Steve Brine MP visited Pinsent Camp on the evening of Monday 22 July to learn about the beautiful Camp Site on Teg Down, to receive a briefing on Barton Farm and to make four Silver Chief Scouts Awards to Cubs from the 3rd Winchester (The Worthies) Scout Group.
Millie Chilcott aged 10 and a Cub Scout, Alex King aged 17 and an Explorer Scout together with Chip the Beaver briefed Steve Brine on their recent meeting with Councillors, Council Officers and CALA Homes at the Barton Farm Forum.
They remain concerned about the estimated 800 or 40% of the 2,000 children expected to live on Barton Farm who will want to be Scouts and Guides. Unless full land provision is made at the imminent detailed planning stage these children will not be able to walk and bicycle to new Scout and Guide units within their immediate community.
Accompanied by the Pinsent sub-committee of Winchester Scouts' District Executive, the youngsters took Steve Brine on a tour of the Camp Site. Pinsent has belonged to Winchester Scouts since the 1930s. During the past 80 years, over 80,000 children from Winchester and the surrounding areas have benefited from Pinsent and all its adventurous activities.
The tour ended with a Grand Howl by the Cubs of the 3rd Winchester (The Worthies), the award of 4 Silver Chief Scouts Awards to Jack Thorn, Oliver Bryan, Samuel Murphy and Liam Kierans. Oliver Bryan and his Six also recieved prizes from Steve Feeney (Assistant District Commissioner for Cubs) for winning the District Camp Challenge in June. The awards were followed by a sausage sizzle and barbeque for parents and youngsters - and a water fight.
Steve Brine said: "As a former Scout myself, this visit was very special. It was so good to re-connect with the Scouting Movement and to hear how it has changed and updated since I was involved. The demand for Scouting in Winchester is clearly huge so I wanted to hear about their needs for the Barton Farm development and will do all I can to make their case to the City Council and CALA Homes. I know how much work goes into the Chief Scouts Awards so it was a real privilege to award them to four very special young people."
Pictured; Steve Brine joins Scouts, Leaders and Chip the Beaver on site
More information...
Contact Stephen Parker, District Commissioner, Winchester Scouts, via stephenjamesparker@gmail.com.