Tuesday 19 August 2014

Summer Update

The HQ refit project


1st Welwyn Scout Group HQ
The main building project completed at the beginning of August!

From the picture you can see that the new external insulation and light green concrete/polymer render is complete, you can just about see the new insulated steel roof and the double glazed windows

Also finished but not visible is the rewiring, new toilets, and new internal entrance room/meeting room/stores at the back of the building

Still ahead in the next three weeks is installation of the new disabled ramp by a Netherdown Development's contractor, new kitchen, wall linings and floor coverings, external flower beds and the start of the redecoration of virtually every surface we can lay a brush on!

Tesco are doing a lot of that work, and my former colleagues from EDF Energy have made a start on the painting for us

If any of you will have time to paint after the 28th August, which is after Tesco leave, please let me know, we will want to finish as much as possible before our first meetings of all sections, with those starting on the 9th September!

Over two years since we had to move out due to the water ingress problems

We have exciting news about a further grant for re equipping we have received, which we can give you more details of in our next newsletter, and were over the moon when we were given £10,000 in Welwyn Week by a charity whose trustees are winding it up, and heard about our project.

That money was crucial to our having funds to finish extra work which emerged in the main contract (the building dates from 1967/71) as we opened up the structure. It avoided the treasurer and I having to use our Barclaycards at the end of the job!

The leaders, parents and scouts also pitched in during Welwyn Week, making almost £1,000 towards our funds at Street Market and Fun Day, especially with the Duck Race, our thanks to all who got involved

Section meetings and recruitment


So we are confident that we can restart beavers, cubs and scouts on schedule the week after schools start back, on the 9th September

Julie our beaver leader is recovering well from an operation in July, and extra help by Jo Reeve and other District volunteers mean that those meetings will run as usual, though Julie may have to sit through a number of them

Steve our cub leader and Mike Gray and Tony Worsley will continue the cub meetings which restarted in the village in June, and new cub recruits have contacted us through the summer, but more can be taken, let me know if there are boys or girls who want to join. Our first sixer is a girl.

The Scouts will alternate meetings between Codicote and Welwyn through the rest of this year, Kevin Lingwood our scout leader, would welcome new scouts to join the boys and girls already in his troop, and volunteer parents as helpers


In conclusion

So real progress across a number of fronts, and now we need to push forward to restore the numbers of young people we can help to enjoy fun, challenging programmes that teach them skills they will use and value for the rest of their lives

If you can help as a parent helper or leader at section meetings, or as a committee member please get in touch, we can use your time and ideas to take things to the next stage

The young people we help will join the tens of thousands that have gone through the Group since 1908, and that will now be able to do so till at least 2140, as the WH Council have just agreed to grant us a new 126 year lease!!

All the best

Andy Trotter
Chairman and Group Scout Leader
1st Welwyn Scout Group

Welwyn, October 2014: Opening Celebrations

Opening Celebrations - 4th October.


The HQ will officially be opened at celebrations on Saturday 4th October at the Civic Centre, 11am for an 11 30 start, and afterwards at the HQ, which we will walk around to for 12 30pm for the ribbon cutting! There will be drinks and nibbles and a celebration cake!

We hope the Friends of 1st Welwyn Scout Group will be able to attend at least part of the proceedings. All are welcome ~ supporters, donors, former leaders or young people who went through 1st Welwyn as scouts of guides. 1st Welwyn had one of the few joint scout and guide groups and, in the future, hope that may be recreated. We would also welcome people who are just curious about what has happened to this village institution!

The HQ will be named after Derek Nash, who built 1st Welwyn into one of the strongest and most successful Groups in the District in the 80s and through to the early 2000s.As well as his time in Welwyn, Derek also spent almost 30 years on District, County, USA and UK Scouting posts, helping scouting restart in Russia after the Cold War ended and inspiring many of our Welwyn youngsters. In all, 57 years in uniform in the movement. Derek's family will attend to "cut the ribbon".

We will also rededicate the war memorial to scouts from the Group who died in the 1st and 2nd World Wars, including three brothers from one family in the 1st World War.

'60's Rock Night - 4th October.


As a fundraiser, but also an opportunity for old friends to meet and catch up, we are holding a social event on the evening of the official Opening Celebrations.

The band comes highly recommended and there should be lots of opportunities for dancing (possibly a certain amount of "dad's dancing"!)

Tickets will be £10 including a light buffet and a lice of another celebration cake, and we plan to have a bar service.

Tickets will be available on the night but, to help with the planning, if you could let me know by e mail approximate numbers of tickets you require, I can start a list, and get them to you when I have someone to run the box office (let me know if that could be you!)


Andy Trotter
Chairman and Group Scout Leader
1st Welwyn Scout Group