Scouting in Royal Berkshire

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County badge as worn on the uniform of Scouting members in Royal berkshire

Map of the UK highlighting the location of Royal Berkshire

Royal Berkshire is a Scout County and part of the Scout Association of the United Kingdom. It is concurrent with the political county of Berkshire, and provides Scouting opportunities for 7,500 young people and adults in the area.

[edit] Organisation

The County is currently divided into eleven Scout Districts. The divisions within the County are reviewed periodically, with the aim of improving the organisation and provision of Scouting in the region. This has sometimes involved the creation or dissolution of Scout Districts, or simply the redrawing of boundaries. For example, the last revision included the dissolution of East Reading and the reassignment of its member groups to neighbouring Loddon and Reading Central.

The Districts combine to provide 120 Scout Groups and Explorer Scout Units, providing Scouting for young people from the age of 6 and up. The County also manages the Scout Network, which is the programme section for 18-25 year olds in Berkshire. The County Scout Network consists of a number of Local Scout Networks which currently cover the more populous areas of Berkshire, such as Reading, Slough, and Maidenhead. Other Local Networks are created as and when there is demand for them.

Some aspects of Scouting are run cross-District, for example, Pang Valley and Reading Central have been running a shared Young Leader programme since late 2005, and the Explorer Scout Units have been running joint activities and events, too.

[edit] Kennet

Scout Groups

1st Hungerford
1st Inkpen and Kintbury
1st Lambourn
1st Newbury Sea Scouts
2nd Newbury
3rd Newbury
4th Newbury (St John's)
1st Wash Common
1st Woolton Hill

Explorer Scout Units

Phoenix Explorer Scout Unit
Pegasus Explorer Scout Unit
Kennet District Young Leader Unit

[edit] Loddon District

District badge as worn on the uniform of Scouting members

Loddon District own and maintain a small campsite and hut at Paddick's Patch, just outside of Woodley. This site is also used as the District Headquarters.

Scout Groups

1st Woodley
2nd Woodley
3rd Woodley
5th Woodley
1st Wargrave
1st Twyford
1st Sonning
1st Hurst
31st Reading (1st Earley) Sea Scouts
84th Reading (St Nicholas)
96th Reading
99th Reading (2nd Lower Earley)

Explorer Scout Units

Loddon District Explorer Scout Unit
Loddon District Young Leaders Unit

[edit] Maidenhead District

Maidenhead is the largest Scout District in the Royal County of Berkshire with 11 Scout Groups and 1088 members (as at Jan 2005). Most Groups have Beaver Scouts, Cub Scouts, and Scouts. The District also has five Explorer Scout Units, including a Young Leader's Unit. The Scout Fellowship, whose members are usually ex-Scouters or retired Scouters who wish to continue their association with Scouting.

The District covers Bray, Holyport, Furze Platt, Pinkneys Green, Cox Green, central Maidenhead, Woodlands Park, White Waltham, Hurley and Cookham. Many of the Groups use the river and camping facilities at Longridge during the year.

Scout Groups

Explorer Scout Units

[edit] Pang Valley District

Pang Valley covers portions of Reading to the west, and a number of villages in West Berkshire, including Pangbourne, Purley, Burghfield, and Sulhampstead.

The District runs a Scoutlink Unit which provides a Scouting programme for disabled young people across the County.

Scout Groups

1st Burghfield
1st Pangbourne
1st Purley-on-Thames
63rd Reading (St Michael's)
79th Reading
80th Reading (2nd Tilehurst)
95th Reading
97th Reading (LDS)
1st Sulhampstead & Ufton Nervet
1st Theale and Calcot

Explorer Scout Units

[edit] Reading Central District

District badge as worn on the uniform of Scouting members

Reading Central Explorer Scouts climbing at Stanage Edge, Yorkshire

This District was formed in 1991 from part of the old District of Thameside.

It currently covers most of the town of Reading and some of its suburbs, including Whitley, Caversham, and parts of Tilehurst. The villages of Shinfield and Spencers Wood are also included to the south.

