Readiness Level :AMBER v2 – Continued digital delivery. COVID-19 safe face to face activities – Restricted size group sessions can take place indoors and outdoors. No residential activies.

Date : 24th September 2020

Dear Parents and Carers

Recent announcements in England (22^nd September 2020), the government has confirmed that as an essential service, youth section activity can continue unchanged, which is in line with COVID secure NYA guidance standards.

Well, we’re so very nearly there…. Monday marks the return of the first section to face to face Scouting since March with Bubble 1 – Cubs meeting at 18^th Ipswich HQ (Outside).

Scouts will be holding an online (Microsoft Teams) meeting for all Scouts on the Friday 25th September 2020.

Just a few quick reminders from us:

• You’re going to get (or already have had!) quite a few emails from the section teams about returning – please do read them carefully. While this is all going on we do need to make sure every activity is ‘Pre-booked’ so you will need to follow the link from the emails to parent portal to tell us if you’re coming or not. If you don’t ‘BOOK’ beforehand, we will have to turn you away which will be upsetting for all concerned. Please don’t put us in that position.   
• If you haven’t already, please visit parent portal, login and check your personal details are correct – in the event something goes wrong and we have to liaise with NHS Test & Trace, we will need accurate details.
• Visit our Getting everyone back together safely webpage regularly. It has all the dos and don’ts and hopefully will answer most of your questions.
• Please, please be prompt with the arrival and departure times and remember to socially distance when dropping off/picking up. The email for the event will be clear about the arrangements, but we need to do our bit to ensure it goes smoothly and everyone is kept as safe as possible.

If anyone would like to Join the Leadership Team or Group Executive for the 18^th Ipswich, please let us know. We needed extra help before Covid-19 hit, now we need you more than ever to get the group reopened!

Hopefully, next week we be able to share the successes of our sections their return in the various forms. 

Best wishes,  

Denise Bloomfield (GSL) / Stuart Parker (AGSL)  

Date : 21^st September 2020

18th CUBS – Bringing Everyone Back Together Safely #1

Dear Parents and Carers,

Thank you, to everyone that has responded to the invite for the – Cubs (Bubble 1) Fire Making and Cooking night.  Unfortunately, we have now reach the maximum number of Cubs for Monday 28^th September, for those who have not ‘Pre-booked’ for Monday 28^th Sept 2020, please can you give me an indication of if you child intends to return to face to face – Cubs or if they would prefer to only do virtual sessions for the time being.

Date : 17^th September 2020 

Dear Parents and Carers 

We are really pleased to finally be able to say we’re back! Well, at least in a limited fashion. 

Recent change to social gathering restrictions in England, the government has confirmed that youth sector (National Youth Agency) activity can continue unchanged (under the Amber readiness rules),we were exempt as a voluntary service offering after school clubs for children with a ‘Covid Secure’ approach to returning to face to face activities. Great news! 

Cubs will be holding a online meeting for all Cubs on Monday 21st September, just for a hello and check in before hopefully returning to return to face to face sessions, beginning on Monday 28th September.  Due to the size of the Cub pack and number of leaders we have, along with the required ratios, we have to split the Cubs into two (or three groups) – so will be meeting every two (or three) weeks. Cub parents will receive an email invite from Parent Portal (My.Scout) for the week that is their young person’s turn. Please respond to that email by clicking the link to either tell us you’re coming or tell us you’re not. This is really important as if you don’t tell us you’re coming, we may allocate the space to someone else. If that happened and you then turn up it would put us in the awkward position of having to turn you away.  I (Stuart) will be emailing more details to let you know who will be invited which weeks, also a copy of the Risk Assessment. Timings and arrival/departure details will be in the email and it’s so important to stick to them carefully.  Please do take a look. 

Scouts will be next with a online meeting for all Scouts on the Friday 25th September, hopefully returning the back to face to face in the next few weeks.

Leaders from the Beaver section will be in touch with parents soon by email. 

Here https://18thipswich.org.uk/Our-keeping-safe-code.pdf is a copy of Our Keeping Safe Code that we are using for all meetings. Please could you take a moment to discuss it with your young person. We’ll be talking about it the beginning of every meeting, but it really helps for young people to arrive already knowing about it and what to expect. 

If you are receiving this email and your young person is no longer a member, or doesn’t wish to come back, could you please let me know – hitting reply to this email will get straight back to Denise/Stuart – so we can update our records and release spaces for new members who wish to join us. 

Finally, if you have any questions or concerns, please contact either your section leader or Denise/Stuart. 

Hopefully, I’ll see you all in person soon! 

Best wishes,  

Denise Bloomfield (GSL) / Stuart Parker (AGSL)  

I hope you have had a great summer and it’s now an exciting time for us to get back to some face to face Scouting. We are now at a stage where groups and sections in Suffolk are again able to start meeting. Whilst scouting might look a little different from what we were doing 6 months ago, there are lots of activities that we can enjoy. With your enthusiasm and ingenuity, interesting and fulfilling programmes can be created.

Date : 9^th September 2020

Dear Parents and Carers

I hope the return to school has been successful, and everything is settling down.

We have submitted our risk assessments but we’re still waiting to hear back from the approvers, so currently we are still unable to Return to Face to Face Scouting.

Due to the updated guidance from The Scouts nationally as well as the government on the 3^rd September,  Scouts and Explorers will be expected to wear face coverings (where not exempt) at meetings inside, although not outside. The email from Parent Portal will point out when they are and are not required. Leaders may or may not be wearing a face covering, depending on whether or not they are leading an activity. The wearing of face coverings outdoor or by our younger sections is completely down to parents/young people’s choice.

Date : 31st August 2020

Dear Parents and Carers.

I hope you have all had a good August and enjoyed any holiday you’ve been able to have, we’re just about at September once again.

As we said in the last few weekly emails, we’re getting ready to get back to it.  As always, things have changed with the guidance we have to follow since we last wrote to you and we are eagerly awaiting an announcement of changes on 3^rd September which, we hope, will see us being able to return to meeting at the hall. This does present a logistical challenge as we can still only meet with bubbles of 15 at a time, but the leaders are working on their various plans.  Risk assessments have been completed and submitted in anticipation of the 3^rd September changes and we’re waiting to hear back from the approvers.