2024/25 was another wonderful year for the group. With the launch of Tuesday Beavers in the Summer Term of 2024, the group now has eight sections with a combined total of 222 Young People experiencing scouting on a regular basis and learning Skills for Life!
This makes us the second largest group in Esher District.
This is a great achievement and testament to the fantastic programme that the section teams deliver every week for each section.
I would like to read an email that I received earlier this year from Joe Rogerson, Surrey County Lead Volunteer:
“Congratulations to you and to everyone involved in 1st Molesey (Jaguar) for increasing the number of young people that are members by a whopping 16% during the past year.
This is an impressive achievement, and it reflects both the hard work that everyone has done and the quality programme that you have all delivered to achieve this superb increase.
More young people enjoying good quality Scouting is what it’s all about!
Please pass on my warmest congratulations to your team for a job very well done!
Behind the section team members are all the other adult volunteers that help to keep the group running. This includes the Trustee Board, Skills Instructors, Fundraising Team, Beer Festival Team, and of course every parent that gives their time to help. Thank you for your continued support.
I would like to take this opportunity to say a special thank you to Bruce, our outgoing chairman for his support, advice, and help over the past 4 years as we have grown the group.
We are always looking for new volunteers to help with the sections, as well as behind the scenes. Our group is a community that values positivity and teamwork. We support each other and turn challenges into opportunities. If you would like to join us to help in anyway, please do let us know and together, we can continue to achieve great things.
Thank you for your continued support and help.
Liam
Group Lead Volunteer
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Family River Day
The AGM was followed by a return of the Family River Day, a chance for all of our members and their friends and families to join us on the river at Sadlers Ride for kayaking, canoeing and powerboat rides. Thanks to everyone that helped us get over 200 people on the water!
New Minibus
We are absolutely delighted to receive our new minibus and want to record our thanks to the estate of Irene Healy for a wonderfully generous legacy, as well as sponsor Spotleruk for their support in making the project possible.
Irene Healy was a long-time resident of Elmbridge and, together with her husband Fred, throughout their lives actively participated in supporting and fundraising for local events, institutions and charities.
The new minibus will hugely benefit our impact. It has been configured for towing, as well as set-up to allow easy transport of people and equipment to and from events.
Christmas Bag Packing
We raised a fantastic £1210.25 at our Christmas Bag Packing this year. Thank you to everyone that took part, Donna and the team at East Molesey Tesco, and everyone that gave so generously to support our activities.
Squirrels
We started the term with a trip to the Vet Station on Walton Road. The Squirrels loved seeing behind the scenes!
We joined the rest of 1st Molesey in helping to keep our town clean and tidy by litter picking. The Squirrels really enjoyed competing with each other on who could collect the most rubbish!
At Squirrels the children learn lots of new skills including basic cooking and how to stay healthy. We made fruit kebabs and tried lots of different fruit.
We celebrated Diwali and made laterns, whilst also learning from each other about this important occasion.
We also recognised and learnt about bonfire night and the importance of Remembrance at the beginning of November.
Almost all of the Squirrels took part in Molesey’s service of Remembrance and looked super smart!
We were fortunate to be visited by a real scientist who helped us with some experiments.
One of the scouting skills we worked on this term is First Aid. The squirrels learnt how to help someone that is bleeding, as well as what an EpiPen and inhaler are used for.
At the end of the term we celebrated Christmas with some crafts, festive games and lots of fun!
Monday Beavers
We started the term with catapult engineering!
Outdoor Gym
Leaf Art
Our autumn litter pick was very successful, the Beavers really enjoyed keeping the roads around our Hut clean.
For the Disability Awareness badge, we had a lot of fun learning some basic sign-language. Thank you Marie for leading this for us.
Just before Half Term we invested our new Beavers!
We are always so grateful to Darren and the team at Molesey Vets for showing the Beavers round, it is always a highlight of the term.
To celebrate Bonfire Night we built a guy, lit sparklers, and had a bonfire.
The Christmas outing at the end of term was bowling.
And we rounded off the term with a fantastic Christmas party at the Hut!
Tuesday Beavers
We started the term with a high-energy exercise session at the park…
The Beavers really enjoyed a leaf art session in the woods.
