| Bitesized Takeaway |
| Short on time? No problem! Whilst I’d love for you to read the whole update, here are the juiciest key takeaways, bite-sized and ready to devour! The Clwyd Area Scouts Award evening is taking place in Rhyl on Saturday 27th January 2024! Its open to all Area members but with limited tickets and free of charge. Tickets go live in November. Join us for the Clwyd Area Awards Evening Nominations for the bucket load of Area awards for the Award Evening can be completed here. Get your nominations in and let’s recognise amazing! Area Awards NominationsWe are running an Area Photo competition with the theme of Hometown Pride. This is available to all members and young people so get your submissions in ASAP! Area Photo Competition πΈClwyd Area AGM was held on the 19th September. You can review the video hereWe are running a Coaching for Leaders course on the 21st of October. Limited places are available so get booked in!Read the new Volunteering Culture on the ScoutsHQ website!We need people to help us with the welcome conversations. If you think you can help with Welcome Conversations, please click on this link. π¬We’ve got lots of vacancies in our Area team, and we’d love to have your helping hands on board! Any assistance is warmly welcomed! π€Behold, the #get2good progress update! Our enchanting Area plan is coming to life, and we’re on a journey towards greatness! πWe are always looking for great photos and media opportunties. If you have any photos or opportunities that you want us to showcase or assist with, contact Jacob Jones below! πThe full update is below for your enjoymentπ |
| Area Update |
| Hey there, Scout-tastic folks! πIt’s been a whirlwind of action this month, and we’ve got a treasure trove of resources for you below. You know the drill, we had our Area AGM (yeah, we all have those!) and tackled some behind-the-scenes admin like champions in preparation for the upcoming Transformation date. πWant to relive the AGM glory? Dive into the details and catch the AGM video below if you dare! π₯ We’ve even played musical chairs with our leadership positions, adding some fresh faces to the mix. πͺπNow, drumroll, please π₯! The star of the show this month is the Clwyd Area Awards evening, set for January 27, 2024. We’re ready to honour the cream of the crop, the champions, and the superheroes who’ve made the last year in scouting absolutely legendary! ππOh, and here’s the golden ticket ποΈ: I’m hosting a coaching course for leaders with only a handful of spots left on Saturday, October 21st. ππ₯ If you want to master the art of coaching for excellence and having conversations that light a fire under people’s seats, grab your spot before they vanish like unicorns in the mist! π¦π¬οΈWe’ve got some decisions bubbling up in the cauldron π² over the next few weeks as we firm up the hierarchy of teams in the Area and Districts. Stay tuned for more juicy details next month! π£οΈπ£Keep being your awesome selves, and remember, I’m all ears for your feedback on how we can improve the Area.Kevin. |
| Area Awards Night 2024 |
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| Hey there, fabulous folks of our fantastic Area!π We know how amazing the young people and volunteers in Clwyd are and we want to recognize that! Being held in January 2024, weβre bringing together the four districts that make up Clwyd Scouts for a night of celebration, recognition π, and awards ποΈ.During the evening, there will also be presentations π£ from recipients of the New Horizons Fund π as well as from one of our newly formed Squirrels groups πΏοΈ. There will be live music π΅ and some VIP guests π! Weβll also be remembering those we have lost from our Scouting Family this year π―οΈ. Join us for the Awards Evening! |
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| π Don’t forget to sprinkle some stardust on your nominations for the Awards Gala! π We’ve got a treasure trove of whimsical awards waiting to be bestowed upon our dazzling youth members and marvellous volunteers! π Let’s turn this Awards evening into a carnival of recognition and fun! ππ Nominate here! |
 GET YOUR ENTRIES IN for the Area Photo Competiton! This year the theme is HomeTown Pride! |
