Last weekend, Leaders from across the District took part in the first training session to provide awareness of mental health.
By completing this training, provided by North Staffs Mind, Leaders will have a better understanding of mental health and mental ill health and will be in a better position to provide support for young people involved in Scouting. This will help to ensure the District’s young people know that they are safe and supported by their Leaders and Scout colleagues in their community.

The training was excellent, very informative and professionally delivered. It was encouraging to see how many positive mental health strategies our Leaders employed, many of which were connected with an active lifestyle and Scouting activities.

Positive mental health, and awareness in young people is one of the areas our youth executive committee are passionate about promoting in the District.

One of our young leaders had this to say about how Scouting has helped them –

 

When I was almost 6 I can remember standing in front of a flag making the first of many promises I would make throughout the rest of my life.
When I was 13 I sat panicking about the fact I was going  to have to leave the comfort of my Scout Troop and go to Explorers, and I seriously considered quitting Scouting. However, for some reason, my mind decided to tell me not to and I made my most recent promise.
See, when you’re part of Scouting / Guiding, it means so much more than the scarf you wear and the badges you have. The friends you meet become family and the adventures you get the opportunity to go on stay with you for the rest of your life. I’ve done many things, the Monopoly run, numerous camps, car washes, a trip to Norway and I’m a young leader.
Yet, I’m still slightly ashamed to walk around in my uniform and proclaim how good Scouting is. However, I know for a fact that I’ve had more adventures in the last 9 years than any of the idiots at school will ever have!

I watch people make the promise a lot, yet each time I say it ,it means a lot more than the words I say. It’s a sense of belonging and a sense of pride, because Scouting has helped me in more ways than I can count and I would not be the person I am today without Scouting. I owe a great deal of gratitude to the leaders who have literally put up with so much from me, so here’s to the future the friends and memories!

#scoutingforall

There are more training sessions planned for District leaders over the next couple of months.

This training has been supported through the Staffordshire County Council Local Community Fund. Newcastle District Scout Council thanks Councillor David Loades for his ongoing support.