Volunteers Week - Monday

Dear Lincolnshire Volunteers

This week is Volunteers Week and a great opportunity to thank you for being one of OUR volunteers. Thank you for all you do for Scouting, for your communities, for your families and for yourselves.

Every day you inspire and support over 5,000 young people across Lincolnshire to be the best they can be. As their role models and mentors, it is often difficult to feel connected when you can’t be together. Over these last few weeks, the depths of resilience and creativity that have been plumbed to overcome that is astonishing.

Keeping in touch has been championed whether that is having online meetings to make sure the business end of Scouting can continue or hosting a group call so the youth members can see each other and keep in touch with others in their colony, pack, troop, unit or network. So many of you are coming up with novel ways of enjoying scout activities at home and sharing ideas with each other so that those who do not have as much time can also offer fun and adventure to their members.

You and the parents and carers encouraging young people to take part in Scouting at home, are doing marvellous things. What better way for our youth members to see how resilience, adapting and positive thinking can lead to unexpected and enjoyable outcomes during difficult times. Thank you for being prepared to carry on, despite setbacks and new challenges.

I hope the information we release this week will help show what all our different volunteers do to make Lincolnshire Scouts great in section, groups, districts and across the county. Visit the website each day to see the updates we have been making to give as much support as we can to share good ideas, add tools that will save you time and provide you with information that will help you in your role.

I know that some of you may be facing some really difficult times right now either with your health or that of a loved one, some of you may be enduring losses or just finding it difficult to do anything other than get through a day at the moment. If you are needing to focus on other priorities or are finding all the digital delivery a little overwhelming, please don’t feel under pressure to be doing more than feels right for you. Better that we can all flex and be together when we find ourselves back in a situation that feels more comfortable.

In these circumstances, it‘s not easy but even if you feel you are not as much a part of Scouting as you were, know that you are not alone. We might all be apart as individuals but together we are Scouts.

Ellie
County Commissioner