Every year on 23 April – in honour of St George, the patron saint of Scouts – Scouts across the UK hold some form of celebration. Traditionally, St George’s Day celebrations have consisted of parades and faith services and, for some, these types of events remain popular.
However, in Blackpool, we like to do things our own way… we had a full weekend of celebrations not only in Blackpool but down in Windsor too!
Dance the night away!
Starting off on Friday 19th April, Scout volunteers got all dressed up, wined, dined and boogied the night away to celebrate at the annual St. George’s Dinner Dance at Blackpool Football Club.
A perfect opportunity to let their hair down and have a fantastic evening with their friends and fellow volunteers.A huge thank you to Nicola Ellis and Tor Kenmare, the organisers, for their hard work.
Award winning charity!
It was truly a special evening too as at the same time, over in the Tower Ballroom, Jordan and Darrell Shuck (both Scout volunteers) represented Blackpool Scouts at the Coastal Radio Local Business Awards. They won the Not for Profit Award for all the hard work and dedication Scouting does for young people across the town.
Then down at Stanley Park on Sunday 21st April, 500 Scouts and adult volunteers from across the town got together for tomahawk throwing to archery, treasure hunt to pioneering and much more to celebrate St. Geotge’s Day!
Paul Harris, lead volunteer for Blackpool Scouts said, “a great event and weekend of celebration. Thank you to everyone for their hard work”. The Deputy Mayor of Blackpool, Councillor Adrian Hoyle came down to support the event, getting involved in some St. George related crafts and also throwing some tomahawks along with his wife.
Chris Webb, Labour candidate for Blackpool South popped down to support the event. He said “it was wonderful connecting with the volunteers at the Blackpool Scouts St. George’s Day in the Park event today. Witnessing the dedication of the Scouts to our local community was truly inspiring. My own experiences with the Scouts hold a special place in my heart, as the values and skills instilled in me during that time continue to shape my life”.
Andrew Cregan, Lib Dem candidate for Blackpool South also came along, he said “fantastic weekend celebrating St George’s Day with the incredible people of Blackpool Scouts. And congratulations on winning the Not for Profit award – so well deserved as Blackpool’s biggest youth volunteer organisation preparing over 800 young people with skills for life.
The Scouts ended the day with a parade through the park, a tradition for St George’s Day, showcasing how proud they are to be part of an international movement.
And then a time to renew the Scouts promise at the bandstand. The Promise helps all young people and adults keep the fundamentals of Scouts in mind. To make sure it’s meaningful, it’s important that every member can make the Promise in a way that truly reflects their personal beliefs. St George’s Day is the time of the year when Scouts come together as a community and reflect on the principles that underpin the movement. Making sure that those celebrations are reflective of the diversity and of Scouts values is absolutely vital to the future of Scouting.
To top it all off, 5 volunteers were down at Windsor Castle to the National Scouts St. Geroge’s Day celebrations and award ceremony. Ann Clayton, Irene and Phil Wheatley were presented with the Silver Wolf Award, for service of a most exceptional nature. Alicia Platt was award her Queen’s Scout Award and Monica Brownwood the King’s Scout Award, the top award for young people within Scouting. Monica said “I was extremely elated to be the first person to get the King’s Scout Award in Blackpool for over 70 years. To suit my passions, I mostly tailored my sections to help the environment by completing a conservation residential in Hertfordshire, and also turning my garden into a wildlife haven which included building a chicken coop with my Popsie. I thoroughly enjoyed all these experiences and I am grateful for the opportunities scouting has provided me over the past 15 years”.
A weekend the young people in Blackpool and the volunteers will not forget! If you want to get stuck in with Scouts, make new friends, and gain skills for life, join today!
