5th Colchester Scout Group

14/06/2026

Yesterday, 5th Colchester Air Scout Group had a stall at the West Bergholt Summer Fete, and what a brilliant day it was! The sun was out, the community came together, and every smile, every kind word, and every donation brought us one step closer to something truly amazing. 🌞

We were there raising money for one of our very own — Olivia Culham. Olivia has been part of Scouting her whole life — as a young person growing up in a Scouting family, and now as an Explorer Scout with Aviators ESU, partnered with 5th Colchester Scout Group, and as a dedicated Young Leader giving back to Squirrels, Beavers, and Cubs. Scouting isn't just something Olivia does — it's who she is. 💛

🌍 Why are we fundraising?

Olivia has been selected to attend the 26th World Scout Jamboree in Gdańsk, Poland in 2027 — a once-in-a-generation event where thousands of scouts from every corner of the globe come together to experience new cultures, build friendships, develop life skills, and grow in confidence. This year's Jamboree theme is "Bravely" — focused on empowering young people to care for the planet, themselves, their mental health, and others.

To make this happen, Olivia needs to raise £3,700 within twelve months through sponsorship and fundraising. Every single pound counts.

Yesterday was just the beginning — and we are not stopping here! We have more exciting fundraising events coming up very soon, all working toward getting Olivia to Poland. Watch this space! 🎉

🙌 Can YOU help Olivia get to Poland?

💻 Donate directly on Olivia's GoFundMe page:
👉 gofund.me/step.stay.fact

🔁 Share this post — you never know whose heart it might reach. Every share is priceless.

📣 Know a local business or sponsor who'd love to back an outstanding young person doing something extraordinary? Please tag them below or send us a message — we would love to hear from you!

Olivia represents everything that Scouting stands for — courage, dedication, service, and community. Let's rally around her and show the world what Colchester is made of. 💙🏕️🇵🇱

A huge thank you to everyone who visited our stall yesterday, donated, cheered us on, or simply stopped for a chat — you are all wonderful, and it means more than you know. 🙏

12/06/2026

🐿️ Wild about the outdoors? So are we — and we have spaces for new Squirrels!

5th Colchester Air Scout Group is welcoming new Squirrels — Scouting for 4 to 6 year olds, the newest branch of the Scouts family tree. 🌳

This is the age when minds are fizzing, energy and curiosity levels are sky high, and little lives are full of wow and wonder. So we set them climbing the tree — who knows how far they'll reach?

Each week our Squirrels explore, build, create and discover — working towards badges like Brilliant Builder, Exciting Experiments, Go Wild and Super Chef, all the way up to the Chief Scout's Acorn Award. 🏅 (Yes, even the four-year-olds have a more impressive CV than some of us.)

📅 Thursdays, 4:10–4:50pm

📍 5th HQ, Queen Elizabeth Way, Colchester, CO2 8LY

📧 [email protected]

📞 Abbie – 07428 956032

Here's where you come in: please share this post or tag anyone who might be interested — friends, neighbours, family, the school WhatsApp group. If you know a 4–6 year old with energy to burn and a head full of questions, we'd love to meet them. 💙

Take the leap together! 🐿️

11/06/2026

🐿️🦫🐺 Another brilliant evening at 5th Colchester Air Scout Group!

Our Squirrels went into full construction mode this week, building bug hotels from recycled materials, leaves, twigs and moss. We're pleased to report the local insect population will now be enjoying accommodation considerably nicer than most seaside B&Bs. 🐛🏨

Our Beavers had a packed programme — after the opening ceremony, they tested their counting (and their cardio) with the Number Island game, refuelled with a snack, then took on the Food Relay: over the chairs, under the chairs, cut out your food item, and dash back to stick it on the plate. Organised chaos at its finest — with scissors and glue sticks handled admirably by our brave adult helpers. ✂️🍽️

A few badges were handed out too, with more to follow next week — we know we're a little behind, but rest assured every badge earned is a badge coming! 🏅

Our Cubs got stuck into session one of their Money Skills Badge — and there's so much to cover that it needs two sessions. Budgeting, saving, spending wisely... frankly, some of us adults could do with sitting in. 💷

Did the children have fun? Well, we conducted a rigorous scientific assessment based on laughter levels, smiles per minute, and general buzzing around the hall — and the results were conclusive. ✅

As always, none of this happens without our amazing volunteers — a strong, dedicated team focused on delivering the very best programme: children learning real life skills through genuinely fun activities. Thank you, every one of you. 💙

Interested in volunteering or joining the adventure? Get in touch — the kettle's always on. ☕

25/05/2026

📢 An update on our upcoming fundraiser

We wanted to let everyone know that our planned fundraising event has been cancelled. We're truly sorry for any inconvenience this may cause, and we want to reassure everyone who signed up and paid — all payments have been returned in full. Thank you so much for your support and understanding.

