Farewell Declan but welcome to Douglas too !

Declan has now very sadly left us, after a great year of real effort from him ! Thanks Declan for all you have done - may God bless you in your search for employment now too. Thanks too for taking the boys to Dawlish on camp - looks like your had real fun !!!

Welcome to Douglas in mid September - he comes to us from a BB Company in Fife Scotland! Douglas has interests in history, music particularly the clarinet and choral music. We are really looking forward to you coming Douglas and hope you have a great year too !!! Douglas’ programme will evolve over the first few weeks of his time with us. Watch out for details !!!!

Morrison’s Bag Packing

50 young people, staff and parents took part in the bag packing at Morrison’s on Saturday 27th March 2010, you will all be pleased to know that we raised £1332.12…a superb amount and will go towards the mooring fees for the powerboat.It was a great effort by everyone that turned up !!! Thank you and very well done .

The next bag packing date is Monday 20th December 2010 - watch out for booking details in September - October time !!!!!

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 - August 2010

Update on our financial position as at August / September time 2010

In the last couple of years, we have suffered some real challenges financially. But this year and beyond will prove far more challenging than any other time in our history !
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 2010 - 2011.

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. Thanks for the new equipment and it is full use now!

Also the County Council Youth Capital Fund have granted £36,300 toward the purchase of the workshop / unit. With other grants and onations, including the Witham Local Area Committee and The Witham Towm Mayor’s Fund, we have been able to begin the pruchase of the workshop. As at August 2010 we expect to complete by 27th. August !!! Well done everyone !

Ross Playle and Michael Grant undertook some work with County CouncilsYOF funding and we received £2900 to help with equipment for hiking, camping and our camps and weekends !! Thanks guys !!
The new Sustainable Conservation Project at Twinstead Land Project area, has been submitted and we expect to hear by end November - it will provide for new compostable toilets, pole lathing work, coppicing and replanting of hedge along the lane, with stream clearance and other work. Thanks to Gemma Slaven Project Officer for BTCV Colchester, Ross and Michael too.

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

John Boon August 2010

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

Thanks to you all for so many vouchers this spring time. We spent the vouchers on new craft and cooking equipment - well three items !!!!! Thanks again

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 was held.
Later on in the spring a table top sale in the car park of Witham URC was held - thanks to everyone who helped !!!

We received a cheque in May for almost £1400 so a big thanks to Barry Fleet and all of you involved in this. The money was used towards the purchase of the workshop !!!!
John Boon August 2010

Online scrapbook of your memories of your time in 2nd. Witham

We wish to establish an online acrapbook of your memories of the time you have spent in 2nd. Witham, in readyness of our 40th. birthday celelbrations 2012. So please go to the contact page and e mail us yor thoughts. We will then create a book for it all. Thanks
John Boon

Help with Bumblebee nest building !

Do you have large plastic or card containers, such as coffee and oil containers - no glass please - with lids. We can bury them at Twinstead and make nest sites everywhere. The containers need to be the large ones for the bees to make suitable cone / nest spots. Bring them in any evening please. John Boon As at December 2009 we still need these please !!!!!!!