Cubs Funding

[mousey]

Hi there,

Thought I'd ask the collective a question. I've been requested to put forth a suggestion for an application for funding for the local cubs group. If you were given a maximum of £1000 to ask for what would you use it to fund / buy?

I look forward to your thoughts....

 

[Toddy]

I don't know if you have permanent premises, so I don't know if it'd be easy to store stuff. Maybe the storage itself is something worth asking for funding to secure ?

Consumables though, such as craft materials, not just paper and plastic, but rope, willow, raffia and the like, and the tools to work it too, don't come cheap. Not so much the knives and axes, but the peelers, pruners and folding laplanders type things
A bit of forethought, maybe make Christmas wreaths and sell them for a local charity ? as part of the pack's involvement in their area.
They learn skills and they do good things with them Seasonality at play really.

Badge work has changed greatly over the years too, maybe equipment to make it easier to take the cubs through a theme ?
Books and computer dvd's, or perhaps funding for courses for the Leaders so that they themselves have more skills to share with the cubs.

I know my own packs ended up struggling to get children to places because transport became a huge issue. We had guidelines from above that using family cars might not be covered by the insurance and public transport didn't always go where we wanted, when we wanted, and coach hire has never been cheap. Maybe funding to subsidise coach hire to specific events or sites ?

Tell us more about your Pack though

M

 

[mousey]

Thanks for the suggestions Toddy

Been there about a year, we have 22 registered 16-19 reliably turn up each week. I'm not very knowledgeable on the cubs movement so uniform and hierarchy is down to the other guy, I just want to get them outside and have fun We do have a hall with a storage trunk dedicated to the cubs I'm sure we could take up some more space, so some storage but not masses.

I thought about our own outdoor stuff - tents, tarps maybe a few hammocks. TBH we haven't got out much to require camping stuff - I'm not certificated enough to be responsible for them overnight etc. We did do a BIG 100 year camp a couple of weekends ago [800+ cubs ....] and borrowed camping stuff from the scouts, that was awesome

It's just to put together a good sounding proposal to give a good change of getting the funding.

 

[Toddy]

How about tarps, groundsheets and cordage ? That way you can get the kids out and doing stuff outdoors regardless of the weather. It doesn't need to be about camping out, especially until you have enough leaders with extra qualifications/training, etc., but even sitting outside peeling willow (cordage, make charcoal 'pencils' from the offcuts of the willow, boil up the peelings to make a tannin that will soak, darken and help protect the cordage) for simple things like tension trays (they don't need to be peeled for those, but, y'know, different activities ) or for hoops for dreamcatchers or Christmas wreath bases or such like, is a busy, interesting activity for them.
Cheap closed cell foam mats that roll up tidy but make it a bit warmer sitting out are useful too, and they can always be used camping later on….might find they'd be a common resource with the scouts too.

Bound to be loads of other ideas from folks

M

 

[mrcharly]

Something that can be used as a cooktent, an outdoor classroom or a demo tent when setting up on village fetes?

Basically some sort of tent with a side that can be rolled up.
That would never be short of used, I reckon.

 

[Faz]

Couple of bell tents. I went through cubs, scouts and venture scouts and I remember cubs we had a few bell tents that we'd take away and use as a great base from which to explore/learn in various places.
As we got older the funding went into kayaks as the group had a big interest in that.
We also did a lot of walking and started to climb while in cubs and that also carried through to scouts and venture scouts. I can't emphasise how much life experience I got while walking and climbing, taught me a lot about not giving up on things. A valuable life lesson for me considering the stuff that happens in your adult life.
A worthy cause whatever you decide mousey.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[northumbriman]

I used to be a Cub leader myself then GSL for a while. The only way to answer this is to know how well equipped the group is currently. If it has an abundance of camping kit then its pointless buying more. If a tent/tents need replacing then its a no brainer. My last group had loads of good tents but lacked camp kit like pans, cook gear etc. We went to Ikea and bought large plastic storage boxes and loads of basic stuff like frying pans, knives, chopping boards, utensils etc. Made them up into patrol boxes so each patrol could "own" a kit for camps and activities. Other ideas would be to use the funds to take the group on an adventure of a lifetime. Our Explorer unit organised a biannual trip abroad and used the 2 years to raise funds in order to keep the cost per explorer to a minimum. The £1000 would give your group a good chunk towards a fantastic trip that the cubs otherwise may not be able to fund.