But don't worry — this is far from the end! We're already working on some exciting new fundraising ideas, and we can't wait to share them with you very soon. 👀

We're fundraising for two fantastic causes that are very close to our hearts:

✈️ Duxford Museum trip — We're planning an incredible visit to the IWM Duxford for next year, giving our young people the chance to explore the wonders of aviation history up close.

🌍 World Scout Jamboree 2027 — Poland — One of our very own Explorer Scouts has the opportunity to represent us at the World Scout Jamboree in Poland in 2027. What an adventure — and what a privilege to support them on that journey!

Both of these are wonderful opportunities for our young people, and we're determined to make them happen. Your generosity and enthusiasm mean the world to us — and to them.

Stay tuned for what's coming next — it's going to be great! 🙌

PREVIOUS POST:

☀️ Hope everyone is enjoying the lovely sunshine this half term — and that it's not *too* hot for you! 😅 Whatever you're getting up to, we hope you're having a brilliant break!

While you're planning ahead, why not get something exciting in the diary for this summer? 🗓️

🛩️ 5TH COLCHESTER AIR SCOUTS
🧠 TRIVIA NIGHT🧠

📅 Saturday 4th July 2026
🕡 6:30pm for a 7pm start
📍 5th Colchester Scout Hall, Queen Elizabeth Way (behind the shops)

Here's what's in store for the night:

✅ 6-round quiz
✅ Mini games
✅ Raffle
✅ Drinks & fish & chips available to purchase 🍟

🎟️ £30 per team of up to 6 people — must be booked in advance!

👥 Ages 14+ (must be accompanied by an 18+)

All money raised goes directly towards 5th Colchester Air Scout Group — helping us keep delivering amazing adventures and opportunities for our young people! 🙌

Gather your friends, test your brain, and raise some money! 💪🧩

📩 To book your team, drop us an email at: [email protected]

Tag someone you'd want on your team! 👇*

21/05/2026

Tonight was a brilliant evening of adventure, discovery, and fun across ALL our sections — here's a peek at what went on!

🐿️ SQUIRRELS — International Evening!
Our Squirrels became world travellers tonight, each armed with their very own passport! 🛂 They visited four countries, learned amazing facts, sampled a traditional food, and played a local game before getting their passport stamped. What little explorers! 🗺️

🇮🇹 Italy — Bread sticks & Margherita pizza were on the menu, then it was time for Strega Comanda Colore — the witch calls out a colour, and players must touch something that colour to stay safe! 🍕🎨

🇫🇷 France — A taste of baguette, then hopping their way through Escargot — a traditional French version of hopscotch where the court is drawn in a snail shell spiral! 🥖🐌

🇨🇳 China — Prawn crackers were a hit, followed by the Catch the Dragon's Tail game — each child had a tail, and the dragon had to catch them all! 🥠🐉

🇵🇹 Portugal — Lupin beans to try, and then the classic Spinning Tops to master! 🌀

🦫 BEAVERS — Air Activities Badge
Our Beavers got stuck into a range of activities working towards their Air Activities Badge — from learning about flight and how aircraft work, to hands-on challenges. But the clear winner of the evening? Paper aeroplanes! ✈️😄

⚜️ CUBS — Soap Carving & Games
Our Cubs got creative tonight — carving designs into soap bars before letting off some steam with some great group games. A brilliant mix of calm and chaos! 🧼🎮

💛 A huge thank you to all our incredible volunteers — tonight simply would not have happened without you. Every stamp in every passport, every paper plane launched, every soap carving — it's all down to your time and dedication. We are so grateful. 🙏

And the good news? We still have volunteering places available across all sections! If you'd like to get involved and be part of evenings like this, please do get in touch — we'd love to have you. 💙

🌞 Have a wonderful half term! The weather looks gorgeous over the bank holiday — enjoy every moment of it! We'll be back on the first Thursday after the break with more activities and adventures, because that's what we love most here: helping children do what they do best — learn while they play. 🌈

See you then! 👋

12/05/2026

🌟 Two Special Leadership Roles — Could This Be You?

We're looking for two fantastic individuals to take on some really rewarding roles with us:

🏅 Duke of Edinburgh's Award Lead

Help our young people achieve one of the most recognised awards in the UK — covering volunteering, physical activity, skills and expedition. An incredible opportunity to make a real difference.

👑 Young Leader Programme Lead

Support our Explorer-age members in developing their leadership skills — guiding them as they earn their Young Leader qualification and give back to younger sections.

