First Swindon Sea Scouts
Sailing towards a better future
Swindon Scout Christmas Post
1st Swindon Sea Scouts will be selling Christmas stamps in Morrisons, on Thames Avenue, Haydon Wick on the follwing dates:
- Fridays 25 November, 2 and 9 December – 6pm to 8pm
- Saturdays 26 November, 3 and 10 December – 10am to 8pm
- Sundays 27 November, 4 and 11 December -10am to 4pm
The Scouts delivery area includes:
All areas of Swindon including:
Badbury, Bishopstone, Blunsdon, Burderop, Chiseldon, Draycott Foliat, Elcombe, Hannington, Highworth, Hinton Parva, Hodson, Inglesham, Langton Park, Liddington, Overtown, Red Barn, South Leaze, South Marston, Stanton Fitzwarren, Stratton St Margaret, Thorney Park, Wanborough, West Leaze, Wroughton.
Other towns and villages:
Wootton Bassett, Purton, Lydiard Millicent, Bushton, Clyffe Pypard, Tockenham, Broad Town, Cricklade, Latton, Ashton Keynes, Shrivenham, Watchfield, Bourton, Idstone, Ashbury & Kingston Winslow.
A special green collection box will be located in Morrisons ready to receive your cards.
The last collection from the post box will be 4pm on Tuesday 13 December with Cards being delivered over the weekend of 17/18 December.
Since 1981, Scouts across the UK have been licensed to deliver Christmas cards as part of Scout Post. In Swindon this helps to raise funds for Groups and raises the profile of Scouting within the local community.
Defense Academy Sailing Club Supports local Sea Scouts
Wg Cdr Tom Whittingham, Chairman of the Defense Academy Sailing Club, recently arranged for 2 of the club’s Laser 2 dinghies to be donated to the local 1st Swindon Sea Scout Group.
The Scout Group, headed by Stephen Iles, sail at Bowmoor Sailing Club and were thrilled with the donation that will considerably boost their capacity to develop the sailing abilities of the 1st Swindon Sea Scouts, Swindon Explorer Sea Scouts and Black Pearl Network – indeed the boats were put to use immediately as part of a 24 hour sailing marathon.
The boats were handed over to Stephen Iles, Richard Iles and Richard King at the Defence Academy on 12 Jun2 by Wg Cdr Tom Whittingham, Cdr Sarah Johns (Athletics Union Secretary), Sqn Ldr Andy Mockford and Lt Col Steve Williams.
From Defense Academy News
Sea Scouts Activities
A look at Swindon Sea Scouts Activities from 1978.
Girls climb aboard for first time to join sea scouts
SWINDON Sea Scouts are celebrating after recruiting their first female members in their 37-year history.
Lucy King and Katie Ballard were enrolled at Bowmoor Sailing Club, between Lechlade and Fairford, on Friday night.
The 12-year-olds were invested in front of their troop by reciting the Sea Scout pledge and law.
It’s the first time girls have joined the club which was set up in 1970 despite being permitted to join since the early 1980s.
Katie, who lives in Penhill, decided she wanted to become a scout when older brother Jamie, 17, joined.
She said: “I wanted to go along one night and see what he got up to.
“They said I could join in and jump into the jetty and get wet like everyone else – it sounded fun so I asked my mum if I could come too.”
The Nova Hreod pupil plans to join Jamie at Adventure Scouts when she is 14-years-old.
Mum Ellen said: “It’s nice to see them doing something constructive with their time rather than parked in front of the telly.
“I am at the Scout hut with them too most nights but it’s good fun and something for the family to get involved in.”
And that’s exactly what Kingsdown pupil Lucy did.
Lucy, whose brother and dad are already part of Swindon Sea Scouts, joined up when she thought she was missing out on the fun. She said: “Dad’s a leader so he’ll get to boss me about here and at home too.”
To celebrate her enrolment, her fellow Scouts threw Lucy off the jetty and into the freezing cold water.
Dad Richard King, assistant scout leader, said: “It’s great to all be part of something, my wife isn’t part of it yet but no doubt it won’t be long – she’s our taxi.”
The Sea Scouts were established by Lord Robert Baden-Powell originally as a club designed to giving boys an education in seafaring and seamanship.
Sea Scouts follow the general Scouting programme but add a nautical twist to their programme and activities.
Haydon Wick Sea Scouts raise Money for Charity
SEA Scouts have raised a fantastic £700 for the Swindon Cancer Appeal.
The First Swindon Sea Scouts based at Haydon Wick marched and rowed under cloudy skies before putting on a spectacular fun-day at a sailing club in Lechlade.
For many of the Scouts, the day began at 8am outside Asda Wal-Mart in North Swindon where they prepared their canoes for the long march to the River Thames at Cricklade, which took two hours, before rowing their boats to Lechlade and then marching to a fun day at the Bowmoor Sailing Club.
Mike Godwin, assistant scout leader and one of the organisers of the event, said: “Despite the weather, everyone had a great time.”
The scouts raised £1,400 in total, half of which will go to the cancer appeal and half to the group’s own funds.
So far, the Swindon Cancer Appeal has raised just more than £132,000, in the past few months with the grand total close to £750,000. The Swindon Cancer Appeal is also hoping to provide a training post for a Macmillan specialist breast care cancer nurse. In addition we want to provide a training post for another nurse specialising in gastrointestinal cancer.
For more information about the Swindon Cancer Appeal call the appeal office on 01793 432252 or 01793 432253.
From HaydonWick in touch