Last week we managed our first face-to-face activities since lockdown began, with a week of sailing sessions in Old Leigh, getting back on the water doing what Sea Scouts do best! Great to see the Scouts and Explorers back at The Den, enjoying the lovely weather (if a bit breezy), and glad to see we all still remember how to sail.

Keen an eye out for upcoming activities on the water in our Boating Calendar.

More photos and videos of the week are on our Members Facebook Group.

We’re really excited that we’re now able to restart running outdoor face-to-face activities at 3rd Chalkwell Bay after a 4½ month pause, and intend to start the sailing programme from 17 August, with outdoor Section meetings from the beginning of September.

Given the fact that we’re still recovering from the COVID-19 pandemic, there are a few restrictions on what we do and how we do it, the specifics of which have been emailed to all parents, with a couple of actions also required.

We have in place approved COVID based risk assessments for outdoor meetings and water activities which allow us to safely start a staged return, although initially only for outdoor activities in small groups. These risk assessments will be reviewed as Government and Scout Association guidance changes, which will ultimately see a return to what we all recognise as a more normal form of Scouting.

Over the next few weeks the leader teams will be in touch with parents with more detail on how the programme and activities will operate. At this time, we are limited to 15 people per session, including adults, which means that sessions will only be able to cater for 12 children.

We’re all looking forward to getting outdoor activities back up and running again, so we can gain more skills and have more fun together.

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.