Scout Groups

1st Reading (YMCA) Sea Scouts

The 1st Reading Scout Group is one of the founding troops of 1908.^[1]

2nd Reading Sea Scouts
3rd Reading (St Peter's)
22nd Reading (St John's, Caversham)
32nd Reading (St George's)
47th Reading (Whitley Wood)
52nd Reading
58th Reading (St Mary's)
69th Reading (1st Caversham Heights)
71st Reading (Anderson) Sea Scouts
72nd Reading (St Mark's) Sea Scouts
73rd Reading (Park)
89th Reading (Milestone Wood)
93rd Reading (English Martyrs)
102nd Reading (Muslim) - one of the first groups for Muslim Scouts, started in 2006
1st Shinfield (St Mary's)

Explorer Scout Units

[edit] Slough District

Scout Groups

1st Britwell
1st Cippenham
2nd Cippenham
1st Langley
4th Langley
3rd Upton
1st Slough

[edit] South Berkshire District

[edit] South-East Berkshire District

South East Berks covers Ascot, Binfield, Bullbrook, Harmanswater, North Bracknell (Warfield), Priestwood, and Sunningdale. (The other estates in Bracknell - Birch Hill, Easthampstead, Great Hollands and Wildridings are in the South Berks District).

Groups

2nd Bracknell - Bullbrook and Warfield
4th Bracknell - Priestwood
6th Bracknell - Garth
1st Binfield
1st Ascot (All Saints)
1st South Ascot
1st Sunningdale

[edit] Taceham Hundred District

District badge as worn on the uniform of Scouting members

Taceham Hundred District is a Scout District that geographically covers the Thatcham locality, extending northwards to include the downland areas around Compton. Taceham is the historical name for the settlement of Thatcham.

The District's badge features a hot air balloon (the area saw pioneering hot air ballooning), an oak leaf (from the forests at Bucklebury) and an old cross (from a memorial in Thatcham).

Scout Groups

1st Cold Ash
1st Compton
1st Hermitage
1st Thatcham
2nd Thatcham
1st Woolhampton

Explorer Scout Units

Axford ESU.

[edit] Windsor and Eton District

[edit] Wokingham District

Scout Groups

1st Emmbrook
1st Finchampstead
1st Swallowfield
1st Winnersh
1st Wokingham
3rd Wokingham
4th Wokingham
1st Woosehill

Explorer Scout Units

Eagle Explorer Scout Unit
Phoenix Explorer Scout Unit

[edit] County Administration and Facilities

Some of the Districts within the County maintain small campsites which can be used by any Scout Group or Scout within the Organisation.

[edit] Campsites

There are three campsites within the County. Earleywood is the largest facility, while the other two (Paddicks Patch, based in Loddon District and just outside of the town of Woodley, and the 1st Burghfield Scout HQ, in the town of Burghfield and part of Pang Valley District) offer a single pitch with a fire-circle and a nearby hut.

All three campsites are available to all members of the Scout Association for activities.

[edit] Events and Activities

[edit] WINGS

WINGS is a major event which is open to all Scouts and Guides aged 10 to 25 in all parts of the world, and is normally held every 5 years in the County. It is a collaboration with Royal Berkshire Scouts and Girlguiding Royal Berkshire. Participants camp in Windsor Great Park, where many of the activities also take place. Other nearby sites are also made use of, such as Dorneywood Scout Camp and Longridge Scout Boating Centre in Buckinghamshire.

The next event will take place in 2009 starting 1 August and provides an international experience with seven days of adventure, challenge and fun with opportunities to work with others from across the world and build new and lasting friendships. This a year later than normal due to the World Scout Jamboree taking place in 2007.

Members of Royal Berkshire resting whilst walking in Slovenia

[edit] International Expeditions

The County has a tradition of International Expeditions, where Scouting members from the age of 14 are able to experience and participate in activities outside of the UK.

2004 - Slovenia - a multi-activity camp in the former Yugoslav republic
2005 - Slovenia - a return to the Eastern European country, but specifically for completion of the Explorer Belt
2006 - Spain - a multi-activity camp

There will be no expedition in 2007, because of the World Scout and Guide Jamboree.

[edit] World Scout Jamboree 2007

Royal Berkshire has been a long-standing participant of World Scout Jamborees and is sending 72 young people to the World Jamboree being held in 2007.

The World Scout Jamboree takes place at Hylands Park in the historic city of Chelmsford in Essex.

The two Units (Blue Troop and Purple Troop) have been undergoing fundraising and a training programme in the run up to the Jamboree.

[edit] South East Berkshire Gang Show

The South East Berkshire Scout District began performing their Gang Show in a local school hall in 1970. It grew larger and after a couple of years moved to Camberley Civic Hall where it stayed for many years until moving to its current venue of the Wilde Theatre, South Hill Park, Bracknell. They produce a show every year which takes place in February, their work beginning in September. The Gang consists of around 180 people every year.