A Squirrel Scout Drey in Newport welcomed ScoutsCymru Chief Commissioner Rhian Moore to their meeting last week, for a fun and lively evening of singing, games, colouring, and even singing Christmas carols with British Sign Language.
Under the guidance of volunteer leaders Helen, Simon, Marieanthi, Bethan and Harry, 1st Bassaleg Squirrels greeted Rhian with their hello song, practiced reciting their Squirrels promise, and also decorated gingerbread trees.
Squirrels is Scouts’ newest section, with 33 Squirrel Dreys now open across Wales, catering for children aged four and five.
Rhian said of the visit: “It’s fantastic to see our youngest members of Scouts in Wales enjoying getting together so much and I had great fun spending time with them as they took part in everything from biscuit decorating and learning sing language, to listening to stories and playing games.”
Squirrels was founded last year by The Scouts Association in response to the pandemic, when it became clear that many younger children had missed out on the opportunity to build vital skills for life during lockdown.
When Squirrels was piloted nationally, The Centre for Research into Early Years Childhood described how it had ‘a positive and sometimes transformative impact on the children’s development, especially in the areas of communication and language skills and life skills’.
There are currently 33 Squirrel Dreys in Wales, with plans to open more over the next few years.
Rhian added: “Young people in Squirrels learn by doing and through play, especially in the outdoors – and it was inspiring to see this happening in Bassaleg.
“We know from research that children need positive experiences, great role models and the chance to develop key skills on their early years and that these will shape – and even determine – their futures.
“It’s great to see children in Newport being given the opportunity to develop these skills for life, thanks to the dedication of the volunteers who run the unit.”
Helen Fernandez, 1st Bassaleg Squirrels leader, said: “We have had a fantastic response in the local community since we opened our Squirrel Dreys at Easter this year. We now have 30 Squirrels attending weekly across two evenings and a team of four core leaders, supported by our amazing Assistant District Commissioner for Squirrels. It’s been incredible to see the children taking part in Scouting skills and activities they may not otherwise have had the opportunity to try. We can see them growing in confidence with each new achievement, and above all having fun and enjoying themselves in a supportive environment.”
Jayne’s five year old son Arthur is a Squirrel with 1st Bassaleg and says how much he enjoys being a part of the group. She said: “Arthur looks forward to coming every week. He has so much fun and they do lots of different activities and learn new things all the time.”
Find out more about Squirrels in Wales here.