We also took part in a litter pick.
This term we worked on the disability awareness badge and in November celebrated Guy Fawkes night with a campfire and sparklers.
We also learnt about the Solar System and made planets!
Our end of term outing was a trip to the Rock Up climbing centre.
We ended the tem with a Christmas Party.
Monday Cubs
Another great term of new skills.
We started with smoothie making in our new sixes, great teamwork.
The Cubs enjoyed a litter pick of the local area.
We had lots of fun making and competing with conkers, as well as some teamwork and problem-solving challenges.
The Cubs also made paracord keyrings.
The Monday cubs loooked very smart at the Remembrance Service!
We learnt how to make and cook burgers from scratch!
Just before Half Term we invested 5 brilliant new Cubs.
One of the highlights this term has been completing the Scientist badge. We have explored acids and alkalis, and done some chemical flame tests!
Towards the end of term we embarked on a river walk, with a local knoweledge quiz. It was a chilly evening but lots of fun.
We finished the term with a digital maker/coding night!
Thursday Cubs
We started the term with a brilliant family river day and lots more boating!
Some of the Cubs joined the Scouts helping at Hampton Court Half Marathon water station.
The cubs did a great job clearing litter from the Hurst Pool recreation ground. We were very surprised with how much rubbish there was, and what we found!
We loved competing with conkers!
We have also practiced lots of other useful skills this term.
Just before half term we invested our new Thursday Cubs.
For Remembrance Day, we made and planted poppies at the Molesey War Memorial.
We of course looked very smart when taking part in the parade too!
We also completed some exciting science experiments!
Other activities this term have included fire safety, disability awareness and cooking, both in the hall and on fires! We particularly enjoyed taking part in the district sausage sizzle competition.
For the last evening of the term, our sixers did a brilliant job leading activities and games as part of their Silver Award.
Lots of the Thursday Cubs helped with the fundraisng bag packing!
Tuesday Scouts
In September we enjoyed the family river day, and our Scouts were able to do some autumn term paddling before the weather turned!
The Tuesday Scouts did a great job litter picking the local area at the start of the term.
Problem solving and paper aeroplanes!
The Royal Navy joined us for some teamwork challenges.
We also practiced first aid skills.
Bonfire Night
The Scouts really enjoyed a wellbeing evening, where we practices mindfulness techniques.
During October Half Term we joined the Wednesday Scouts at Gilwell Park for a Scarefest Halloween Camp. There was an amazing firework/laser display amongst other activities.
In November we celebrated World Toilet Day by learning about filtration and engineering some devices.
We finihsed the term with festive baking and of course our annual trip to the ice rink at Hampton Court Palace!
Wednesday Scouts
Some of our oldest Scouts have moved on to Explorers this term, and we presented several very well deserved Gold Awards at the end of the Summer.
We started the term with some discussion around Scout values, and then a fun evening of smoothie and milkshake making.
Some Scouting skills evenings followed, we focused on firelighting, knots & paracord, as well as emergency aid skills this term.
We spent an evening away from the hut helping to keep Molesey’s streets clear of litter.
Evenings at Polyapes and Esher Common helped our Scouts get ready for the district night hike competition, one of our favourites.
Our cooking night this term was a burger bake-off, lots of creativity on show, as well as great patrol teamwork!
We visited Polyapes for wide games and bonfire night.
We had an incredible weekend at Gilwell Park for Scarefest.
During November we were hosts of the District Cooking Competition and it was lovely to welcome 6 other Scout Groups to our Hut.
Well done to everyone that took part, and to the winners, 3rd Molesey. Very impressive teamwork and skills on show.
In December we hydro-dipped sunglasses with mixed results! A cool new painting technique that covered part of our skills challenge.
To finish the term we enjoyed Christmas games and our tradition of gingerbread house building (and eating).
Fundraising
Highlights this term have includeded the Richmond RunFest water station, Molesey Beer Festival, Paint and Sip Night, and our Christmas Bag Packing at East Molesey Tesco Metro.
If you have any ideas for future fundraising, please contact Jo Jethwa.
Jo’s email address is jo.jethwa@1stmoleseyscouts.org.uk