3rd Chalkwell Bay Sea Scouts in Old Leigh have been honoured with the Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service, the highest award a voluntary group can receive in the UK, and equivalent to the MBE for voluntary organisations.

We are one of 230 charities, social enterprises and voluntary groups to receive the prestigious award this year. The number of nominations remains high year on year, showing that the voluntary sector is thriving and full of innovative ideas to make life better for those around them. Continue reading 3rdCB Honoured with Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service →

Scouting since March has been very different to what we’re used to, but following in our Founder’s spirit of innovation we’re managing to carry on our activities online, pressing on with challenges and learning new skills for life every week. We’ve held online meetings, virtual quiz nights, completed badges at home, camped out in the back garden or made dens at home, renewed our promise on the internet, and come together for video projects that have started national trends! All thanks to a fantastic and imaginative bunch of young people and adults who make 3rdCB one of the best Scout Groups to be a part of! Continue reading Carrying on Scouting… Virtually →

Friday 8 May is the 75th anniversary of the end of the Second World War in Europe, and whilst we can’t meet in person there are still loads of opportunities to celebrate as a community.

We’re working with HMS Leigh to celebrate VE Day in Southend. Part of this is an online service or Remembrance, and they’d love the Scouts (across all sections and age ranges) to make a short video in their garden/houses, in uniform if possible, talking about how they feel about VE Day, and how they think it compares to their experiences in lockdown.

Also, if you have a story that you know about from your own great grandparents or relatives that fought in WW2 we’d love to hear that too.

Upload your video here, and see some of our special VE Day themed activities to help celebrate the occasion.

After many years of discussion, planning and fundraising, we’re finally ready to start work refurbishing our HQ’s site.

We’re making the most of the pause in face-to-face Scouting and the first phase is starting in just two weeks time! On 28 April work will start on removing the final buildings in Knapp’s Yard (the boating side of the site) and levelling the ground in preparation for the new boat workshop, camp store and dinghy park (although the actual building of this is a later phase of the project).

Over the next couple of weeks a small team will be emptying the final equipment from the site into a temporary store and rearranging the boats to make room. Whilst this work is going on we ask people to keep clear of The Den and respect the social distancing guidance, although if you’re passing on your daily exercise please do take a look from the distance to see how it’s getting on (and feel free to share with others on the 3rdCB Facebook).

We’re also expecting to start the redesign of The Den’s ground floor in the coming weeks as well – watch this space!