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Scouts on hand to deliver swine flu jab letters for local medical practice

29/10/2009

Please be aware, the information in this article is no longer current.

Bristol Scouts have offered a helping hand in the face of the postal strike by volunteering to deliver swine flu vaccination appointment letters for their local medical practice.

When strikes by Royal Mail workers could have meant that patients from Whitchurch Health Centre in Hengrove, Bristol would miss their vital appointments, the answer was just around the corner.

Who better than the Scouts to step in at time of need? After all, many of our Members have been taking part in Scout Post services for over 20 years!

The Scouts from nearby Christ Church were only too happy to help out and spent two weekends sticking down envelopes and sorting and delivering the letters, continuing their important work into their half-term holidays.

Scout Leader Cyril Mullen said: 'The Scouts have always done things to earn their keep and they've got quite a bit of experience delivering letters at Christmas.'

Practice manager Steve Davies was delighted with the Scouts' community-based approach. 'Without their help and assistance, contacting our key patients would have been very difficult.' he said.

'The Scouts have enjoyed participating and we have been really pleased to know we have succeeded in reaching our "at-risk" population.'

As part of the Scout Promise, Scouts help other people and the Bristol volunteers demonstrate the contribution that young people can make to their local community, as well as providing them with new skills.

While the Bristol scheme may be a one-off, there are scores of Scout Post services across the UK, managed by local adult volunteers working with young people to delivering Christmas cards and letters to their own road and surrounding neighbourhood in the local area.

Apart from teaching Scouts to be good citizens, the Scout Post schemes can also give young people a glimpse at how it feels to run a big business with all the logistical challenges it can entail.

Local communities also benefit from Scout Post as many Scout Groups share the proceeds of their scheme with local charities. Others plough the funds back into their Scout Groups for new equipment or camps, which enables more young people to experience Scouting.

One of the most successful Scout Post schemes in the Wirral has raised hundreds of thousands of pounds for good causes thanks to massive local support and the hard work of volunteers and Scouts.

For information on running a Scout Post scheme in your area, the Christmas Post factsheet can tell you all you need to know.

 

 

Comments

By Rodney Sandys on 29/10/2009 17:14 Tiptree Scouts, who are part of the Maldon & East Essex Scout District have been operating the Postal Scheme since 1980 and have had a great deal of success as a result. It is true that you need a lot of committment from all who are involved, Leaders, Adults and young people, but the rewards are such that anyone who reminds themselves of the Scout Promise and Law know that they feel justly proud of the efforts they give, firstly to the community they work in and the strength it gives to the values of Scouting. Good luck to all those hardworking Groups that support this scheme, long may you prosper for the benefit of all our young people.