This year, we are thrilled to announce that we will be celebrating 50 years of Scouting in 2nd Wideopen. 

Officially established on 29 January, 1968 the group has continued to thrive since, however a few important things remain the same! 

'Celebrating the Adventure, Continuing the Journey'

We continue to work hard to offer the best Scouting experience and this year is to be of no exception. We have many activities planned to celebrate this amazing milestone as we look forward to the next 50 years! 

At 2nd Wideopen, we continue to instil the Scouting values and morals introduced by our founder in 1907 as we believe in making our youngsters better citizens in their local community. We continue to deliver the training of traditional, as well as modern day, Scouting and Life skills to enable them to achieve great things both within the Scout Group and beyond! 

HAPPY BIRTHDAY 2ND WIDEOPEN!!!

Want to know more?   Take a look at the article below...
 

We are a well established Scout Group within Benton district, with Beaver, Cub, Scout and Explorer Sections, offering a full range of activities to our young people and adults alike.

Our Group is open to both boys and girls, of all abilities, aged 6 to 18, who live in Wideopen, Seaton Burn, Brunswick, Hazlerigg and the surrounding areas.

We meet at St Johns URC Church Hall, Canterbury Way, Wideopen NE13 6JQ.

Meeting Times Are:

Beavers:      Monday from 5:00 - 6:15 pm

Cubs:          Thursday from 6:10 - 7:25 pm

Scouts:       Thursday from 7:30 - 9:15 pm

Explorers:    Thursday from 7:30 - 9:15 pm and every other Monday from 7:30 - 9:30 pm

We welcome new members in all of our sections.

We do not have a policy of maintaining waiting lists - where a young person is old enough for the relevant section, we will aim to find them a place, however for those parents wishing to pass details of their son / daughter who has not yet reached Beaver age (6 yrs), we will retain that information until they are old enough to join the section and will contact you again at that stage.

We have an active parent support group and welcome assistance from parents and friends alike, to help to further develop the Scout Group and deliver the wide range of activities, badges and training offered to our Beavers, Cubs, Scouts and Explorers.  

You do not need to have been in Scouting or have an interest in the outdoors to help out, as there are many roles which suit a wide range of interests and skills - just get in touch if you think you can help us.

'Scouting is about being with friends, as part of a team, 

participating fully in the adventure and opportunities of life.'

If you would like to join the adventure at 2nd Wideopen Scout Group

please email mike.hawkins26@gmail.com or

call Mike Hawkins on 01670 733210

Keep up to date with what the group gets involved in!

Find out about camps and activities!

Get access to useful resources and important news! 

Thanks to the Co-op and all of it's members in the local area, we have been awarded the amazing sum of £4,019.81, as a result of all of the generous customers who visited the Co-op stores in Wideopen, Gosforth Park and Moor Farm and those who have been supported during a family bereavment by the Co-op Funeral Home in Cramlington. 

This all came about thanks to a completely off-chance conversation with one of the Co-op's members of staff at Moor Farm store, were we were pointed towards the application process, to apply to be a possible award beneficiary.  

Over a six month period, everyone who is a Co-op member (with a blue Co-op membership card, like the above) who has purchased Co-op own branded goods has helped to contribute through the Co-op Community Fund to help our Scout Group and two other local charities. You may well have seen our material on display within the stores during your visits.  

With this amazing help, we will be purchasing additional water activities equipment, including a Canadian Canoe, some Stand-Up Paddleboards  and additional water safety equipment for some of our smaller members. We will be replacing some of our older lightweight tents and purchasing state of the art first aid training equipment, to help train our young members, youth leaders and the wider community on how to use CPR / defibrilators to save lives in our community.

Additionally, the three Co-op stores have helped us practically, with outdoor barbeque equipment, party items and firelighting materials which will be put to full use during the Spring and Summer of 2018 by all our members as we celebrate our 50th Anniversary.

Members of the Scout Group will be taking part in a number of celebratory events in late November in each store, to thank customers for their help and support, meeting Co-op staff to thank them and to talk about what we do and how the money will make a massive difference to all of our young members.

If you would like further information on Co-op membership and how you can help voluntary organisations in our community, or now need to change to another worthy cause (now we are no longer one of the beneficiary organistaions) - just click on the attached website link for more information: https://membership.coop.co.uk

Following a number of successful applications made by the Scout Group, to a range of Community Funds, we are pleased to be able to confirm that we have been awarded a number of grants for the purchase of much needed archery /  catering equipment and to finally replace our aged trailer with a purpose built replacement. We will also be developing some publicity leaflets, to spread the word about Scouting in Wideopen and the surrounding areas. 

All of this has been made possible thanks to the following fantastic awards:

• A £3,235 grant from Bellway (from money set aside for community developments, as part of their house building in Wideopen).
• A £550 grant from the R W Mann Trust.

Now that Debbie and Mike are qualified as Archery Community Sports Leaders, we will be looking to offer archery as a new activity that members can take part in within the Scout Group.  The activity can be undertaken by both young and older members, as well as those who may be a little less mobile and agile.  After the training, hopefully the Scouts will be able to work towards their Master at Arms badge, as well as gaining a new skill.

We have purchased various sized bows and arrows and large archery safety curtains, which will allow us to undertake the sport both indoors and outside, throughout the year. We hope to be able to further increase the range and amount of equipment and targets we have in due course, which will allow even more individuals to take part in the sport. 

Many congratulations to the following members of our Scout Group on gaining top Scouting Awards!

