Lockdown 2, The Implications For Our Group

I write this post with a heavy heart. We were all so hopeful that over the next week we would be able to announce the plans to reopen, but sadly the world had other ideas. We have been very quiet since Saturday’s announcement, while we waited for our guidance, which we now have.

Unfortunately, from midnight tonight, face-to-face Scouting is once again prohibited.

I do not for a minute question the decision; the needs of the country must come first. But it is a little gut-wrenching to have put 3 months of work into formulating the plans to re-open the group, with great time spent and with huge financial expenditure, only to have it ripped away so close to the finish line.

The Senior Leadership Team has decided that we will not be revisiting the idea of re-opening in person until January 2021 at the earliest, and as always this is all subject to change.

At a time like this, it is easy to become overwhelmed by everything going on around you. Please look after each other. We are all Scouts together, and together we must support each other through this second period indoors. The nights are longer, the weather altogether more dire, but while the outlook may look bleak, things will get better.

We are visiting the idea of working remotely, and devising programs that can be done at home. We stopped this at the end of summer, so please allow us some time to get our “thinking brains” back into gear, and we’ll hope to have something for you soon.