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This page contains details of recent newsletters from the Chair of the special needs suppoort team, contact details for the special needs Office at Gilwell Park and details of the Chair of the special needs Support Team.

Deaf Friendly Scout Guide

The Scout Association is committed to including all young people in Scouting. To support Adult Leaders in including deaf young people in mainstream Scouting, we have been working with the National Deaf Children's Society. The purpose of this was to produce a resource about making Scouting Deaf Friendly. A guide to Deaf Friendly Scouting is being mailed to all Groups in the UK via the Group Scout Leader, Group Contact or Scout Leader.

We are committed to supporting Group Scout Leaders in their role. Please encourage Groups to use this important resource. It is available for download at www.scouts.org.uk/deaffriendly

If you have any comments about this, suggestions for more inclusion resources or good news stories generated by using the booklet, then please email

special.needs@scout.org.uk

1st Bovingdon Scout Group gets £5,000 funding from Local Authority to build a sensory garden

Group Scout Leader April applied to the Hertfordshire Community Foundation for a grant to build a sensory garden at her Scout Headquarters after the young people in her Group with special needs were unable to access local play park facilities. April said 'we have one Cub with cerebral palsy who uses a walking frame, there was nothing he could access at the local park without Leaders having to lift him.' This inspired April to apply for the funding to creat a sensory garden that young people who are unable to access the current provision can use.

The garden is currently being built by the local community service team. Activity boards that hang in the garden have been made by a local firm, Demand, who produce resources for children with special needs. April said 'the boards are bright and colourful, and have plenty of different textures to stimulate young people with sever disabilities as well as able bodies youngsters. One of the boards is full of holes, you put a tennis ball in a hole and it travels down a tube behind the board and comes out at the bottom. The Cub Scout have been playing with it already, and they love it!'

The garden will be officially opened by the Mayor in mid July. April has invited the headteachers from the local special school as she hopes that they will bring the pupils to benefit from the garden. The facility will also we open to any other Scout Group who would like to use it to benefit their Scouts.

If you are interested in this facility, please email

special.needs@scout.org.uk

You can obtain further support about special needs from Programme and Development Department at The Scout Association, Headquarters at

special.needs@scout.org.uk

or by post to:

Special Needs

Development and Diversity Department

The Scout Association

Gilwell Park

Chingford

London

E4 7QW

The special needs Section at Headquarters is led by the chair of the special needs support team, Sue Burton

Sue is assisted by the National Support Team. The team is comprised of experienced Leaders and staff from Gilwell Park. The team currently consists of:

• Nick Devine - Greater London South West
• Debi Rush - Greater London North
• Laura Spafford - Programme and Development Adviser (Diversity)
• Debbie Ladds - UK Adviser - Diversity(ex-officio)
• Tim Kidd - Uk Adviser - Adult Support (ex-officio)

I've been working with the special needs Team in its various forms for a number of years - a role which arose originally after I was asked to write 'just ten' articles for Scouting Magazine about 15 years ago.

I can't remember a time when I wasn't involved with Scouting, although I don't really have any memories of my first big Scout event - the 1957 Jamboree (well I was only in a carry cot visiting one of Dad's Scouts who was in camp!). I've been involved in a number of guises from running a Beaver Scout Colony to being part of a County Training Team and County Adviser for special needs. I did also spend some time on the staff at Gilwell as the Assistant Director of Programme (Cub Scouts).

Outside the world of Scouting I'm a teacher and ICT co ordinator in a Fresh Start Primary School. I have been known to do some running and swimming too, but only if it doesn't interfere with a dose of regular suffering supporting Crystal Palace Football Club! Graeham, my husband, does have a photo of me so he recognises me as I pass through the house... .