Bronze Chief Scout's Award - (the highest award you can gain in the Beaver section) 

Lucas Davidson, Scott Coates, Lewis Crispin, Oliver Moore, Samuel Finley, Corey Armstrong, Lewis Chadwick, Maddison Cole, Courtney Moore, Callum Dalkin and Annabel Gordon

Silver Chief Scout's Award - (the highest award you can gain in the Cub section)

Thomas Nichol, Luke Smith, Cameron Hunter, Jack Chadwick, Kenya Robson, Mason Alexander, Matthew Rickeard, Scott Coates and Thomas McDonald

Gold Chief Scout's Award - (the highest award you can gain in the Scout section)

Oliver Jennings, Daniel Dayes, Emma Hawkins, James Ashpool, Dillon Robson, Ethan Hollywood and Bethany Kemp

Young Leaders' Badge - (Awarded to Explorer Scouts following intense training, who choose to devote a large proportion of their time in Scouting to service in another section)

Oliver Jennings, Emma Hawkins, Bethany Kemp

Adult Leader Training Award - (Wood Badge)

Richard Jennings - Assistant Scout Leader, who was presented with his Wood Badge in February 2014

Sheila Barbour - Cub Scout Leader, who was presented with her Wood Badge in February 2016

Adult Leader Long Service Awards
 

Kelly Stephenson - Beaver Scout Leader, who was presented with her 5 years Service Award in December 2013. Kelly first started helping out with the Group in the Scout section and has gone on to establish a successful Beaver colony

Richard Jennings - Assistant Scout Leader, who has recently been awarded his 5 years Service Award by the Scout Association

Sheila Barbour - Cub Scout Leader, who has recently been awarded his 5 years Service Award by the Scout Association
 

Debbie Hodge -  Assistant Scout / Explorer Leader, who has recently been awarded her 10 Year Service Award and Certificate
 

​Jackie Hawkins - Group Treasurer, who has been awarded her 20 Year Service Award and Certificate after taking over the
Group book-keeping role back in 1997 - during which time the annual turnover and equipment we have has increased
significantly!

Award for Merit - (For outstanding service of not less than 12 years with dedicated service over a sustained period)

We Congratulate Jackie Hawkins on receiving an Award for Merit in the 2018 St George's Day awards! Very well deserved for her outstanding service to Scouting both within the Group as well as in her roles as County Appointments Secretary for Northumberland Scouts and Appointments Committee Chair for Benton District

Archery GB Training Programme

Debbie Hodge and Mike Hawkins successfully completed the Archery Leader training programme and have now re-qualified as Archery GB - Archery Instructors, allowing them to lead and coach archery to members of the Scout Group as part of our programme of activities.

Thanks to some fantastic support from the Woodland Trust and it's partners, once again our Scout Group has received over 400 wildlife, copse and hedge sapplings (young trees), for planting in and around the Wideopen / surrounding area, to help with our continued commitment to the environment. Additionally we will also be putting up more bird and bat boxes to encourage nesting birds / bats to breed.

All this work involves the whole Scout Group, leading to members gainiing their Environmental Partnership Award, Community Challenge Award / Badge and in the case of the Scouts - their Forester Badge.

Over the past few years we have planted trees at the Watery Gates site, close to the A1 / Little Waters, at Greenfields School in Wideopen to help re-establish their bird sanctuary and at the Three Hills Nature Reserve - planting in total, somewhere in the region of 1000 young saplings, including hawthorns, blackthorns, crab apple, cherry plum, beech, rowan, silver birch, elder, ash, oak and dog / wild rose  (all native species to the area).

Our aim, working alongside Newcastle and North Tyneside Council conservation and park ranger staff, students and staff at Greenfields School and the voluntary group - the Wideopen Forum, has been to help to create a wildlife corridor, to enable wildlife, including birds and mammals to move safely between nature habitats at the Big Waters, Weetslade, Havannah and Three Hills Countryside Parks and High Gosforth Park - not easy when you think of the new housing being built in and around the area and the fact that the corridor is crossed by the main flight path for Newcastle Airport!

This year we are also looking at the potential of planting a number of trees in memory of those brave individuals from Wideopen, Seaton Burn, Brunswick, Dudley and the surrounding area who gave their lives during the Great War (1914 - 1918), We hope to be able to create a lasting memory of their brave sacrifices, which will form a part of our Group rememberance activities - when over the next four years we will be researching details of those soldiers, early airmen and sailors who went away from the area as heroes - with many tragically never to return.

At 2nd Wideopen, we are committed to ensuring that Scouting is open to everyone, no matter what sex, race, religion, ability or background a person may come from and we actively encourage members from across our community to join us.

We try to ensure that members can safely and confidently take an active part in all of our Scouting activities - where cost may be an issue, we have  a small stock of outdoor equipment in various sizes which can be borrowed - including expedition rucksacks, mummy sleeping bags / liners, robust waterproof jackets and a small selection of walking boots - mainly smll sizes (please note there may be a small charge to cover cleaning / maintenance costs and numbers are limited so you need to speak to leaders re borrowing / hiring equipment). 

We also have a limited stock of second hand uniform items, should any parents find difficulty in purchasing these items - again please contact one of the leaders if you require further information.

Our Equipment Bazaar

We know that youngsters grow out of footwear and clothing at an alarmingly quick rate. With this in mind, we operate an 'Equipment Bazaar' scheme - allowing parents to sell on suitable outgrown items of outdoor clothing and equipment and enabling families to purchase appropriate items more cost effectively - ensuring members are better equipped to safely take part in our range of Scouting activities.

The Scout Group has a number of items of clothing for sale at very reasonable prices - mainly sized for Beaver / Cub age, although we do have a limited number of pairs of girls walking boots of Scout age / size.  Before you go out and buy any new outdoor gear - you may want to give us a call.

If you would like more information on the support available or would like details of what we have in the Equipment Bazaar - contact Mike Hawkins (Group Scout Leader) on 01670 733210.