Key dates for the calendar
- Area drop-ins
- Wood badge modules
- Area reunion and skills weekend (adults only)
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.
It’s February already?
Welcome to February everyone and I hope your January was successful and not too stressful!
A short introduction from me this month as the main content is below in the various sections of this update.
Do you like the picture in the header? That is a picture of an Explorer having a great time at the recent Winter Explorer Ball. Find out more on that below.
As promised in November when we launched the Area strategy, we completed our first Area Pulse check earlier this month, led by David Morris and myself. Thank you to all those that took the time to attend the session but if you couldn’t, and want to find out what has happened in the Area since we launched the strategic plan last year then check out the recording of the session below. Specifically of interest is the 20 minutes or so that David leads regarding the upcoming transformation projects and what this means for you.
In June we will be hosting our first Area Reunion aimed at adult volunteers only. More on this will be announced shortly but its aimed at giving the adults a chance to take part in the activities that we are normally too busy delivering for our youth members and also allowing us to come together as an Area to keep up to speed, meet new people, make friends and generally have a laugh and a good time.
We are still looking to recruit an Area Youth Lead and Area Volunteer Development Lead. If you are interested in these roles please contact me or submit an application HERE
I have been rightly challenged that in the Area pulse check, and a few other times as well, I state that there was no Area training provision over the past few years. I would like to apologise if anyone takes this personally as no offence was intended and I accept that the Districts, specifically Wrexham and Flintshire, were running courses which they opened up to other Districts as they could. Thank you to those who have pointed this out to me and I am more than happy to be corrected.
I hope to get around as many groups as possible this year, starting with Vale of Clwyd (my local patch) and then broadening out over the coming months. I look forward to seeing you and putting names to faces.
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)
Transformation
By David Morris, Area Transformation Lead
Our full transition to the new way of volunteering is now exactly 12 months away!
But that doesn’t mean nothing is going to happen until then. We’ve just been given a month-by-month roadmap of what we need to do to prepare.
Some of the changes will come sooner, with Executive Committees changing to Trustee Boards from April, more of us starting to work in the new team structures, and a new volunteering culture.
Digital skills support will also be launching later this year to give volunteers who aren’t comfortable online a helping hand.
This next year will be about keeping doing what you’re doing but getting ready for the transition in February 2024.
I’ll have more information on what we want from each of you month by month starting in March.
Any questions let me know – transform@clwydscouts.org.uk
Area Explorer Ball
By Steve Love
On Friday 13th January we held the inaugural Clwyd Winter Ball for over 120 Explorer’s from all 4 corners of the area. The event incorporated an annual awards evening in which recognised the achievements and attainments of the explorers for the last 12 months and were delighted to present over 70 awards including Chief Scout Platinum/ Diamond, Duke of Edinburgh & the Young Leader Belt Buckle.
The evening also consisted of a hog roast, and after dinner entertainment including magician, live band and DJ’s all hosted in the stunning Marquee at Clawd Offa Farm in Penyffordd.
Well over 100 of the explorers also then braved the wintery conditions and camped at the venue for the evening before heading home after bacon baps on the Saturday morning.
Overall, a brilliant event, celebrating all of the achievements of 2022 and something we will certainly be looking to make an annual feature of the Area calendar
NOTE from AC: Steve and the team did a great job at pulling this together and they should be rightly proud of their achievements. When I heard that Flintshire/Wrexham had a winter ball planned I asked Steve to upgrade this to an Area event which they knocked out the park. This will be a recurring annual event now supported by Area funds and there are plans afoot to have an adult-only ball/evening/celebration as well! Thanks, Steve and the team for getting this off the ground and making it a success!
