Members Resources

Other Training Opportunities

Applying for Awards

The Scout Association has had a scheme providing formal recognition of good adult service for many years. It also recognises special acts of bravery, quick thinking in the face of danger, courage and endurance for all young people and adults involved in the movement.

The guidelines at the link below have been written by the awards board with a view to helping commissioners understand the scheme and make it more effective. There is also some good advice about a number of other areas where thanks are appropriate, such as awarding thanks badges and making presentations generally.

Guidelines on applying for awards

County Award

The Gloucestershire County Award acknowledges ‘outstanding’ contributions to Scouting in Gloucestershire - usually by non-uniformed persons at group and district level. The awards are normally presented to those who deserve recognition of their contributions but who, for whatever reason, do not fall within the criteria for an award. The awards will normally be presented annually at the Gloucestershire county AGM.

Gloucestershire County Award - information sheet

County Funding

If you are considering to ask the Gloucestershire County Executive Committee for support towards a programme or activity that will enhance the development of the young people involved, then please read this briefing as it will give you guidance on what you can and cannot ask for and whether your bid will be successful. If you require financial support, it is essential that you apply at least 12 months in advance of the event. This will enable the Executive Committee to set aside the necessary budget.

What you are going to do?
The County Executive Committee is keen to support events that will enable young people to achieve a specific goal especially where the opportunity is unlikely without this support. Expeditions such as Explorer Belt and international ventures are two examples where the Executive Committee would be interested in supporting. The County Executive Committee will not fund the entire event as they expect the participants to finance most of the costs through organised fundraising, personal contributions or a combination of both.

What can I ask for?
There are three areas that you can ask for funding:

• To buy equipment that can join the Gloucestershire County stores after the event
• Funding to supplement the costs that supporting adults attending the event may incur
• Equipment that will be used to support Scouting in deprived communities (UK or abroad)

The County Executive Committee will not fund full costs, consumables or such expenses as insurance.

How do I put together a bid?
To prepare your bid, please refer to the County policy for supporting activities and camps

Provide a summary of the event with as much detail as possible. This needs to include the aims of the event, who will benefit from it and how, why you are doing it, how it will promote Scouting (including Gloucestershire Scouting) and what activities you will be doing afterwards that will benefit others in the community.

You need to produce a comprehensive budget forecast outlining all the costs and income you expect. Include estimated successes in fundraising and where the money from the county bid (if successful) will fit.

You will also need to show a projection on how many young people will be attending and the number of supporting adults. You must clearly show that you have taken on board the requirements and recommendations of The Scout Association on running such an event by referring to Policy, Organisation and Rules (POR) and guidance fact sheets (all available from Gilwell Park)

What happens next?
Once you have prepared the required information, meet with the Deputy County Commissioner activities to discuss the event. If the Deputy County Commissioner activities feels that the event has a chance of gaining some or all of the funding then it will be taken to the next County Executive Committee meeting for consideration. However, there is no guarantee that funding will be given. Success is based on a number of factors including:

• Does it meet the three areas outlined earlier?
• Number of bids received
• Amount of available funds

If your bid is unsuccessful, then the county will offer support on identifying other funding options that might be available to you. Good Luck!

Support Funding

Support fund grants are available to individuals who require financial assistance to enable them to participate fully in Scouting activities. The support fund application form should be completed and signed by the District Commissioner before being returned to the County office, Cranham Scout Centre, Cranham, GL4 8HP.

Support fund application form

Trusts and Grants

Please note that all grant applications should be sent to the County Commissioner and District Commissioner (where relevant) for approval before being submitted.

List of trusts and grants

Tips

Inclusion is good practice – you would do all you could to help one of your group who had broken their leg join in with your activities despite their temporary disability, making necessary adjustments. Including a child with a permanent disability should be of the same importance.

Focus on the individual not the disability

Don’t wrap them in cotton wool they have a disability they are not ill

Don’t make assumptions – talk to the child and their family. This may relate to:

• deciding they cannot access your premises when in reality they may have to cope with similar situations all the time in their home or community
• to communication, assuming because they cannot speak clearly they do not understand
• thinking that because they cannot join in some of your activities they will not enjoy being part of all you do

NB – to help with avoiding assumptions see the questionnaires and supporting material

Don’t assume they will need someone to help them all the time to enable them to join you – whilst some children made need one to one support initially or for specific activities you need to be wary of a personal supporter becoming a barrier to their involvement and isolate them from their peers. Try to encourage such support to be part of the wider team bringing their gifts and skills to the wider context and sharing the individual support among the team and where appropriate among the other members of the section.

Use a variety of media to communicate - can you run a favourite game using pictures or simple sounds rather than words – use pictures to indicate parts of your building, what’s stored in a cupboard or box – create a picture chart of different activities to enable children with limited speech to choose which they would like to do or to explain what is going to happen next.

Regularly monitor how it is going with your team and with the family and the individual – see the suggested form below.

Specially designed forms to assist you in including a disabled child or young person

Using the More About Me form  

More About Me form with prompts  

More About Me form – blank to be completed in with parent/carer not to be sent home for completion – this is part of the good practice of inclusion.

Communication Passport template 

Monitoring Inclusive Practice template 

Useful links, contacts and literature

Active Impact – advice, training, wants and offers ( equipment and resources); opportunities for community action and involvement – Gloucestershire based

A+bility – outdoor activities/courses, equipment – Gloucestershire based

Allsorts – advice, opportunities for community action and involvement – Gloucestershire based

The Buskers Guide to Inclusion by Philip Douch ( of Active Impact) Publ. by Common Threads Ltd

Top Tips on Welcoming special children by Denise Abrahall publ. by Scripture Union

CROFT FARM - TEWKESBURY

Croft Farm is located near Tewksbury and has its own 12 acre lake with direct access to the River Avon. The lake is the central feature of the site and the base for a wide range of watersports activities on offer. The river provides the opportunities for the more experienced and advanced. The site also has an abundance of green space for land based activities.

If you are looking to provide a residential experience there is an accommodation area within Croft Farm offering purpose build heated Scandinavian-style log cabins (designed with children in mind) which can accommodate up to 4 guests in bunk style beds, or 2 beds for the party leaders.  Ample shower and toilet facilities are located close by. and are specifically designed with children in mind.

JCA has operated water and land based activities at Croft Farm since 2005. Croft Farm is a RYA training centre and all of the staff hold the appropriate watersports qualifications or where there is no governing body are trained in house.

One of the most exciting activities is Raft Building Extreme on the lake where groups build their own Raft and race across to beat the other team to the other side. The centre also has an adult retreat, sports field, and eatery as well as a small shop and launderette with drying facilities.

Web site: www.jca-adventure.co.uk

OUTDOOR EDUCATION CENTRE - SOUTH CERNEY

South Cerney Outdoor Education Centre has many activities to choose from with different learning potential and outcomes for each.

Sailing, dragon boating, rafting, kayaking, windsurfing, tunnelling, problem solving, canoeing, environmental study work, low ropes course, orienteering and snorkelling. For youth and school groups they also have a 33 bed residential provision in log cabins plus a camping field.

Based in the Cotswold Water Park between Cirencester and Swindon SCOEC has excellent facilities and resources by a 47-acre lake of crystal clear water and the River Churn. The area is a Site of Special Scientific Interest and one of significant beauty. The centre is both RYA and BCU approved and also offers courses for instructor training and assessment.

Gloucestershire County Council created South Cerney Outdoor Education Centre in 1971 as a non-profit organisation to promote outdoor learning and provide low cost outdoor activities for young people.

Web site: www.southcerneyoutdoor.co.uk