An “Egg-stra” Special Easter

March 27, 2021April 21, 2021 / haineyf / Leave a comment

BEAVERS, Cubs and Scouts from the 18th Ayrshire Scout Group (St Columba), 14th Ayrshire Scout Group (Prestwick) and Morrison’s Ayr, shelled out for chocolate treats, to give Easter Bunny Beaver Scout Dayn, from Prestwick, a hand to make this year’s Easter appeal a cracking success.

Young people who will benefit from Dayn’s Easter kindness, are the patients at the Royal Hospital for Children, and the Yorkhill Charity. After a heart felt appeal from Dayn, who has complex heart defects and attends the Royal Hospital for Children regularly for check ups and very soon an open heart operation to repair Truncus arteriosus with aortic arch interruption. (a full repair to all 4 areas).

Dayn said ‘Lets surprise all the sick kids in hospital for Easter.’

All the young people in the Scout Groups asked family and friends to contribute whatever they could for Dayn. Morrison’s Ayr and their customers were also very generous donating a full trolley load of Easter Treats for Dayns Easter Appeal.

Jane Clark Community Champion for Morrison’s Ayr said ‘We can only imagine how hard it must be to celebrate Easter in hospital and when I heard about Dayn’s journey and his selfless Easter Appeal I knew it would be something Morrison’s Ayr and our charitable customers would love to get involved with.’

Fiona Hainey Beaver Leader for the 14th Ayrshire Scouts Group said ‘Dayn is a gift to those he’s around. His positive attitude and charitable nature is humbling. Dayn has tirelessly collected seasonal treats for the children in the hospitals of Ayrshire and Glasgow for years now and the Scout Groups from the Kyle and Carrick District are delighted to be part of his Easter and Christmas appeals every year. Dayn you are awesome!’

Dayn will deliver over 350 Easter treats to the sick children and their parents over the Easter period, hopefully bringing a smile to their faces.

A massive thank you to everyone that gave so generously to Dayns’ Easter Appeal.

If you want to get involved or join the Scouts Association in Ayrshire we have groups across the Kyle and Carrick district. Find more information on http://www.kcscouts.scot

#AnEggstraSpecialEaster #easterkindness #skillsforlife #kyleandcarrickdistrictscouts #Royalhospitalforchildren #Yorkhillcharity #Daynsappeal #charity #kindess #eastereggs #generous #treats #support #heart #prestwick #covid #carryonscouting #Morrisonsayr #Morrisons

Get Your Game On….

March 23, 2021 / haineyf / Leave a comment

The Kyle and Carrick District Scouts are so excited to let everyone know that the 100th Ayrshire Cubs Scouts Group (Alloway) had their first evening of face to face, fun and games in Rozelle on Friday. This was their first in person meeting together since lockdown started!

The Cubs have been keeping really busy during lockdown, doing various zoom activities. But Friday night was the first chance for the Beavers that have been due to move up to Cubs to actually make the move! Its great to be back to what Scouts do best, having fun, having adventures and making new friends.

The 100th Alloway Cubs are split in two groups for their outdoor meetings with the second half due to meet next Monday, in line with COVID-19 regulations set out by the Scouts Association.

If you want to get involved or join the Scouts Association in Ayrshire we have groups across the Kyle and Carrick district. Find more information on http://www.kcscouts.scot

#skillsforlife

#kyleandcarrickscouts

#adventures

#funandgames

I Love to go a Wandering…

March 22, 2021March 23, 2021 / haineyf / Leave a comment

Hello, my name is Harry Bevan and I am 6 years old. I have been in the 14th Ayrshire Beaver Scouts (Prestwick) since last August and I have enjoyed it because I have been able to do lots of activities. When Fiona (my Beaver leader) told us about the Hikes Away activity badge I was excited because I like hiking. I like to walk because I love climbing trees and when I have been hiking, I have come across a lot of big trees to climb

I really like climbing trees at Culzean and down by the River Ayr.

Hiking is good fun because I also get to collect sticks and if I find really big ones, my dad and I have ninja fights! Through Lockdown, my Mum, Dad and I went on a lot of hikes and I really liked spending time with them. My favourite was the last hike we did from Dundonald Castle through the woods and to Collennan Reservoir. I thought walking through the woods was exciting because there were lots of rocks to climb and when we got to the reservoir I spent ages rolling down the big hill.

I can’t wait to take some of my friends there when we are allowed to go out in groups again.

There isn’t anything I don’t like about hiking if the weather is good. If there are snacks in the bag, I am good to go! I don’t like hiking in the pouring rain because I get absolutely soaked. I remember one walk we did last Lockdown around the Fairy Knowe Trail at Barr. It wasn’t a long walk but felt like it.

We tried to eat lunch under the trees but our food got soggy!

I liked the stepping stones at the end though and want to go back when it’s dry.

Everybody should hike because they will get exercise and exercise is important to be healthy. They should also hike because they will have fun, they will see lots of different places and different types of nature. I have seen a lot of different plants including an orange mushroom at Rozelle (Mum says it’s an Orange Peel Fungus).

