Newmarket Scout group is back in business after pandemic closure saw members and leaders leave

A Newmarket Scout group is back in business after closing down during the Covid pandemic.

The 2nd Newmarket group had been part of the town community for more than a century since being founded in 1911 but, when Covid struck, lockdown rules prevented the usual weekly meetings and all the volunteers and Scouts eventually left the group.

It was relaunched at the end of 2022 with a Beavers group for six to eight year-olds followed in spring 2023 with Cubs for the eight to 10 age group.

Last autumn the group welcomed 10 to 14 years into the Scouts and 2nd Newmarket was complete.

All groups are open to boys and girls and now even younger children can
get involved by joining the newly-founded Squirrels, which caters for four to six year olds.

Alex Stokes, the leader of 2nd Newmarket, said: “We put a pretty ambitious growth plan in place in 2022 when we launched with 11 young people.

“We doubled in size in 2023 and have doubled again halfway through 2024, so we now have more than 50 young people of all ages.”

Alex is looking forward to the group giving something back to the community and youngsters have already carried out littler picking along the ancient chalk stream, at Studlands, and raised money for Newmarket Open Door. They have also learned First Response skills.

“We were very proud to be one of the first groups in Newmarket to meet Queen Camilla when she visited the National Racing Museum last June and stopped to speak to us,” said
Alex.

The group's first priority is to refurbish its 1970s-built Scout hut inRowley Drive, which is starting to look its age. At the weekend a team of four took on the challenge of the Yorkshire Three Peaks, a circular walk of 40 miles taking in in the county's three major peaks, Pen-Y-Ghent, Whernside and Ingleborough with a total ascent of nearly 2,000 metres.

Alex was joined by fellow Scout leader Adam Orris and two of his work colleagues, Colin Ridout and Barnabas ‘Daro’ Daroczy. The quartet set a time of under 10 hours and, to date, their efforts have raised £600 for the Scout hut fund.