Welcome to 1st Bowerhill Scout Group

1st Bowerhill Scouts was founded in 1983 and uses Bowerhill Village Hall as our primary meeting space.

We offer a warm welcome to new Scouts from Bowerhill, Melksham East and surrounding areas.

We invite all interested young people to join us for three taster sessions, free of charge, to determine if Scouts is for you. After that you can be “invested” by taking the Scout Oath and become a full Scout.

Our Meeting Place

When meeting indoors we use Bowerhill Village hall. This is a well equipped and up to date facility which includes a kitchen and our own dedicated store room so we have all the kit and games on hand to deliver a great programme to each of our groups. There is also plenty of parking for pick up and drop off and is a familiar location for all those who attend Bowerhill Primary School.

Our Bus

We are lucky enough as a group to operate our own 17 seat mini-bus. This gives all our sections the opportunity to explore a much wider area and have adventures both locally and nationally whilst keeping costs down and minimising additional travel requirements from parents and carers.

Subscriptions

We charge a monthly subscription fee, payable on the first of the month, payable year round (not just term time) to spread the cost. Subscriptions cover Scout administration at national and county level as well as providing the Group vital funds to ensure that we have well trained leaders with good facilities and great opportunities for our members. Approximately 1/3 of the annual subscriptions are paid to the national body to cover insurance payments.

There are no subs paid until the young person is invested. There is a £15 set-up fee at investment, which includes the group necker/scarf and all initial and future uniform badges. There are no further costs for badges or awards earned after investment.

All UK tax-payers are encouraged to complete a Gift Aid form. This doesn’t cost you anything but allows us to claim a significant tax rebate from HMRC on any payments you make to us.

Additional fees associated with special activities or camp fees are also charged but the Group endeavours to keep costs as low as possible.

As a Group we want to offer Scouting to all, if parents or careers find themselves in financial difficulty the Group will work to fund support for young peoples’ attendance, camp fees or uniform support. If we are unable to help we can offer support to families to secure funding from other sources for those who are eligible.

Uniform

Scouting is a uniformed organisation and as a minimum consists of a jumper for Beavers and Cubs and a Shirt for Scouts, Explorers and Leaders. Cubs and Beavers normally choose to have a polo shirt as well. We do not supply this uniform and it can no longer be purchased locally. We can coordinate group orders to save on postage so please get in touch before ordering any uniform. We supply the group neckers/scarves, woggles and badges. Replacements are available at cost.

Volunteers

All our leaders and staff are volunteers, giving their time and expertise for free. All are DBS checked by the Scouting Association as well as required to undertake training to defined levels for each role.

We welcome all parties interested in volunteering with us in whatever capacity they feel able. The time you donate is up to you and no experiences is needed though we are always interested in anyone who has a skill to contribute and share.

Leadership opportunities: We are always ready to welcome new leaders. Scouting is run by motivated adults keen to share their time and knowledge to help young people grow their skills and confidence in the world. If you are over 18 and would like to experience new things and learn new skills we have a range of opportunities for you. Scouts is about skills for life and that is not just about camping and wilderness survival but everything from mental health to car mechanics to digital and IT skills.

Young Leaders: We are proud to include Young leaders in each of our younger sections. Scouting includes a young leaders programme for older Scouts to help with the younger sections but also welcome Duke of Edinburgh (DofE) volunteers.

Board of Trustees (Group Executive)

The Board of Trustees is an important function exists to oversee and support the Group in the effective delivery of scouting through the provision of sufficient funds and resources. The board also has important governance responsibilities – membership is drawn from parents, leaders and the local community. Roles include Chair, secretary, treasurer as well as parent representatives. We welcome trustees from all walks of life and experience. Being a trustee only requires attendance at one meeting per term and the AGM so is an easy way for parents and other parties to get involved and support our movement.

So, what do Scouts do?

Scouts are do-ers and give-it-a-go-ers. Yes, we go camping, hiking, swimming, abseiling, cycling and canoeing.

But, we also get to hang out with our friends every week – having fun, playing games, working in a team and taking on new challenges.

Every week we give almost half a million 4-25 year olds the skills they need for school, college, university, the job interview, the important speech, the tricky challenge and the big dreams: the skills they need for life.

Everyone’s welcome here. All genders, races and backgrounds. Regardless of your young person’s physical ability – there’s a Scout adventure out there waiting for them. And we’ll help them find it.