AN EVER-EXPANDING scouts ground has started a third Beaver colony

Having looked at the possibility of starting another Beaver colony and having got leaders in place to help run it, 1st Wigton Baden-Powell Scouts made the decision to open a third group.

The first meeting took place last week, with seven children attending for the first time, along with some of the current Beavers from the Monday and Tuesday colonies, who are helping out for the first few weeks to give it an established feel.

Group leader Julie Bryceson said “We debated about opening a third colony but we had waiting lists of over a year for our other colonies and we have two cub packs and Scout troops, so we know we can accommodate the additional children as they move through the group.”

In recent months three new leaders have joined the group, two for Beavers and one for Scouts, with another joining at the end of this month. This has enabled to third colony to start.

The group has expanded year on year since its formation in 1988 and now has 135 members. This is expected to rise to 160 by the end of the year.

Children travel in from 42 villages and towns and attend 20 different primary schools and four different secondary schools. The group has a catchment area of 228 square miles.

Julie added: “It never ceases to amaze me how far parents are prepared to travel. We have 96 families in the group and it means children meet others they wouldn’t normally meet and they learn to work together. It’s a super environment and our leaders travel in from all over.”