An introduction to 2nd. Witham Boys Brigade

Witham is a small town of approaching 30,000 plus people set midway between Chelmsford and Colchester, in Essex. 2nd. Witham has members throughout a 25 mile radius of the town, from as far away as Braintree, Maldon, Hatfield Peverel and surrounding villages, Silver End, Terling and north Chelmsford. We have one young man and two staff from Billericay too.
From small beginnings in September 1972, the group has grown to it’s current 110 boys, 9 Officer staff and 40 volunteers, ( including five Trustees. All meetings take place at Guithavon Valley Evangelical Church, Witham, plus the BB office, the workshop unit, the local church gym and meeting rooms at Witham UR Church, New Rickstones Academy gym and Bradwell Waterside Marina for the boat.
The Company celebrates 37 years of BB in Witham on 18th.September 2009 and is a registered charity in it’s own right No. 1098237.

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This photo was taken in the summer of 2009 and shows the Brigade Secretary presenting The Jack Petchey Achievement Awards

Run by a dedicated group of Officers, Parents’ Fund Raising Group, full time volunteer staff member John Boon, Sacha Pavitt, part - time Administrator, part - time Project staff members Andrew Eaves plus Douglas Latto, our current year - out volunteer, the group has it’s own offices and resource centre in the heart of Witham. We are a Christian youth group, although membership of a church is not a condition of membership. Activities and resources are shared with other groups in the locality too.

This website went live in early January 2007 and replaces our old one on The Boys’ Brigade server. As at August 2010 we have had nearly 200,000 hits!
Please also note there is a 2nd. Witham Boys’ Brigade Facebook site too - this is primarily there to attract old members to continue to support us as we reach our 40th. birthday in 2012!!

TO CHECK WHAT’S ON EACH WEEK - LOOK UNDER DIARY AND SELECT THE DATE YOU WANT INFORMATION ON !

 

What can we offer you ?

The work every week is divided as follows:

Anchor Boys

For boys aged 5 through to 7 years, meets on a Tuesday evening, for a play hour from 6.00 - 7.00pm. with craft, story time and games. Leader is Chris, John, Ann & Ian, Douglas, Ross, James, Ben, Tyler and other young people. Visits have been made to Museums, local group competitions, Fun Days and various local indoor play areas !! As at August 2010 we have room for up to 7 more young people aged 5 upwards. Any 4 year olds, can go on to a list in the likely event, we become over subscribed again !! Call the office for further information please - 01376 520400

Juniors

For boys aged 8 through to 11 years, meets on a Wednesday evening from 6.15 to 7.45pm. The Juniors is led by Andrew Eaves, Edwin, Mark Pavitt, Douglas, Ross, Tyler and John Boon, plus several young people from the Group. Enjoying their own five - sided new badgework programme, we also enjoy outings, visits and camps from time to time. Competitions with other Juniors’ groups features throughout the year.Specials include Woodturning and burning, Water Safety, and Reptiles / Snakes evening, Secret Day Out, Overnight stay in Kelvedon Hatch Secret Underground Nuclear Bunker and MAD SCIENCE !!
Weekly competitions include joke time and Spot the Difference, War Hammer, pool and chess.
Our War Hammer Club meets also during Juniors, for young people aged 8 upwards ! No cost for this Club.
We still have room for a few more as this Section currently has 30 members - call the office for more information please - August 2010

Company Section

For boys aged 11 through to 14 years, and SENIORS for those aged 15 years and older, meet on Fridays, from 7.00pm., and finish with a sport hour and the Seniors’ own programme published regularly. Again all young people work to a new two weekly badgework programme. Leaders: John Boon, Lorne Campbell, Steven Lees, Ian Elliott, James Markham, John May, Matt West, John Luke Chipperfield, James Lawrence and Keith Meredith, Paul Young and Douglas. We also have help from with Sally providing the refreshments ! The higher awards of President’s and Queen’s Badges, The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award Scheme and Youth Volunteer Award, all feature in the programme, from time to time. During 2009 and 2011 we have a Leadership Training programme underway - to include initiative tests and working together - using Climbing / abseiling, scuba diving and gliding. Check out the Gallery for photos of climbing and diving to date !
Once a month a Squad Challenge or other activity is held, plus outings and visits. Upcoming for this autumn - Water activity weekend in London 1 - 3 October ; Paintballing day out and Bangar Racing evening in Ipswich !!!!! This group is now 55 young people so if you want to join, please call the office - August 2010

Senior Section

See Company Section information first - then—From 9pm on a Friday evening at Guithavon Valley Church halls anyone of fifteen years or over, can take part in the new Seniors programme. In addition to the Duke of Edinburgh Award Scheme and the Queen’s Badge which is the highest award in Boys’ Brigade and a Junior Leadership Award worked towards for over a year after gaining the President’s Badge, are all features of the Seniors’ Programme. We do of course have a social programme as well and some of the following are activities thought up by both the staff and Seniors themselves: Duke of Edinburgh Award and Queen’s Badge Meetings, Unihoc Competition, Kodak Kapers, swimming, physical recreation at the school gym followed by McDonalds, indikarting or go-karting or tobogganing, a meal out at pizza hut or a chines takeaway at Church, Lorne’s special, Crystal Maze Competition,Italian 5-a-side soccer, ten-pin bowling, car maintenance, driving, banking, CV writing and interviewing skills, pancake contest, leadership meetings. Luke KC currently runs The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award Scheme and the programme has been re - designed by Declan, John Luke and David Marr, who run the group with help from Lorne and John ! Seniors finishes at 10.30pm and everybody is helped to get home safely. Updated August 2010

Information for membership

Membership to 2nd. Witham costs the following in 2010-2011 :

Anchor Boys annual fee is £63
Juniors is £70 - War Hammer Club membership and tuition included as is Basketball Club and tuition every other Monday afternoon
Company Section & Seniors is £81 - PR sport hour each Friday and Basketball tuition on every other Monday included

Uniform is a blue polo shirt for each group and a different coloured sweatshirt both costing around £26. Forms are available online or at any meeting.

We can give details for a bank standing order, payable over 10 months, or termly. We are unable to accept weekly payments, due to the cost of administering this. Cheques should be made payable to 2nd. Witham Boys’ Brigade.

Outings, visits and camps are extra, as are trips abroad and time on the powerboat, we ask for a donation if this possible.

If you require any further information, please ask.

LOOK OUT FOR ALL THE NEWS - summer / autumn 2010

Don’t forget to look at the News section - for all current information all updated regularly

HAVE YOU LOOKED AT ALL THE NEWS LATELY ??? August 2010

There are lots of news items in that section. please take a good look in case you have missed anything !

Some thoughts :

In years to come how will you and I be remembered and for what, by our children and young people ?

I came across some ideas for youth work today :

1. Listen to the voices of young people - but help them evaluate what they say and want !
2. Work co-operatively with all other groups - to help inclusion and acceptance of those with special needs.
3. Demonstrate tough love - offering sound emotional and spiritual security in it’s broadest sense.
4. Organise activities that help young people feel valued and significant - are we doing this here and at everywhere else ?
5. Challenge the demonisation of young people at every opportunity, by giving opportunity to them all to shine !!
6. Help build commuity cohesion by youth work that educates young people to value our common humanity and shared citizenship!

Please see below :

 


Dear All on the BB Website

Building Memories

Remember when�?�
�?�the Beano was 8p? �?�when you could buy a packet of crisps, a can of Coke and a Finger of Fudge for under 50p? �?�when you filled a coke can with change?

How about when you first started at 2nd. Witham BB?

I certainly have lots of memories of my time at BB, for example our first display at Parkside, and the first time I took a group out to America in 1979. I remember when we held the BB Centenary celebrations in Chelmsford, and over 800 people were present. Such a day!  Another of my memories takes place when one of the early members of 2nd Witham BB brought his son down to his first night at BB.

I�??m hope you have many good and funny memories of your time at BB; if you get a chance drop me a note of what they are via our website : http://www.2withamboys-brigade.org.uk  Also take a look at some old photos, you never know it might be you!

As you know I always like to look forward, and as we celebrate our 35th birthday I would ask you to consider joining with me to ensure that future generations can build memories in the same that we have had the chance to do through the work 2nd Witham BB. 

For over 30 years we have run programmes for 6 to18 plus year olds in Witham, with activites ranging from abseiling to snowboarding; weekends away to Kodak kapers; visits to places like Denmark, the USA and Canada; and a lot more besides.
To ensure the future of 2nd Witham BB we have invested in leasing two buildings, (with a view to buying the latter) and in appointing a staff development worker, but we need your help to sustain our memory making activites. Please see the reverse of this letter for further details.

How can you help? Are you are able to commit to the next two years of giving a monthly amount? If you are unable to do this can you send us a one off birthday present?  Simply complete the form enclosed and return to us in the envelope provided.

Thank you for taking time to read this and for being willing to consider joining with me as a supporter of 2nd Witham BB, heres to the next 35 years!

Yours sincerely,

 


John Boon, October 2007

Thanks for reading so far !

We have had offices in Witham for over 15 years and currently occupy a four roomed building in the old Freebournes Farmhouse, nearby to the Library right in the middle of town ! This is leased for all our programming and administrative work, and we teach guitar and drums, plus music mixing and film making, from time to timehere. Boys come in write their CV, in addition to work experience from school too. Some parents use the internet from here.

During July 2007, we took on the lease of a industrial / storage and workshop facility in the towns industrial estate, with a view to buying it after one year. Because of its unique up and over huge garage type door, our powerboat can be stored on its trailer during the winter, allowing us to undertake all the maintenance work we need to do. From here our car restoration project runs plus woodturning, plus all the other dirty jobs we need to do to, storage of equipment from the land project, mountain bikes and the radio controlled cars.
It is hoped to build a mezzanine floor for storage too and thus create space in the lofts of the church, for church use !!!

The cost of both leases alone is £10,500 per year and to buy the unit and equip it with a first floor will cost about £65,000!! These figures do not include services and insurance etc. As at August 2010 we are in the final stages of purchase of the workshop, as we received over £52,000 toward it !!!!

As we are a registered charity in our own right, we can re claim tax through Gift Aid. Last financial year, this came to almost £2200 we can do a lot with that kind of money.

If you are able to help, please Gift Aid it !

Please see the downloads for a donation form   T H A N K S

August 2010

 

John Boon