I am very proud getting my Hikes Away badge for 10 walks and even more proud because Fiona said no-one in the group has ever given out a stage 10 badge before. I am happy that something I like earned me a badge.

A massive well done to Harry for being the first Member of the 14th Ayrshire Scout Group (Prestwick ) to reach stage 10 Hikes Away Activity Badge. To earn each stage a Beaver Scout’s hike, must involve at least two hours of activity and a purpose. These walks can be anything from: exploring a country park or nature reserve on foot or going on a family ramble. All I ask is that the Beavers take some photos and tell me where they went and what wildlife they saw. I’ve loved seeing all of Harry’s walking adventures, he’s walked for more than 20 hours in all weathers to get to stage 10. He’s been a true inspiration to his fellow Beavers during Lockdown and I can’t wait to see where his adventures will take him next. (Fiona Hainey Beaver Scout Leader 14th Ayrshire Scout Group).

If you want to get involved or join the Scouts Association in Ayrshire we have groups across the Kyle and Carrick district. Find more information on http://www.kcscouts.scot

#skillsforlife

#kyleandcarrickscouts

#hikes

#adventures

Kon’nichiwa

March 20, 2021March 22, 2021 / haineyf / Leave a comment

LEARNING about different cultures is always a good thing, and the Scouts Association brings so many opportunities for exploring other countries and customs with young people. Just because we are in the middle of a pandemic and we can not do face to face activities, doesn’t mean that we can not have virtual adventures.

The 14th Ayrshire Beavers and Cubs Scouts (Prestwick) have been busy learning about all things Japanese. The Beavers and Cubs did a real mix of activities for their International activity badge and linked up with Callum Farquhar a Scout Leader for the East of Scotland. His Fife Scout Group have a wonderful 30 year partnership with a Scout Troop in Japan.

The young people learnt about a great mix of Japanese culture, the food they eat, cutting edge technology and different places and islands in Japan.

Both sections of the Scout Group worked through their International Activity badge which included learning about flags from other countries, trying food from Japan and other parts of the world, learning to say hello in many different languages and wow they knew a lot! They learned how to make a few origami animals and played some wonderful international inspired games over zoom. The Cubs even built and drew things that they thought represented Japan!

Cub Sandy even built a bonsai cherry blossom tree in Lego!

Callum Farquhar added ‘I absolutely loved sharing some information about Japan tonight with the Beavers and Cubs. They asked some really interesting questions and were fascinated by the 300 different flavours of KitKat and 60 different Fanta flavours. Hello Kitty Bullet Train, Pokemon planes, and the upside down train all took their interest and they saw the Japanese Beaver and Cub uniforms and learnt a little about the Tsunami that devastated the coastline 10 years ago’

Cub Harris said ‘I want to go to Japan for the kitkats, Fanta and the square watermelons!

Fiona Hainey Beaver Scout Leader for the 14th Ayrshire Scout Group said ‘ we are so very thankful for Callum taking time out to educate us about Japan. Our young people learnt so much during this badge and to have someone who has built such an amazing partnership with a Scout Troop in Japan could not have been better. The young people all now want to go to Japan and so do their parents!

If you want to get involved or join the Scouts Association in Ayrshire we have groups across the Kyle and Carrick district. Find more information on http://www.kcscouts.scot

Can You Help Us

March 11, 2021March 22, 2021 / haineyf / Leave a comment

FROM the back gardens to the backcountry, Kyle and Carrick District Scouts has a long history of getting many generations of young people into the outdoors.

Scouting provides life-changing experiences. But lack of funds could keep Scouts from making the most of their program. Kyle and Carrick District Scouts’s ranges from Troon to Tarbolton to Ballantrae and has 13 Scout groups at the moment.

With rising storage costs for the Scout districts activity equipment. They are urgently appealing for help in finding a new storage location. If you think that you can assist this community group then please get in touch. Please email dc@kcscouts.scot

Artists in Training

March 6, 2021March 18, 2021 / haineyf / Leave a comment

The 14th Ayrshire Scout Group (Prestwick) were lucky enough to have a master art class by talented Mouth Artist Rob Trent over zoom on the 5th March.

Rob was born with arthtogryposis, which meant his arms and legs didn’t work as they should, but that didn’t stop him from pursuing his passion.

Before he was old enough to go to school a teacher came to his house and taught him how to hold a pen and a paintbrush in his mouth to write and paint.

At school he always enjoyed painting, but his passion was computers and he specialised in this field, going on to work at Ordnance Survey for many years. But when a Christmas card that featured a painting by a member of the Mouth and Foot Painting Artists (MFPA) came through his door around 20 years ago, he began to think about taking up painting again. And we are so happy he did!

Rob so kindly gave up his time to educate the Beavers, Cubs, Scout leaders and other family members about the MFPA. You could have heard a pin drop when the young people were listening to Rob and watching his video clips about his paintings and disability.

Rob guided the young people through painting techniques and he told us to be bold with colour. Then we were all let lose to create our own mouth painting masterpiece. Rob had made it look so easy!

