1st Madrid British Scouts 2022 Round-up

2022 was an action-packed year for 1 st Madrid Scouts. As part of our aim to provide a safe
environment to take risks, have fun and learn Skills4Life, some of our top activities were
SNOWZONE skiing and sledging, horse riding and visiting a working farm in Collado Mediano,
learning Morris dancing at the spring fair and being suddenly joined by Darth Vadar and the
Storm troopers, creating games and activities for our young visitors from Fundación Down
Madrid, going to Aranjuez for kayaking and paddle boarding, the summer all-sections water
fight, winter camp in Aranjuez with a history of energy show provided by Joe, and learning
more about electricity at the Nicola Tesla exhibition Caixa Forum.
It was difficult year for many reasons across the world, but we did what little we could to help.
We got to know 2 Ukrainian families personally, who had just escaped Donbas and through our
wider network, leaders and parents did what they could to help. We managed to provide them
with sufficient technology to keep in touch with family and keep in touch with schooling and
we tried to be a contact point for help. We picked them all up from the hotel they were placed
in by Cruz Roja and brought them to St George´s for an afternoon.
This was the same day we were doing a collection (to be distributed by Caritas Nuestra Señora
de las Americas) of warm coats and fully equipped school rucksacks for Ukrainian children to
start school straight away. The 4 girls and 2 boys aged between 7 and 16 and their mothers,
were able to take them home straight away. With my daughter and her Belarussian friend who
spoke Russian, we took them all for a day in Madrid and a picnic in el Retiro, helping them use
the public transport for the first time. I kept in touch with them and just before Christmas
received a message that they had decided to return home as the war doesn´t show signs of
stopping, and they thanked everyone for their kindness and wished us all a Merry Christmas.
We planted a tree for the Jubilee with the British Ambassador Madrid Hugh Elliott in St
George´s School garden, had a Jubilee themed camp at Gredos with a 1950s style street party
atmosphere with 70 years of music, pass the parcel, musical chairs and pin the tail on the
corgi. The end of the year meant we also visited the Embassy along with 1 st Majadahonda to
sign the condolence book and planted purple and white flowers around our Jubilee tree.
We ended the year with a Christmas theatre event inviting all the parents, families and
friends. Each section did a sketch on stage and everyone joined in singing 12 days of Christmas.
We sold cakes and mulled wine, bringing the total we’ve raised for our Explorer going to World
Scout Jamboree Korea to €850 over last term. Jordan McCullough our Southern European
District paid us a surprise visit, joined in the fun, and handed out a couple of awards.
We hope you all had a wonderful break with your family and friends and look forward to
having another fun filled year together.

Happy New Year!
Catherine
Group Scout Leader 1 st Madrid British Scouts.