK every few months. More information on them, including previous recordings, can be found below.
Updated Area Events and Booking Portal
A simple and easy-to-use way to find what you need and get booked in
All Area events will be managed through the new Area Eventbrite site.
Booking into events/activities is essential.
There is a lot in the pipeline including all of the learning modules being run by Area. Our aim is to ensure that we can provide, in-house, all of the modules required for Leaders, Managers and Supporters to achieve a Wood Badge. Additional modules will be added as we go along.
There is no longer any reason to be confused about what is on offer. All of the events have been reviewed and organised. When you book it will send you a confirmation of booking, regular reminders of upcoming events you are booked on, and any additional information you need to do so. You can also add it to your digital calendar if you like (Outlook, Google Calendar etc.)
All learning modules will be provided free of charge. There may be some cost for attending non-learning modules but as an Area, we are trying to keep that as low as possible via funding it from the Area budget.
Thanks for taking the time to read this update and I hope you found it useful.
Kevin Field – Area Commissioner – Clwyd Scouts
