We’re absolutely chuffed to announce our new programme for 4 and 5 year olds, #SquirrelScouts. 200+ Squirrel Dreys will open this month across the UK, with plans to open this brand new section to the Isle of Man. Find out: scouts.org.uk/squirrels#SkillsForLife.
Milly & Leo paid a visit to Buggane Beavers, along with their handlers Keith & Simon, to show us what their jobs are at the prison.
Very well behaved dogs (much better than the Beavers!)
A big thank you to Keith & Simon for giving up their time.
With a record number of points, Buggane returned the Shield to 1st Douglas after 11 years!
A big thank you to the Beavers who ran as if their lives depended on it!
After a fantastic visit to the farm 1st Douglas’s Buggane Beaver Colony presented Chris with a cheque for £140, raised by Good Deed Hands and a sponsored walk.
A big thank you to the staff of the farm for introducing us to the animals and taking us a walk to the Hobbit House. A great night had by all!
We’re excited to announce our brand new Money Skills Activity Badge for Beavers and Cubs – our first new badge in more than three years.
The Money Skills Activity Badge, supported by HSBC UK, will help build young people’s confidence and understanding of money through creative, fun and hands-on activities.
Financial habits are formed by the age of 7, so HSBC UK wanted to support this badge to help young people develop positive habits at an age when it matters most.
There are four requirements for Beavers and five for Cubs, all designed to give young people the chance to reflect on what they already know about money, use the decision-making skills they already have, and apply their skills to financial situations.
We’ve created at least two new activities for each requirement, which have been designed with volunteers, and tested and enjoyed by real Beavers and Cubs all across England and Wales.
Take a look at the full programme or try one of the activities below. We’ll release more activities over the next couple of years.
Work together to create a map of different currencies around the world.
Create a safe place for you to collect your favourite things.
We hope you’ll agree that this new programme is a great opportunity for us to help young people prepare to deal with money, both at Scouts and in their personal lives.
As always, you can let us know what you think of activities through the purple feedback button on the scouts.co.uk website.
With the warmer days and longer evenings now upon us, many people are spending more time outdoors. Throughout all the lockdown periods over the last 12 months, many people of all ages have taken a greater interest in the birds and other wildlife in their gardens and on their doorsteps.
Twitter, Instagram and Facebook accounts, along with a host of other social media are filled with images of birds. Whether these are in back gardens and yards, or sitting on feeders and posing on fences, there are hundreds of beautiful images.
Now is the time for secondary students to showcase what they can do, by entering this new competition. Manx BirdLife and the Manx Ornithological Society are encouraging you to ‘get out there and find’ wild birds to photograph, paint or draw if this is what you enjoy and indulge our judges in a feast for the eyes.
This art and photography competition aims to inspire young people to think more about the wild birds they have seen around their homes or on their walks, cycle, horse rides and other adventures around the Island – and to pick up their favourite art medium, phone or camera and to get creative, capturing their personal favourites.
Entries may be submitted by post or email by the closing date of Sunday 4th July 2021. Full details of the competition are available at http://manxbirdlife.im/education-programme/our-islands-birds-2021-art-and-photography-competition/, where you can print out the Artboard and Entry Form.
Entries should be posted to Manx BirdLife and MOS Favourite Bird Competition, 35 New Road, LAXEY, Isle of Man IM4 7BG. Please be sure to include the entrant’s full name, school and form tutor’s name as well year group on the back of your entry or in your email.
There are three great prizes on offer. 1st Prize is an overnight trip to Calf of Man on 10th August this year; 2nd Prize is a day out with Manx BirdLife’s Reserve Manager for its new Point of Ayre National Reserve; and 3rd Prize is a pair of binoculars and a bird identification book. Find out the full details at http://manxbirdlife.im/education-programme/our-islands-birds-2021-art-and-photography-competition/ and let your creative juices flow!
The waters in the Isle of Man have been re-classified for class C and B1. The full breakdown can be downloaded below. If you plan on running water activities here on the island please check it out.
A great place to try our new grass sledges out.
Some island Scout groups have begun to meet face to face again after social distancing restrictions ended recently on the island.
Many Scout groups have completed risk assessments in order to start meeting again, after the island gained a special exemption from The Scout Association headquarters in the UK to start scouting before any other county.
On Monday 2nd Onchan’s Manannan Cub Pack met, believed to be the first Scout meeting held in the British Isles since the UK went in to lockdown in March.
Tuesday this week also saw the first Beaver meeting for the 1st Douglas and 2nd Onchan Scout Groups, with Buggane Beavers completing a hike up Douglas head.
This week will also see the first meetings for many other groups across the island as more leaders finalise efforts to return to Scouting.
Check out our new grass sledges, which are available to borrow. Rhys, from 1st Marown Cubs, tries out the new Scouts Isle of Man Grass Sledges.
