Dear Suffolk Scouters,

Thank you for your continued support. We have a selection of useful information for you this week. At the present time we have no idea when Scouting in Suffolk will return to normal but we do all need to pull together in groups and districts to ensure that we are ready when we get the green light to resume Scouting in whatever form that takes.

Please remember that the key communications over the coming months will be the regular email newsletter and our website https://www.suffolkscouts.org.uk/coronovirus.  All content we post will be based on UK Government and The Scout Association guidelines. Our Facebook and Twitter pages will be updated with pictures and videos of what our young people are up to regarding Scouting – there is lots going on! 

Finance and Grants

We have news this week of several new potential sources of funding.

The National Lottery Community Fund has been given an additional £300 m of additional funding from the government. You can access more information here.

The Youth Investment Fund is related to The National Lottery Fund but has another £100m of funding to bid for. There is a separate website for this.

Sport England has been given £195m to help sport and physical activity through this crisis and to support the long-term impact of the current situation. You can find out how to submit a bid here.

Suffolk Scouts and Age UK Suffolk

In these difficult times, Suffolk Scouts are supporting Age UK Suffolk.

Age UK Suffolk need £33,000 per month in order to continue to deliver their support to senior citizens throughout Suffolk. As with many charities, they have furloughed most of their staff and are now even more dependent on volunteers.

Together, Suffolk Scouts and Age UK Suffolk, are exploring ways in which our young people can support Age UK Suffolk in the coming weeks. In the meantime, if adults would like to donate or volunteer to help, for example by delivering prescriptions or shopping, please go to https://www.ageuk.org.uk/suffolk/get-involved/make-a-donation/

#AdventureContinues

Don’t forget to visit our Scouting At Home initiative, full details on our website. #AdventureContinues Challenge 3 is now out!

It is all about international, celebrating our South African partnership. Check out the challenges here.

In the News

I did an interview with BBC Radio Suffolk last week (24-Apr-2020). You can access this here. The interview is 30 mins into the show and lasts for about 10 minutes.

We’d love to hear more stories that we can share. Email us at county.news@suffolkscouts.org.uk.

Best wishes

Mark Pearson