At the start of February, over 40 Squirrel Scouts (aged 4-5) were invested into Flitwick Scout Group, the first invested Squirrel Scouts in the County.
The investitures on Thursday afternoon were attended by Flitwick Town Council Mayor, Andy Snape. The investitures on Saturday morning were attended by Vice Lord-Lieutenant Chris Sharwood Smith and Flitwick Town Councillor Clare Thompson.
Darren Reeve, lead volunteer for Flitwick Scout Group, said: “We’ve been blown away by the number of children who’ve wanted to join Squirrels.
“We started both Dreys in early November and within a matter of days we had nearly 40 children joining them. It’s been great that some of the parents of the children have stepped forward to be volunteers with the group.”
Oscar Kitteridge, a young member, said: “I love coming to Squirrels, we do fun activities, play games, have a story and sing a song. It’s a great way to start my day.”
Oscar’s father Matt said: “Squirrels has been really good for Oscar. He has gained confidence being around children he didn’t previously know. He is so proud of the items he makes and brings home and he is always talking about Squirrels.”
The group is the only one in the county that has Squirrels and it is getting enquiries to join from across the county and from neighbouring counties.
Trustee, Nigel Taylor, said: “When I looked at our waiting list in October I saw the opportunity to set up two Dreys, one on a Thursday afternoon and the other on a Saturday morning.
“We contacted all the parents of the children on our waiting list and we used social media and word of mouth to get the message out to others. The children love coming down and the volunteers always ensure there is a packed programme.
“Activities we’ve run include making fruit kebabs, toasting marshmallows, trying new activities and growing cress. The smile on their faces when they are awarded a badge is a sight to behold.”
The Group currently have 45 Squirrels, 70 Beaver Scouts (boys and girls aged six to eight), 82 Cub Scouts (boys and girls aged eight to ten), 51 Scouts (boys and girls aged 10 to 14). There are also 27 Explorer Scouts (boys and girls aged 14 to 17) in an associated Explorer Unit.
They have also managed to recruit several new volunteers recently to help with the number of children joining and remaining with the group