| πΈ Calling all budding photographers! π As part of the awards ceremony, we’ve launched a photography competition π. There will be two awards presented π₯, one to a young person π¦ and one to an adult volunteer π©.This year’s theme is HOMETOWN PRIDE π‘π. We want your photos to demonstrate everything that makes where you’re from totally awesome β whether that be the town in which you live ποΈ or scout in π, or the wider area ποΈ. What makes Clwyd so great to live in? π€©We would also like to display your scouting photos from the year π· throughout the evening π, you can submit them below too! π€ Submit your entries! |
| Coaching Course for Leaders |
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| Join us for a dynamic and enriching Coaching and Mentoring Day, hosted by Clwyd Scouts! π This event has been carefully designed to equip you with the fundamental skills and actionable insights needed to implement coaching and mentoring in your roles within the Scouts community. π€π£οΈ Learn the Fundementals of Effective Communication: Gain a deep understanding of how to engage in meaningful conversations, ask powerful questions, and actively listen to support growth and development.π Learn Coaching and Mentoring Techniques: Learn the difference between the approaches and acquire practical tools and techniques to guide, encourage, and empower others on their Scouting journey.π‘ Learn the Power Behind Intent Based Leadership: Understand how words have power and how the ladder of leadership can be applied to help really drive decentralised leadership.π Explore Real-World Scenarios: Dive into group work and interactive exercises with your fellow volunteers and get quality practice, allowing you to test your coaching and mentoring skills in a safe and supportive environment.π Create Your Personal Action Plan: Leave the event with a customized action plan, tailored to your unique needs and goals, ensuring you can immediately apply what you’ve learned in your Scout leadership roles.Aο»Ώt the end of this day you are going to take away actual things you can implement, not just lots of theory and models that soon get forgotten. It is aimed at Scouts, by Scouts, so everything will be relevant to you on the ground actually doing the difficult job of being an adult volunteer. Join in the day by booking in here. Limited numbers are available! |
| Where Are We Going? |
| AREA MISSION: Improve the Area to a minimum of GOOD standard across all of our internal benchmarking criteria. |
| Remember when we launched the master plan back in November 2022? Well, we’ve been doing some serious reviews and broadcasting our epic progress every three months like clockwork! Talk about commitment, right?And guess what? The freshest update is just a click away! Check out the video below, where we spill the beans on the progress and what’s next.If you haven’t already looked at the Clwyd Area strategy plan #get2good (I mean, it’s pure gold, folks), we’ve got you covered! Dive right into the awesomeness by using the link below. It’s like unlocking a secret treasure map to success! πΊοΈπ«π Clwyd Area Strategy Plan 22-25 – Clwyd Scouts |
| Didn’t catch the July Area update? No worries! Swing on over here and get in the loop! Discover the freshest info on all the happenings, so you won’t be stuck in the land of shadows! π€π |
| Area Annual General Meeting |
| Our Area Annual General Meeting was held as planned and thank you for everyone that turned up. We had over 40 members on the Zoom call! On a positive note, let’s give a warm welcome to our new Trustee Team members:  Russell Lodge (new Chairperson) John Lyons (new Treasurer) Andrew McGregor-Andrew (District Rep – Wrexham Robert Hilton (District Rep – Wrexham)Our restructured Trustee Board now looks like this: Russell Lodge – Chairperson John Lyons – Treasurer Kevin Field – Area Lead Volunteer Esme Jone – Area Youth Lead Elved Gray-Jones – District Rep – Flintshire Andrew McGregor-Andrew – District Rep – Wrexham Robert Hilton – District Rep – Wrexham Jamie Dixon – 18-25 RepWe’re excited for the journey ahead, and there are still some positions to fill. Let us know if you are willing to help fill these roles and support the Area  : Vacant – Secretary Vacant – District Rep Llangollen Vacant – District Rep Vale of ClwydLet’s make our Area even more amazing together!  |
| Transformation Update By David Morris, Area Tranformation Lead |
