Facebook and Friends Reunited

We now have a 2nd. Witham BB website registered on Friends Reunited and a Company site on Facebook too ! If you are an old boy etc., please leave your details on one of these please. We want to build up a list of old boys and supporters, in readiness for our 40th. Birthday in 2012 !!! It was a real joy to hear from Robert Russell in 2005, an original member in the 1972 era ! He is now married with two children and living in Surrey, working as a Prison Officer ! As at this month several more ex 2nd. Witham folk have registered and many more on facebook too - December 2009

Update on our financial position as at December 2009

In the last few months, we have suffered some real challenges financially.
With the loss of bank interest, a downturn in one or more grant making Trusts we are quite a few thousands of pounds short of our projected budget for 2009 - 2010.

The bag packing we hold is so important now, but behind the scenes we have been working hard to secure our future.

We can announce that due to much hard work by BB staff and Seniors too, the Essex County Council Youth Opportunity Fund and the Angus Allnatt Foundation granted £7566 for us to complete our canoe project, including a combined car / canoe trailer.

Also the County Council Youth Capital Fund have granted £36,300 toward the purchase of the workshop / unit. We now have three months to secure further funding, to complete the project and build a first floor storage and work area.

Thanks to everyone, as more funding applications are in the pipeline now and will be worked on into the New Year.

John Boon 19th. December 2009

New Powerboat Season for 2010

James Pavitt and Ross Playle - Seniors - are working on a programme for the new season for 2010. Watch out for details. Until we receive the new year tide tables, it’s a little difficult to predict high tides coinciding with the dates we want to use the boat.

Watch out too for details of the RNLI / Harwich boat Festival weekend in July 10 and London Scout Project, Canary Wharf in early October 10.

Morrison’s Bag Packing

83 young people, staff and parents took part in a huge bag pack at Morrison’s Monday 21st December,you will all be pleased to know we raised £1266.31 p. Six people did double or triple shifts to cover for those absent, but considering it was a very slow start - not many shoppers til 11 am., it was a super amount - THANKS !!!!  b>Please note also that new dates are booked and confirmed now for 2010:
Saturday 27th. March 2010 to pay for the mooring fees for the powerboat

Monday 20th. December 2010 - both at Morrisons supermarket Witham - THANKSJohn 19.12.09

New equipment

Thanks to Ross, Michael and Andrew who compiled a County Council grant application and secured money for a new super - duper keyboard, plus a Nintendo Wii, TV and games. Well done guys !

We have a new year out student working for us a volunteer from September

Welcome to Declan Rogers who is 18 years old and comes from 2nd. Bournemouth Boys’ Brigade on or around 14th. September. He will spend a year with us focussing on Anchor Boys and Juniors work, plus sometime in the teen group, plus office input, devotional material and work with computer games. He will be living with a family in Witham. He comes from a strong BB background and will retain an interest and presence in Bournemouth too. Welcome Declan !!!!

Recycle your old mobile phone and other things to raise money for us!!

Does anyone have any old mobile phones they no longer need???, we have joined a scheme with Boys Brigade HQ to recycle old mobile phones and raise money for our compnay. If we collect 200 phones we will raise £400 !!!. Please dig through your cupboards and drawers and pass them on to us. The condition of the phone is not important. Please pass them onto John or bring them into the office. Boys Brigade HQ will also plant trees in aid of this scheme.

Update as at December 2009 - come on we can still reach our target - we can also recycle ink cartridges, old ipods, games consoles too !!!

Re start of The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award April 2009

Following the success of a grant, we are re- starting D of E scheme as from 24th. April this year. Watch out for the questionnaire from Luke and the start dates for expedition. The letter will give full details of the new scheme.

We are also looking for Luke to train up a couple of people - adult and seniors, to take over after one year.

Call John if you want to join or for further information. It’s been a long time since Peter Hodge died and we ran D of E properly - let’s hope we can keep it going well this time.

We now have 12 young people signed up for this project so if your interested let John or Luke as we start properly sessions in September 2009

John Boon

Tesco Vouchers

We are now collecting the Tesco vouchers again….please if you do get any pass them onto us !! 

Witham Town Mayor’s Charity Fund 2009 to 2010

We can announce that the new Town Mayor Cllr. Barry Fleet has named 2nd. Witham Boys’ Brigade, as partial recipient of the Mayor’s Fund for this year.
On 10th. October 2009 there was an off road sponsored bike run along the river walk, and this will be partnered by Keith Merridith and Matt West’s sponsored cycle too, for the purchase of our workshop facility in the town. Over £250 was raised towards the Mayor’s Fund.
Later on in the day in the evening at The British Legion Hall in Witham there was a fund raising Quiz Night for adults. This rasied £450 towards the Mayor’s Fund too.
On 20th. or 27th.January - a Wednesday evening at Juniors at Guithavon Valley Church, there will be Junior Quiz Night too.
30th. January - a Disco at Spring Lodge, run by Dan Rankin will be held.

Watch out for details of other events until May 2010.

More details to follow as we receive them. John Boon 9th. August