Learning new skills under lockdown

While face-to-face Scouts is suspended, young people around the country have been looking at ways to keep Scouts going while staying at home to help protect the NHS.

Staying in to help slow the spread of COVID-19 hasn’t stopped three Scouts from Carlisle seeking adventure and new skills – they’ve challenged themselves to camp out in their garden every night in April!

Being limited to their own home hasn’t affected their imagination – as well as transforming their garden into a campsite, they’re also planning indoor camps in the dining room when the weather turns for the worse.

Charlotte (11) said, ‘Being a Scout gives me opportunities to do things that I wouldn’t get the chance to do at home. I’ve also made new friends and had lots of fun times. I like camping as I love the outdoors and nature – even just the sound of the waterfall in our pond in the garden. I’m still keeping in touch with my friends to make sure they’re OK.’

Charlotte’s mum, Christine Ferguson, said, ‘They’re missing so much due to coronavirus, including Cub camp. It’s been a real help to have something practical to focus on, Scouts has really given all three of my children great foundations for the future and it’s fantastic to see them adapting to this new order of things.’

Abigail (13) said, ‘Now I’m a Scout I feel I’ve grown up and I have lots of great experiences with others who I’ve known since being in Beavers or Cubs with them and I’m very close to them. While home, I’m trying to use the time to learn new skills. It passes the time, it’s enjoyable and I find it therapeutic. Camping for 30 days gives me, during this incredibly odd time, a new sort of constant to my ever-changing routine.’

Scouts and volunteers across Cumbria and the UK have been stepping up to explore new ways to keep active and find adventure after all face-to-face meetings were suspended to help halt the spread of the disease.

‘I’ve been really impressed with how our young people have been adapting to major changes’ says Eddie Ward, Cumbria Scouts County Commissioner. ‘Resilience is one of the key skills for life we focus on and it’s never been more important than now. With schools closed, travel restricted and more and more families sadly affected by the Coronavirus pandemic, activities such as this can really help provide a sense of normality.’