Many members of the 7th Retford Scout Group took part in the Retford Winter Lantern Parade on the evening of Monday 12th December. Christmas crafts were made across all sections. The Beavers coloured in Christmas cards and wrote their home addresses on the envelopes, a useful skill to learn. The cards were posted home via the Scout Christmas Post scheme. Several families took on deliveries of Scout Christmas Post to their local areas or villages. All sections also held a Christmas party for their members.
Squirrel Scouts and Beaver Scouts will be entering the Annual NESST Squirrel and Beaver Walk at Walesby Forest. The group is hopeful they will have enough participants to enter a team for the Cub Scout Ramble and Short Challenge Hike for those aged over 10½ years old. Two weekends away have already been planned for 2025, one at Humberston near Cleethorpes and another at Chapeltown.
Scout Christmas Post
The group banked just over £2,000 from stamp sales for the Retford Area Scout Christmas Post. This will be shared out pro-rata between the three Scout Groups involved: 1st East Markham and Askham, 2nd Tuxford, and 7th Retford. The funds will support the groups’ own fundraising efforts and enable young people to take part in future activities.
Thanks go to all the shops, businesses, and individuals who sold stamps on behalf of the group, as well as to everyone who purchased stamps. Continued support for local businesses throughout 2025 is encouraged. Special thanks are also due to all the volunteers who delivered the Christmas cards – the group could not have done it without everyone’s help and support.
Joining and volunteering
The 7th Retford Scout Group is looking for additional adult volunteers. Flexible volunteering is highly rewarding, with much of the training now available online, so it can be completed in one’s own time. Whether you are a shift worker or can volunteer only once a month, the group welcomes your involvement. No prior experience or previous involvement in Scouting is required. The group is also looking for volunteers to assist in the background, rather than face-to-face with the young people. All adults must complete a Scouting DBS check and some initial training before starting to volunteer.
The group has space in some of the different age groups. Anyone interested in having their child join the group should get in touch. To enquire, contact 07958 696122 or email 7thretford@gmail.com.