What We Did This Summer...

A Report on the 02 Visit by Chernobyl Children

Preparation

One of the problems about presenting your Scouting activities to a wider audience is that there is always a danger that others will feel that you are being-self seeking in promoting your own activities. There may be an element of truth in that but on the other hand, if we don’t talk about our successes – and our failures – how do we ever get the message across that Scouting is more than DYB DYB DYB? Not that doing your best is anything to be ashamed of.

This year a number of  people in West Yorkshire took part in an exercise designed to bring some young people from Belarus to the UK for a respite holiday – "At Home in West Yorkshire." All the young people had been subject to life threatening illnesses which could be attributed to the Chernobyl disaster, and it’s after effects. It would take a long time to get across the message of how the radiation affects people and why they can’t avoid eating contaminated food and poisoned water but the one figure which sticks in most peoples’ minds is this glaring statistic. The pre-Chernobyl population of Belarus was around 15 million people – the current population of Belarus is drawing closer to 10 million (and decreasing). That is a loss of 5 million people – the equivalent of the population of Yorkshire, or Scotland, simply vanishing. Or, in relative terms, a loss of 20 million from the UK population.

The deal was that along with Leeds, West Yorkshire would raise funds to bring the youngsters across for a full month - two weeks in West Yorkshire, two weeks in Leeds. The first week in West Yorkshire would be home-based, the second would be an activity week at Bradley Wood. The idea was presented to a range of people from across West Yorkshire at a meeting at the Ebenezer Church Hall on an International evening - "New Horizons". This was followed by an initial meeting to start planning the fundraising, the collections and the activities. Of course this was destined to involve a number of leaders in the process, but one of the elements Mark Stageman had envisaged from Day One, was the involvement of youth members of the Scout Association in making this whole event possible.

A considerable amount of publicity was issued across the County and with some 18 Districts, the target was for each District to raise £300. That was all that was being asked. If fundraising was too much, then perhaps the various Groups or sections could collect specific items which could be donated to the young guests. Surplus could always be sent by one of the regular relief loads sent by Children of Chernobyl, to Belarus. The enthusiasm of those involved suggested that attaining the £300 per District would not be too much of a problem. However, Scouting is a diverse movement with many individuals, many choices to make, and a great deal of demand on the resources of its members and not all Districts managed to contribute.

Three of the Scouts/ Explorers who became involved in the fundraising offered to tour to present the project to other Groups, their offer was taken up by a meeting of Commissioners and by one District . Undaunted, they took it to their own group and generated support through the whole group for the event. Each section did their own element of fundraising, Beavers did a sponsored event, Cubs sold tickets for an Easter Egg raffle, Scouts/ Explorers and Ventures baked cakes, ran stands at a Gala Day, filled film canisters with coins and organised events at their schools – cake stalls, discos, and a dress differently day all helped boost the funds. The £300 target was passed within the first week. The £600 within a month and fundraising was closed at £1,050 by June.

One of the pleasing elements of this campaign was that apart from moral support the adults at the Group had to do absolutely nothing towards the fundraising, it was all organised by the members. There was no additional burden of organising, of supervision, of managing or of promoting any of these events.

Other Districts, Groups and individual sections also contributed either though fundraising, or collecting packages for our guests. The requirements were basic, soap, toothpaste, toothbrushes, towels, socks, underwear and the basic requisites. It was all simple to collect, low cost priorities that could be fitted into a weekly shop without really being a problem.

Local businesses contributed too, in the form of sponsorship, food vouchers for the week at Bradley Wood, and free entry to attractions. The support for the "At Home in West Yorkshire" event was phenomenal. Sure, there were valid questions about the whole concept of bringing youngsters from an under-privileged background and exposing them to something they can never have. There were those who asked about the ones left behind? But just because we cannot help everyone, does that mean we should help no-one? Who really benefited from this? The young people from Belarus or the adults organising the event? Truthfully everyone involved benefited, and why not?

With the visit going to go ahead there was a need for host families and true to form the Scouts did as expected and found homes for all the visitors with Scout families across the county.

Arrival, departure & the future

The first week of At Home in West Yorkshire saw a line of activities and events laid on for the visitors, including a visit to discount stores to kit everyone out with new clothes. They had each arrived in what they stood in. It had always been part of the plan to clothe the guests and one of the highlights of the first week for many was trying on new clothes and having, perhaps for the first time in their lives, the chance to choose between more than one pair of jeans.

The first week concluded with a day at Scarborough, hosted by local Scouts, and the visit was graced by one of the warmest weekends of the year. The beach, the sand and the sea were all new experiences to the Belarussians and between the ice creams, the swimming and the sandcastles they were destined to arrive at Bradley Wood later that night in high spirits but exhausted.

The planned activities for the Bradley Wood week were all organised and staffed with Scouts, Explorers, Ventures and Fellowship. The Scout team arrived during the day and pitched their own tents and a further four for the use of our guests – though they were to spend at least their first night at Bradley Wood in the Charles Wilson building.

There was a sign of the organised chaos to come when Mark arrived with the visitors and asked if we could have a campfire. Unplanned the Ventures and Explorers set to and created a campfire and prepared to get everyone up and singing. The audience consisted of about twelve Scouts, 20 Belrussians who knew none of the songs, and a similar number of bemused parents. Before we started the campfire we established that about 15 of the parents had been in Guides or Scouts, so they were given the instruction that they had to join in. We press-ganged some visiting Cubs from another camp to join us and so we began with just over half the audience knowing some of the songs.

