Plea for volunteers to help save Wick Scout Group from closure

Scouting is in danger of coming to an end in the Wick area after 116 years unless more helpers are willing to get involved.

While the 1st Wick Scout Group still has a good number of youngsters across its various sections, it is facing the prospect of closure because of a shortage of volunteers and trustees.

The history of the group can be traced back as far as 1909 and it continues to reflect the national organisation’s mission of supporting young people in their personal development and empowering them to make a positive contribution to society.

Trips away include Scout camps and breaks at outdoor activities centres, while local projects have ranged from picking up litter and clearing paths to planting wildflowers in a community garden.

Beaver leader Christine Waples explained that adults as well as young people aged 14 and over would be welcome.

“The more people we have, the easier the work is spread,” she said.

“Anyone from the age of 14 up to 18 can be a young leader in whichever section suits them.

“Just before Christmas we lost two leaders, which really shook us because that was two sections without a leader.”

The sections meet regularly at the Scout hall in Kirkhill in Wick.

Mrs Waples said: “At the moment we have 25 Beavers spread over two nights, there are 15 Cubs and about 10 Scouts, so we’ve got a good number for the size of the town. We are quite visible in the community.

“Beavers are aged six to eight or eight-and-a-half, then they move to Cubs until they’re 10 to 10-and-a-half, and then they move up to Scouts until they’re 14.”

The focus in Scouting is on helping young people to realise their full potential and providing them with the skills they need to succeed in life.

There are a number of badges and awards that Scouts can gain to recognise their achievements.

“We try to give them lots of life skills, from cooking to fixing cars,” Mrs Waples explained.

“There’s lots of different things as well as basic Scouting which is reading maps and learning to use a compass, things like that.

“We offer fun, challenge and life-changing adventure to young people. Without volunteers we can’t continue to give these opportunities.”

Anyone able to help is asked to email enquiries@1stwickscouts.org

Mrs Waples pointed out that volunteering with 1st Wick Scout Group can be both enjoyable and rewarding.

“I’ve been doing it on and off for about 20 years now and I enjoy it,” she said. “It’s something I will always do, as long as I can.

“It’s nice to give back. When you see them learning, it is an achievement within yourself.

“There isn’t that much training but there are certain things we've got to do, like safety checks. Some things can take a little bit of time to get going but once they're up and running it should be fine.”

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