Efforts of Scouts and volunteers honoured in emotional evening

A RECORD number of people came together to celebrate the achievements of Beavers, Cubs, Scouts and Explorers from across Bognor Regis.

The latest annual general meeting of the Bognor Regis and District Scouts saw more than 100 people attend and watch as their peers, friends and family members were honoured for their work.

As well as discussing the year’s accomplishments as a company, the meeting served as a platform to distribute the coveted Bongo Awards.

It was also a bitter-sweet evening for district commissioner Ally Dodd, by whom the awards were started, as she handed over her five-year position to successor Jake Shoebridge.

Mrs Dodd was pleased to see how busy the evening was.

She said: “It’s very strange to no longer be the district commissioner.

“But it’s lovely to see everyone here and to see an AGM so busy. I will be taking on a new role for the Scouts in September though, so I’m looking forward to that.”

At 26 years old, Jake is the youngest district commissioner the group has seen in a long time.

Jake was excited for the year to come. He said: “It’s amazing. It’s such a great district anyway. I’m looking forward to the challenge and hopefully we will continue to grow year after year.”

He also acknowledged the importance of the awards. “Evenings like this are really nice. They give the younger Scouts something else to achieve,” he said.

A range of awards were presented to those involved, not just the Scouts themselves, including a Special Recognition award, an On the Air Award and the District Commissioners Award.

For everyone there, it was essential to recognise the efforts of all the volunteers.

Committee member Brian Heather said: “The most important fact to remember is that everyone involved is a volunteer.

“These groups work because everyone comes together as a unit.”

The winners of the awards expressed their love for the Scouts.

Liam Gaughan, aged seven, pictured above with dad Kevin, won the Beaver Scout of the Year. He said: “I like the friends I’ve made and I love going on the hikes.”

Explorer Freddie Morris, 14, has been a part of the Scouts for eight years and was awarded the Young Persons Special Achievement Award. He said: “I’m really happy about it. It’s a good award to get. It shows our work has been recognised.”

Other Explorers such as Marnie Lord, 17, spoke of the new opportunities they were afforded. She said: “I like that we get to try activities that we wouldn’t otherwise get to do. It also teaches us a lot of life skills.”

Sixteen-year-old Zack Hobbs agreed. He said: “Every night at Explorers is different, it’s never the same. And I’ve made so many new friends.”

Richard Beckett, chairman of the Bognor Regis and District Scouts, enjoyed the evening. He said: “This is the largest AGM we’ve had in the five years I’ve been here, which is heartening.

“The number of young people getting involved is increasing every year. However, the number of leaders we have is not going up. We will have a recruiting tent at Southway School on July 7 and I hope that will spark interest.

“Our leaders have always run a good programme. We are putting back in what we had as kids.”