On Saturday 6th February, 18 Cub Scouts from Oatlands Scout Group attended their first Sustrans Ranger event along the River Thames. The Cub pack, which has its headquarters in Oatlands Village near Weybridge, have teamed up with the charity Sustrans. Their aim is to keep the part of National Cycle Route 4 that runs along the Thames FootPath between Walton Bridge and Weybridge in good condition. Their responsibilities include litter collection, foliage cutting, path repairs & general good order.
Oatlands is the first Scout troop to link-up with Sustrans in the UK – they are a pilot Cub Pack which all the Cubs think is great!
One of the Oatland Cub Assistant Leaders, Simon Davey, is a strong supporter of the Sustrans charity which is responsible for a national network of 12,000 miles of mainly traffic free cycle routes across the UK.
Simon met with George James, who is the local Sustrans Liaison Ranger and Julie Tublin from Sustrans in November 2009 to agree what role the Cub pack could perform. Saturday 6 February was the first meeting of the Oatlands Cubs with supporting parents. The group filled 18 rubbish sacks from between Walton Bridge and Weybridge in just over two hours. Luckily it was a fine, dry day and all the Cubs had a great time.
All of the Cubs were prepared with leather gloves, good foot wear & parents attending to minimise the risks and maximise their efforts! This work will contribute towards the Cubs Community Challenge Badge, their Promise Challenge Badge and their Global Conservation Badge but above all, its a great opportunity for these young people to give something back to their neighbourhood.
Anyone wishing to make a donation to Oatlands Scouts to help pay for a new hut floor should send donations payable to Oatlands Scour Group and send to Oatlands Scout Group, Pantile Road, Oatlands Park, Weybridge. Surrey KT13 9PY.
Following are some photgraphs of the cubs hard at work:
