3rd Witham (St Nicholas) Scout group is open to boys and girls aged between 4 and 14 regardless of faith.

We have a historical affiliation to St Nicolas Church, and while we still link with them this does not exclude those of non Christian faith or those without a religion from joining the scout group.

We are located at our own hall we share with GirlguidingUK adjacent to Spring Lodge Community Centre on Powers Hall Road.

We operate 4 age groups and have strong links to the local Witham Explorer Scout Unit.

Squirrels 4 to 6 year olds; Fridays 1630 to 1715hrs

Beavers 6 to 8 year olds; Tuesdays 1800 to 1930hrs

Cubs 8 to 10 1/2 years old; Mondays 1830 to 2000hrs

Scouts 10 1/2 to 14 year olds; Fridays 1900 to 2030hrs

At 14 young people have the options to move on to Explorers and can become young leaders.

We follow the Scout Association guidelines for a balanced program, meaning one week your young person could be pitching a tent, and the next week learning about the history of our town. Your young person may experience any of the following, climbing, community volunteering, swimming gala, kayaking, pioneering, axe saw and knife training, fire station visit, zip line, sweet making, remembrance parade, blind sandwich making, orienteering, home help skills, shelter building, survival skills, dementia awareness, backwards cooking, caving, circus skills, craft, team sports, games, surfing, DIY skills, fundraising, hiking, map reading and navigation, communication skills, international friendship, sleep overs, and day trips.

All young people get the opportunity to work towards the Scout Associations awards scheme during section meetings, and this can also be done at home by the young person with or without assistance from the parents.

All leaders and helpers are volunteers, giving their time freely to nurture, provide experiences, and skills for life to the young people of Witham. Many of these volunteers have been involved with Scouts since they were children and now want to pass on their knowledge. This doesn't mean we don't welcome new volunteers into the group and anyone is welcome to join us as a leader or helper regardless of Scout experience. Our number one priority is child protection and for that reason all volunteers under go Disclosure and Baring scheme checks inline with Scout association policy.

A membership subscription is payable, your child's section leader will give you details. The group only survives through charitable donations, grants, and fundraising, help from parents and the young people at fundraising events is crucial to the survival of the group. The Executive volunteer committee assist the group by ensuring funds are available for equipment, building maintenance, and that the grounds and building are clean and safe for the young people. Help from more parents is always needed. Please contact 3rd@withamscouts.org.uk to volunteer your professional or general support and time.

We welcome any person over the age of 14*, with or without a background in Scouting. Join us to gain skills for life. Camping, bowling, hammock sleeping, self defense, community volunteering, world travel, climbing, t-shirt printing, game bird preparation, pizza eating, fire lighting, axe throwing, shelter building, first aid, video gaming, cycling, town planning, clay pigeon shooting, presentation skills, nan bread making, yoga, computer building, map reading, animation creation, kayaking, and pantomime production are some of the experiences Explorers have had since we opened in 2011.

Our Explorers have travelled to Holland, Poland, Estonia, Sweden, Australia, America, and Japan.

Explorers have gone onto become bar tenders, an IT analyst, a Banker, a Social media executive, Shop assistant, an Electrician, a Doctor, RN Seaman, pizza creator, Accounts assistant, a ground worker, bachelor of science, artist, Teacher, Office Manager, Composer, and Mechanic. A diverse group of people all sharing Explorer Scouts at the heart it.

The unit is run by volunteer leaders with professional backgrounds in construction, IT and train driving. The unit isn't a stereotype of Scouting, please come along for a couple of our Explorer taster sessions to see for yourself.

Meeting on Monday evenings during term time, the unit enjoys the luxury of using both local Scout halls and Prances Activity Centre in Wickham Bishops for the weekly meeting nights with weekend and summer camp activities held locally and further afield.

Currently the cost of being an Explorer Scout is less than £14 a month. With weekend and special activities where additional cost involved is regularly subsidised.

All we ask is that your willing to get stuck in and learn new skills, have new experiences and make new friends. Apart from being over 14* there are no other prerequisites for being an Explorer Scout.

Contact us by emailing explorers@withamscouts.org.uk to find out more

Scout volunteers come in all shapes and sizes, backgrounds, professions and faiths. So does their level of commitment.

You don't need to have children involved in Scouts to volunteer your time or skills.

Some volunteers choose to give regular hours like the 20 or so section leaders that make up the Witham Scouts leadership team.

Committee members giving regular but no fixed hours. Parent helpers who attend section meetings to assist the leaders in implementing the program.

Others offer adhoc hours for things like fundraising, maintenance and helping at camps.

Witham Scouts always need additional adult volunteer support in any form.

Two more volunteer leaders will allow another beaver colony to open in the town, giving 20 young people the access to Scouting and parents access to affordable out of school activities.

Examples of parent help; parent who is a carpenter showing and helping cubs to make bird boxes.

Parent who's an accountant auditing the group of section finances.

Parent writing a grant application and collating the evidence required.

Parents driving group equipment to a camp.

Sweeping the hall floor after a section meeting.

Group of parents/grandparents/older siblings/neighbours clearing the overgrown garden at one of the halls.

Group of parents running a Tombola at a community event.

Attending beavers to make drinks, or assisting an individual with their craft.

Your help however small goes along way to ensuring the continued success of Witham Scouts. Please get in touch with the individual group to offer your assistance or speak to your child's section leader.