Wow! What a spring term we’ve had at Mafeking! Developing skills for life, finding out how we can help our community, making new friends and having fun, and taking part in outdoor adventures.
We’ve developed new skills, especially in life-saving, with 12 Emergency Aid activity badges being handed out. The Explorers needed to complete a full-day hands-on session that covered the recognition and treatment of an expansive range of injuries and illnesses. The unit has invested in some first-class training aids that help ensure that the training exercises that we do are both realistic and engaging. The wound packing simulator and the choking vest were especially popular!
We’ve also taken the time to appreciate what we have in our own lives and the needs of our wider society. I was really pleased to be able to hand out the Global Issues activity badge. The Explorers experienced how difficult it is to live on just £2 per day. I was impressed with how creative some of our Explorers are in the kitchen, crafting healthy meals using sparse ingredients! We finished the badge with a visit to Burton HOPE, an amazing local charity that helps to feed and cloth homeless people. While it was a sobering experience it also gave us a chance to reflect on our own good fortune.
And, of course, we’ve had a lot of fun this term too! The highlight, for many, will be the casino night that we held at The Den. Mafeking hosted Pheonix, another Explorer Scout Unit in South Derbyshire, for this event, which meant that we had more than 45 teenagers inside the four walls of The Den (my ears are still recovering!). The Explorers enjoyed a selection of mocktails while they lost their fortune of gambling chips.
The cold, dark months haven’t stopped us from spending nights away in the outdoors with the annual Chilly Challenge camp, this year at Spitewinter, and a combined backpacking and traditional camping weekend. This also featured the use of our hot tent, complete with wood fired stove and fairy lighting… camping in style!
Now we’re looking ahead to our Easter adventure, which sees us heading northbound to the remote island of Eigg. This small island of 100 inhabitants lies off the coast of the incredibly rugged and beautiful north-west Scotland. Hills, moorlands, beaches and rocky coastline beckon to us and Explorers are going to do what they do best – go Exploring! Full report to follow.
Mafeking Explorer Scout Unit 