Both roles are volunteer positions — full training and support provided. If either of these sounds like something you'd love to be part of, we'd genuinely love to hear from you!

📧 [email protected]
🌐 5thcolchester.org.uk — contact us form
📍 Come and find us on Wednesdays 18:30 - 21:00 and Thursdays 16:10 - 19:45 at https://maps.app.goo.gl/jdjhWhiUXzX7yb938

09/05/2026

🙋 Could You Volunteer? We'd Love Your Help!

We are so lucky to have an amazing community around us — and we'd love to grow our volunteer team! Here's where we need support:

🐿️ Squirrels Section Helper

Do you have a child in Squirrels or simply love working with little ones? We're looking for volunteers to support our Squirrels sessions — you don't need to commit every week, just whenever you can! Even once a month makes a huge difference. 💛

🧭 Explorer Section Helper

We're also looking for someone to support our Explorer section — great if you enjoy working with older young people and bigger adventures!

No previous Scouting experience needed — just enthusiasm and a bit of time. Full support and training provided. 😊

📧 [email protected]
🌐 5thcolchester.org.uk — contact us form
📍 Or come and have a chat on Wednesdays 18:30 - 21:00 and Thursdays 16:10 - 19:45 at https://maps.app.goo.gl/vZ3sV1gtuKUpsGub9

07/05/2026

What a night across all sections — every single session was buzzing tonight! Here's what everyone got up to 👇

🐿️ Squirrels — 5 Senses Night!

Tonight our Squirrels worked towards their 5th Birthday Badge in the most brilliant way — by exploring all five of their senses! 🎂

👅 Taste — They sampled different fruits and vegetables, building on what they learned last term during their Super Chef Badge. Some were crunchy, some were wonderfully juicy — the reactions were priceless! 😄

👁️ Sight — They explored items from nature, looking closely at what they could see and creating beautiful rubbings using crayons. 🍃

👃 Smell & Touch — They felt and sniffed different natural textures — and the mint was particularly popular… or should we say particularly strong! 😂

🤲 Touch — They got their hands into vanilla-scented playdough and explored its texture and smell — an absolute hit!

👂 Hearing — They finished with different instruments, listening carefully to the unique sound each one made. 🎵

What a fun, creative and curious evening!

🦫 Beavers — 40 Years of Beavers

Challenges Continue!

Our Beavers carried on with their special challenges to mark 40 Years of Beavers and earn their very own commemorative badge! 🎉

Tonight they made human tunnels, jumped, skipped, described and guessed what was on cards, and circled 40 different objects. Forty challenges for forty years — and they absolutely rose to every single one! 💪

⚜️ Cubs — Around the World for their International Badge! 🌍

Our Cubs began working towards their International Badge tonight with a brilliant trip around the world — without leaving Colchester! 🗺️✈️

🇧🇷 Brazil — They tasted tropical fruits and played football — because of course they did!

🇷🇴 Romania — They tried Pufuleti (a puffed corn snack!) and played the wonderfully chaotic Dracula Tag 🧛

🇯🇵 Japan — They sampled Japanese crackers and finished with Ninja Freeze — silent, still and very serious. Almost. 😄

Three countries, three snacks, three games — one very happy pack! 🌟

🎟️ Explorer Raffle — Help Send Our Explorer to World Scout Jamboree 2027!

Tonight we also held a live raffle to help one of our incredible Explorers raise money towards attending the World Scout Jamboree in Poland in 2027! 🇵🇱

For those who don't know — a Jamboree is one of the most spectacular events in the Scouting world, bringing together tens of thousands of young people from countries all across the globe to camp, connect, learn and celebrate everything Scouting stands for. It truly is a once-in-a-lifetime experience. 🌍🏕️

We went live on here for the draw — and let's just say we are still perfecting our presenting skills! 😂 We did our absolute best and we'll only get better from here — bear with us! 🎥

🙏 And as always — a huge thank you to every single one of our volunteers.

Tonight — across Squirrels, Beavers and Cubs— was only possible because of the incredible people who give up their time, week after week, to make evenings like this happen. We could not do any of this without you. 💛

Drop a ❤️ if your little one came home smiling tonight! 😊

07/05/2026

06/05/2026

🧭 Explorer Spaces — 6 Places Available!

Calling young people aged 14–18 — we have 6 spaces in our Explorer section! 🧭✈️

Explorers is where young people really spread their wings — bigger adventures, more independence, and the chance to take on real leadership. Places are first come, first served.

📧 [email protected]

🌐 5thcolchester.org.uk — contact us form

📍 Wedensdays from 19:30 - 21:00 at https://maps.app.goo.gl/AKq8cmTy7UhErGZLA