1st Birdham & Witterings Scout Group
Group Information
FUNDRAISING
Without help and support at these events we will not be able to raise the additional funds we need to keep our group going and give our young people the fun and educational activities.
If you can help in any way please contact us.
General Information
Subs
Subs are currently £45.00 per term paid termly by cheque made payable to 1st Birdham & Witterings Scouts or by BACS payment.
Gift Aid
If you are a UK tax payer please donate your subs using the Gift Aid Scheme and we can claim 25p on every £1 you donate.
Group History
Scouting in the Chichester District has been with us since the movement began and Robert Baden-Powell, the Chief Scout, made many visits to Chichester in the early years. The early 1930's saw the commencement of a troop at Birdham and the Witterings. The
Witterings Troop was run by a Miss Crawford, an able Scouter who trained many evacuees during the war. After the war, Mr Brookes started a cub pack and Mr Jones a scout troop, and in 1947 the 1st Birdham joined with the Witterings troop as an amalgamated group under Group Scoutmaster Glen Mizener. This Photograph shows Mr Mizener and his wife, Joan, with the members of the cub pack outside the Scouts Hut.
The Scouts and Guides met in a corrugated iron hut (seen in the background the photo above) which was originally used as a store by Birdham Post Office. This hut was adjacent to the school playground.
In the background of the photo above is the Scout and Guide Head-quarters built by the group in 1964 following the closure of the old school.
Back in 2008 the group celebrated the completion of it's Diamond Jubilee year by issuing a commemorative badge that was designed by one of the Beaver Scouts and was worn on the uniform for one year to mark this.
Our new Scout Hut has been completed in 2025 and we are now making full use of our new space.
This will be used and enjoyed for many decades to come and not just by the Scouts but by everyone in the Birdham and Wittering area. The design and facilities make it a flexible building that can be used for many different events by all manner of community groups.
The walls will be super insulated to reduce temperature fluctuations within the building. Photovoltaic Solar panels on the roof will provide some electricity for the lighting while solar water heating panels will provide hot water for the sinks and showers and possible under floor heating too. An air source heat exchanger using the same technology that cools a fridge but in reverse will be used to heat and cool the building when needed. These are low energy systems that are highly efficient and can be easily upgraded as the technology evolves. The leaders would like to use as much green and reusable energy as possible to not only keep running costs to an absolute minimum. But also to teach the children about sustainable living and green energy. This will fit in with the Scout ethos of working with nature and not harming it. it is hoped that the new building will encourage other Scout and community groups to make use of the facilities and that it will strengthen and build new ties with other groups both locally and further afield.
GROUP & SECTION ANNUAL REPORTS