A local Scout group has recently been able to increase the services they provide to young people thanks to a generous grant from Northumberland Freemasons.
The newly formed Tynemouth Sea Scout Group, which meets at Tynemouth Sailing Club within The Haven at Tynemouth, actively engages and supports young people, in the area, in their personal development, empowering them to make a positive contribution to society throughout their lives. They currently run three sections in the form of Beavers, Cub Scouts and Sea Scouts, with a membership of sixty members and eight voluntary leaders and, although admitting the maximum intake in relation to the maximum permitted adult to young person ratio, still have an “all sections” waiting list of almost fifty young boys and girls.
Northumberland Freemasons, through the Richard Henry Holmes Masonic Benevolent Fund and the Northumberland Mark Benevolent Fund, donated £1600 to cover the cost of training four adult volunteers in canoeing and sailing, in addition to 2 personalised banners which were on display at the recent Remembrance Day Parade in North Shields.
Don Charlton MBE, Chairmen of the Tynemouth Sea Scout Group, explained:
'On behalf of the Leaders and Members of Tynemouth Sea Scout Group, I wish to place on record our appreciation to Northumberland Freemasons and Northumberland Mark Benevolent Fund for their most generous grants which have enabled our Group to purchase personally printed sectional flags for our Scout and Cub Scout Sections. Both these Flags will be proudly displayed and carried at the official North Tyneside Remembrance Parade along Hawkey`s Lane on Sunday 13 November. Additionally, a sizeable proportion of the donation will also allow us to cover the costs of specialist water activity training for up to four of our sectional Leaders.'
Speaking ahead of the Parade, Sea Scout Leader, Richard Eyles said:
'Our young members have been putting in a lot of effort into rehearsing for their very first parade and are both excited and proud to be the very first representatives of our recently formed Group to Parade in Public – This makes me even more proud to belong to the Brotherhood'
Jeff Ormston, the Provincial Grand Charity Steward for both Northumberland Freemasons Craft and Mark Master Masons, explained
'Thanks to the combined efforts of both the Richard Henry Holmes Masonic Benevolent Fund and the Northumberland Mark Benevolent Fund the Sea Scouts group, based at Tynemouth, were able to purchase flags which were used for the first time at the Remembrance Day Parade in North Shields. We are extremely pleased to have been able to assist with this great cause.'