| Action Stations! βπ All Hands! πOver the last 12 months, we’ve been working hard πͺπ οΈ, getting the message across about the transformation of Our Volunteer Experience to those who will lead that change. We’ve spoken to Trustees , Area and District Teams , and Group Scout Leaders. Now it’s the turn of everyone who volunteers in Sections with the young people. During September, we’re asking all Groups and Explorer Scout Sections to have leaders meetings ποΈ to go over the changes and discuss what it means to them. π¬We’re asking Group Scout Leaders and District Explorer Scout Commissioners to take on this challenge as they know their Groups and Units the best. We’ve provided them with the information to deliver the message, but will be here to help if they need it. π€If you don’t hear from your GSL or DESC soon about such a meeting, please give them a gentle nudge! π If you get no joy, please contact Jacob via comms@clwydscouts.org.uk π§ and he’ll be able to help. As ever, check out clwydscouts.org.uk/transformation for all the latest info. ππNot long to go now…! πππWe Need Your HelpThe transition will only be a success if we all pull together. There are huge benefits for all in getting this to work, so hereβs what we need YOU to doβ¦Welcome Conversations – We will be having a friendly chat with new volunteers at the place they volunteer. These will be carried out by the Group Scout Leader and someone else from the District in a similar role to the new volunteer. This other person will need to do some quick e-learning. If you think you can help with Welcome Conversations, please click on this link. π¬Learning – Please encourage everyone to complete their Getting Started training, and get it validated and updated on Compass before November 1st. If you are currently working on your Wood Badge, you will need to complete this by November 1st if you wish for it to be recorded against your current role – but remember Wood Badge becomes optional from the date of Transition (T-day!) How We Volunteer – Please familiarise yourselves with Our Volunteering Culture. πConsider Joining a District/Area Team – We need many more people to share the tasks currently being done (or not done) by very few people. Joining a team will mean that their load is shared, and you wonβt be responsible, youβll just be helping out. You can do this alongside your current role if you volunteer with a Section. Click here to find out more. Digital Support – If you know someone who canβt – or wonβt – use a computer, we need to know so we can properly support them. Please click this link to let us know who they are so we can contact them. For those with some digital skills who want to get even better, the new Digital Skills Tool is an amazing resource. π»Compass Clean – Please ensure that your record on Compass is up to date. From T-day you can have two email addresses: your username to log on to the system (this needs to be a unique personal email address and should be recorded on Compass as βVolunteeringβ) and a correspondence email address where weβll contact you (this can be a generic email such as beavers_1stanytown@gmail.com and should be recorded on Compass as βScouting Enquiriesβ). If you only have one email address on Compass, thatβs fine, and itβll be used for both. Group Scout Leaders – can you ensure you remove any non-active Occasional Helpers, and also update your Section contact details and meeting times via the View button under Options. π |
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| Team Vacancies |
 Could you be the next team member that helps Clwyd Scouts #get2good? |
| Why would you help at Area? Simple answer, larger scale equals wider impact. Picture this: the Area Team, it may not be the colossal force of hundreds that you’ve conjured up in your mind! π€ Nope, not at all! We’re actually a really small team and we are on the hunt for some super-duper extra hands to make things happen on a grand scale. If we are going to lead the way and deliver big things for our young people then we need you. Can you believe that even an hour a month from your fabulous self could make a splash bigger than a T-Rex in a puddle? So, what do you say? Ready to unleash your awesomeness upon the world with just an hour of your time? Let’s do this. P.S. Distance is no issue so don’t let that stop you from reaching out. Anything you can do to help is great!π Current Area Vacancies π |