The Beavers and Cubs had a ball trying something completely out of their comfort zone and they did exceptionally well. They asked fantastic questions, that Rob answered which lead further conversations. The young Scouts showed Rob their work and he discussed it with them giving them pointers and advice.

Beaver Harris said ‘That was great! My whole family loved it, and it was so difficult to do!’

Avril, Mum of Cub Sandy said ‘That was an amazing scouting zoom session,. We’re in awe of Rob’s skill and talent! What a tricky thing to do! We all had a go tonight – it gave us an understanding of the skill of mouth painting. A completely different feel of the brush than we’re used to. ‘

Fiona Hainey, Beaver Scout Leader for 14th Ayrshire Scout Group said, “This has been a challenging time for the Scouts association not being able to do face to face meetings, we feel really fortunate that Rob was willing to give up his time and teach our young people new skills with such a natural flair. The 14th Ayrshire Beavers and Cubs really enjoyed learning about Robs talents. We all loved every minute of the masterclass. Thank you again Rob and the MFPA for all the great work you do.

https://www.mfpa.uk/the-artists/robert-trent/

Mouth Painting Artist @ mfpa.uk

My Mission To Get My Chief Scout Silver Award

March 5, 2021March 6, 2021 / haineyf / Leave a comment

HI my name is Kaleb Strong and I am 9 years old and I am in the 14th Ayrshire Cub Scout group in Prestwick. In Lockdown I have been working towards my Chief Scout Silver Awardas I wanted to give myself a challenge. To get the badge I had to complete 7 challenge badges. For each of the challenge badges I had to do lots of different requirements some took longer than others and I just did a bit every day after home schooling. The tasks were challenging but at the same time they were lots of fun and gave me a break from boring school work!

My most challenging challenge award of them all was most definitely the Team Leadership badge. The part of the badge I was most nervous about was hosting the Cub meeting last Friday. It took me three days to get all the games ready but I really wanted to do it as I knew this was my last challenge badge. I emailed Fiona (the Beavers leader) a couple of times to check it sounded good which it did so that helped lots. I was really really nervous but I managed to do it and it looked like everyone had lots of funplaying all my games and all my friends listened really well which stopped me being so nervous. My Cub leaders Craig and Pete told me at the end I did really well so that made me feel really happy.

The best part about doing the badges in Lockdown is once you complete a badge you get a surprise letter through your door addressed to you. In the letter there is the badge that you earned and a certificate with a message on the back signed by Fiona which is really nice and she always tells you how proud she is of you which makes you want to keep going for it.

I am so excited to have got my Chief Scout Silver Award which is the highest award that you can get in Cubs. Fiona and Craig came round to my front door on Saturday to present it to me, I could hardly wait. My Mum, Dad and little brothers Izaak and Jarod are so proud of me and said we are going to have a treat dinner on to celebrate my achievement.

Over recent weeks and months, Kaleb has done tremendously well working on his badges during a difficult time for all. From earning his Stage 1 Musician badge through to his Artistic Activity badge and his Thistle badge, he has always shown great determination. He is one of very few in the Scouting movement to earn all three stages of the Great Indoors Badge and he has already made great headway with his Hikes Away badges, getting to Stage 5 in a short time. Perhaps most awe-inspiring is his effort to gain his Challenge Awards, with many of the Skills, My World and My Personal Challenge badges earned since the New Year, alongside his Outdoor and Adventure Challenge badges. Completing his Leadership Challenge badge through leading the Cubs’ Zoom session recently was most pleasing to see, and in gaining his Chief Scout’s Silver Award Kaleb and his family can be rightly proud of all he has achieved…the 14th Ayrshire Leaders certainly are! 🌟 Cub leaders Craig, Pete and Daniela said.

These Boots were made for Walking….

March 1, 2021 / haineyf / Leave a comment

Beavers and Cubs of 18th Ayrshire have been making the most of lockdown by exploring the local area and reminding themselves of what an amazing place South Ayrshire is to live!

The young people and their families have been rambling along the coast, exploring caves, completing trails around Alloway taking in many of the sites associated with Burns, discovering fairy houses along the River Ayr, tree climbing at Auchincruive, braving the ice and snow at Barr and relishing the achievement of finally reaching the Straiton Monument after a steep climb to the top.

Many of the walks undertaken are from the ‘Walk of the Month’ initiative, which 18th Ayrshire Beavers introduced in September 2020. The aim was to try and support parents by providing, detailed walk instructions includinginformation on parking, terrain, duration etc, for walks in their local area

Beaver Leader Fiona Wilson stated “When we introduced ‘Walk of the Month’ we had no idea how popular it would be. We were delighted when so many of our families took up the challenge.”

The walks not only keep the young people fit but also the Leaders as each route is walked in advance in order to risk assess it and write up the instructions.

We recently asked Beaver Tom about his favourite walk, he replied “I like the Straiton Monument walk because I get to pick up sticks to build a den, and to walk up the hill. I like walking up the hill because I like the monument and seeing the view.”

Since September 2020 over 45 Hikes have been completed as well as a number of Cub rambles counting towards their Adventure Challenge Award. It is great to see so many of our young people out and about, getting fresh air and exercise and most importantly having fun, just look at those smiles!