Scouts dine out on Penrith Lottery grant

A group of Eden scouts are looking forward to getting in a big mess, thanks to a grant from Pride in Penrith Lottery. 1st Petteril Vale Scouts, based in Blencow, have been able to buy a communal mess tent, which they claim will make a “tremendous difference” to their future camps.

“Until now at our camps we’ve only had a lot of small tents, but having a big communal tent means that when it’s pouring with rain we can all come together to eat and play games,” said Richard Fox, assistant scout leader.

The scout group was also able to buy stoves, maps and compasses with their grant.

“Having these stoves means we can now go on expeditions, and the maps and compasses are vital for our older scouts doing their Gold Hike award, as part of which they’ll learn how to use them for navigation,” Richard said. 

The group got a chance to try out their new equipment on an expedition to Coniston last month. Five pairs of older scouts put some of the kit to the test and gave it the thumbs-up.

“We rely completely on fundraising to be able to offer activities like camping for our young people and we’re very grateful to Pride in Penrith Lottery for their support,” Richard added. “It would be great to see more people joining the lottery as it benefits a lot of people locally.”

There’s more information on our website about joining the lottery or applying for grants or call 07737 049516.