In any campfire group there will always be some who don’t join in but by using action songs we managed to get almost all the Belarussians and all the guests taking part. The favourite was Black Crow, with Singing In The Rain coming a close second. Little were we to know how apt the latter was to become.

The crisis started the week before the Belarussians set foot in the UK. An accident on the Aire and Calder canal caused the Police to close the canal, leaving the Jubilee Venture (Wakefield District’s Canal Boat) which we had hired for the week, stranded in Leeds. The four other boats we had as back up were all stranded at the same lock so we were left without one of our key activities for the week. We still had sailing at Scammonden, and quickly arranged some other activities for the Monday and Tuesday at least. Then on Tuesday the heavens opened and half the outdoor activities had to be cancelled, whilst Scammonden was either becalmed between showers or being subjected to the lightening storm which followed in the afternoon.

Back at Bradley Woods the tents were all swamped. Rivers were streaming across every surface of the campsite and when there was too much water to go under the groundsheets it came over the top. The Scouts and Explorers spent the night in the Charles Wilson building with the Belarussians. The Ventures decided that they were not going to be put off by a little water and with great determination – in the pouring rain – they dried their groundsheet, waterproofed the tent dried their sleeping bags and slept in their tent that night whilst all others ran for cover.

In a way it was a shame, the Monday night had seen Belarussian lads and Yorkshire scouts sitting round the altar fire playing games and having a laugh. On the other hand, it brought the whole group together and really started the mixing. An indoor campfire was organised but didn’t quite have the spark of the real thing. But games, cards, and general chilling out brought everyone together. Darren Wood provided a session of Circus Skills, supported by Scouts who had made use of his services before the event.

By Wednesday night the Scouts and Explorers had followed the lead of the Ventures and dried their kit and waterproofed their tents. Still the rain came, and the assault course was restricted to a single structure, a Tyrolean Traverse which crossed both gullies at Bradley Wood. It was set up on the Wednesday, but the persistent rain made using it a problem, it remained available until Friday by which time everyone who had wanted a chance at the crossing had made use of it in the few dry spells we had.

Barry Gray and a team of instructors offered Canadian Canoeing – the plan was for two trips up the canal to Sowerby Bridge and back down on the river. However, the rain had put the river in spate and dampened the Belurussian spirits for outdoor activities so the trip was restricted to a small party paddling on the canal.

Throughout the week the rain played havoc with the planned activities and some days saw plan B being substituted with third or fourth choice activities. However, the order of the week was to have fun and we all did. By Friday the Belurussians and the Scouts were mixing like old friends despite the language barrier. Games have a universal language and music breaks down all the barriers.

Saturday evening was the last night at Bradley Wood before our guests moved on to Leeds and the Ventures hooked up with Frank for the campfire. Together with their accord with the visitors and Frank’s experience and skill at the campfire there was a great deal of fun. Frank ran through a repertoire of nonsense action songs, supported by the Ventures with some of the week’s favourite songs. As Frank drew the campfire to a close there was a moment which highlighted the success of the week and perhaps the positive influence of Scouting on us all. Several voices called for BP Spirit and Frank at first declined, saying our guests would not know the song. However, he was corrected by calls from both Scouts and the Belarussians and the campfire closed with BP Spirit  – which has become one of our favourite closing songs.

Thankfully the rain decided to stay away for most of Saturday but crossed wires meant that a planned disco failed to materialise and we were left with a gap in the evening’s entertainment. However, Ventures to the rescue. And in the only real name dropping in this article, Callum Scott and Tom Merry from Clayton West Ventures called in ex-Shepley Scout Jordan Allen and put together “Bobszone” for a unique one night only gig at Bradley Wood, using the porch at the Ark as a stage. The Punk/Thrash/Rock may not have been music to everyone’s ears but the kids from Belarus seemed to enjoy the treat and were seen to join in, singing along and dancing around the tents.

Sunday was departure day for everyone and the Scouts who had been working throughout the week cleaning pots and pans, keeping the Charles Wilson building tidy, providing activities and socialising were pushing each other to keep going. The worst part of any camp is striking tents and packing gear. After a wet working week it is all the harder to keep the momentum up. But there was still energy at the end of the week for a final get together to say goodbye and sing two final songs. By popular demand they were Black Crow’s Spirit, which the visitors had off by heart and when the leader got lost it was a Belurussian lad who picked up the actions. Of course we had to finish with Singing In The Rain, which Ann Emmot led in her own inimitable style to resounding applause. With that, At Home in West Yorkshire was all over.

The list of people who made the whole event possible would be difficult to compile. Many people put in a great deal of time and effort, they were supported by a far greater number who offered what help they could, either in fundraising, or donating goods, driving buses, organising activities, cooking, cleaning, or just simply being there. At Home in West Yorkshire was a success because people wanted to make it happen and surely that is the single biggest message we can give to our young people. If you want to make it happen, you can.

The stars of the event were without doubt the youngsters from Yorkshire and their guests from Belarus. On the Thursday night we were sitting round our Altar fire unwinding at the end of the day. The rain was hissing as it hit the fire. The steam rose from the bodies sitting huddled round the flames. The craik was good. One of the Explorers announced, “This is what Scouting is about. When it’s as good as this the rain doesn’t matter. Let’s do it again.” There were no dissenters.

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