Sailing and boating skills added into activities for young people.
They might be 90 miles from the coast, but that hasn’t stopped a group of scouting volunteers from setting up a Sea Scouts unit.
Hanslope and Castlethorpe Scout Group, which has been running beavers and cubs meetings since 2020, has begun preparations to set up the Sea Scouts this April and is appealing for 10-14 years old members and adult volunteers to join them.
It’s being led by scouting lead volunteer James Dickens, who was inspired to include the boating aspect into regular scouting after a visit to a sea scouting colleague in London’s Docklands.
“We realised there was no provision for sea scouting in Milton Keynes,” said James. “There are the Sea Cadets in Wolverton but we would be more for people who just want to have a social and fun aspect and learn a bit more.
“We wouldn’t be marching and that kind of thing – this is to give kids the option of going out in a canoe. Learning about sea activities is just a different world. There are no opportunities here but if you were by the sea, it’s just a simple thing, isn’t it?
“Here, if you want to go boating it will cost you a lot of money. So, we thought maybe that’s something we should do, to give children that option. More and more people are getting very interested in that kind of thing so it’s quite exciting.”
The group plans to use various stretches of water including canals at Cosgrove, unused stretches of the Grand Union Canal and lakes around Milton Keynes to teach the sea scouts skills in kayaking, motorboating, canoeing and canal boating.
The group currently has a team of volunteers, but James says they are always looking for more, especially if they have a skill, such as paddleboarding or yachting, and want to pass on their knowledge.
“It’s just such a mentally rewarding thing, it’s brilliant. We will not turn anyone down. If you are safe and you have the correct qualifications to take the children out, we can give full training.
“We will be the only Sea Scout group in Milton Keynes so it’s exciting for the city as well. Come along and give it a go whether you are a child or an adult."
More details: hanslopeandcastlethorpeseascouts@mkscouts.org.
