Good afternoon
It’s a while since I have had the misfortune of having to write a COVID update, but here I am again.
As of 1300 today (December 2nd) HQ has moved scouting in England to the yellow readiness level having previously been at green for a number of months.
For those of you who weren’t part of the group during the early days of the pandemic, Scout HQ has a four-stage colour-coded readiness plan for scouting in England which is based on guidance from the National Youth Agency. This ensures that we are aligned with other youth organisations across the country. The precise meaning of each level has been adjusted over time, but in this instance yellow means:
- Changes to international travel and nights away guidance (this doesn’t affect us)
- Anyone 11+ attending an indoor scouting activity must wear a mask unless exempt (this does)
In practical terms this means most Scouts, all Explorers and all adults are required to wear a mask indoors unless exempt.
This, and common sense around social distancing indoors while delivering our programme, means that we are likely to have to make some changes in the coming weeks, including tonight’s Beaver and Scout meetings. This could include changes to venue, a move to put some sessions online or cancellation. Your section leadership team will be in touch in due course to let you know of any changes.
Please bear with us while we try to work out the best thing to do in the circumstances, and keep a close eye on your emails for updates from your section. Where sessions do go ahead, but you have COVID-related reservations about sending your child along, you will not be penalised or lose a place due to non-attendance.
We hope this will be a brief stay at yellow, and we’ll be in touch if anything changes.
As ever, please feel free to get in touch with me or your section leaders with any questions, comments, concerns or suggestions.
Thanks
Gavin