| Area Trustee Board:Area Secretary – The ultimate task-taming wizard! Leading the charge in getting things done with enchanting efficiency! πDistrict Representatives – Champions of the people’s voices! Making sure that every District’s dreams reach the Trustee Board’s ears! π€ We need representatives from both Vale of Clwyd and Llangollen Districts!The Area Trustee Board | Scouts Moving To Trustee Boards | ScoutsArea Programme Subteams:Events Squad – Brilliant minds behind delivering epic-level events π€ΉββοΈποΈCanvas Crusaders – Getting as many volunteers accredited for nights away and unleashing a cosmic storm of young people camping under the stars every single year! πβΊArea Volunteering Development Subteams:Learning Legends – Masters of delivering virtual and face-to-face learning ππArea Support Subteams:Awards and Applause – Spreading the love for our awesome volunteers and helping with award applications and adviceπ πInclusion Champions – Champions of equality, diversity, and inclusion and supporting our volunteers with EDI on the ground π³οΈβπβDigital Dream Team – Leading the charge on supporting our volunteers with digital tools π»πCommunications Gurus – Intergalactic communicators, beaming out good vibes and showcasing the awesomeness in our Area! ππUnderstanding more about the new team structure Apply for one of the above teamsNot sure where you might fit in? Get in touch and we can talk it through! Drop me an email at acclwyd@scoutscymru.org.uk |
 Each Area (think County in England) has smaller teams that form the awesome whole. And guess what? We’ve got all the flexibility in the world to make it our own style. ππ₯ If we’re up for an Area Bobsleigh team, heck yeah, we could go for it! But, let’s start with the practical stuff first! |
| Mandatory Learning Compliance |
| Great news! The monthly Mandatory Ongoing Learning (MOGL) statistics show that we are still bossing the MOGL compliance. Well done to all and if you are out of date (or approaching) don’t be frustrated if Sue Lloyd contacts you. Remember, if you are out of date the only option is suspension until it’s rectified so please engage with the process! ππFirst aid may be a tougher nut to crack, but we’re all aware of the challenges involved in delivery and sign-off.Safety Module Safeguarding Module First Aid Module GuidanceRemember that everyone should also be in possession of the Safeguarding Yellow Card, purple Safe Scouting and Emergency card and green Scouting and Alcohol cards. District and Area Commissioners should also be in possession of the grey Safeguarding Procedures for County and District Commissioners card as well |
| Safety Compliance 99.3% (+0.9%) πSafeguarding Compliance 99.3% (+0.10%) π |
| First Aid Compliance 97.2% (+0.98%) πDBS Compliance 99.0% π |
| Digital Skills Support |
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| Hey there, digital adventurers! Remember that quirky Digital Skills Tool I mentioned last month? Well, it’s alive and kicking now! Check it out below.Developing digital skills is a big deal for all of us citizens of the digital world and especially for us working with those tech-savvy ‘digital natives.’ We know our volunteers have different levels of digital know-how, so as we introduce these awesome new digital tools for Scouting, we’ve got your back! We’ll support all volunteers, and if you want to learn more, our tech-savvy volunteers are here to help.And fear not, while we’re going Digital First, we’re not leaving behind the old ways. These systems aren’t going digital only. Let’s blend the best of both worlds and embrace this digital evolution! ππ» Digital Skills Scouts |
| Support for Charity Trustees (Charity Commission) |
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| π½οΈ Dive into a treasure trove of videos and even challenge your inner genius with a brain-teasing quiz using the link below! Crafted by the Charity Commission, π§ββοΈ Unleash your inner knowledge seeker and let this resource help improve your Trustee Board’s knowledge and learning! ππΌ Support for Charity Trustees Link |
| Recruiting Volunteers Support |
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| Are you a struggling superhero in need of backup! π¦ΈββοΈπ¦ΈββοΈ Check out these epic updates on the support and resources ScoutsUK has lined up for you! Get ready to level up with online volunteer recruitment workshops in 2023:Saturday 28th October, 10:00 am – 12:00 pm: Recruitment ReadySaturday 11th November, 10:00 am – 12:30 pm: Attracting New Volunteers & Registering InterestSaturday 25th November, 10:00 am – 12:30 pm: The Perfect Match? & Prepared for ActionSaturday 9th December, 10:00 am – 12:30 pm: Welcoming New Volunteers & Starting OutPsst… they have video recaps too, but trust us, the real fun happens in the interactive sessions! Don’t miss out on the action! ππͺFor an extra boost, find updated support and guidance right here. Let’s rock this volunteer world together! ππ Recruitment Toolkit |
