District News – January 2026
Posted on 4th January 2026 by Tony Brewis
Happy New Year!
Last year was one of the best years we’ve seen in Scouting in Chester-le-Street for a long time!
We celebrated the opening of our very own Scouting Activities Centre at 1st Burnmoor, our
Explorer Scouts won the Geoffrey Gordon Cup Competition again, and we ran numerous
district events that helped bring the district together.
I want to take this opportunity to thank each and every one of you. Giving up your own time to
help the young people in Chester-le-Street is incredible, and anyone who supports these young
people is amazing too.
New Minibuses for the District
Toward the end of 2025, we were given another fantastic opportunity through 1st Burnmoor and
the Youth Investment Fund to purchase two new(ish) minibuses. These are managed by the
district on a non-profit basis and offered to groups within Chester-le-Street at a very reduced
rate.
To find out more, visit:
Chester-le-Street minibuses | Chester-le-Street District Scouts
Training!
Thank you to everyone who has completed their training so far. Your efforts ensure safe
Scouting in Chester-le-Street.
We are fortunate to have Karen Gibson, our District Volunteer Development Lead, who works
tirelessly to keep us informed about training needs. As you know, we must meet the minimum
standard of training to ensure the safety and safeguarding of our young people—and to protect
ourselves. Treat all training as an opportunity to learn something new!
If you need guidance on accessing learning modules, speak to your Team Leader, Lead
Volunteer, or contact Karen directly at: Karen.Gibson@chesterlestreetscouts.org.uk
First Response Training
I’ve recently become concerned about our First Response compliance. We still have a few
people in each group whose First Response training is about to expire or has already expired.
We are lucky to have Tony Brewis in our district, who—along with Karen—facilitates First
Response training in Chester-le-Street. Tony runs several courses throughout the year, so
don’t wait until your training expires!
Details can be found at: First Response Course | Chester-le-Street District Scouts
2026 District Events
All upcoming district event dates can be found on the district webpage: Events | Chester-le-Street District Scouts
These will also be shared on OSM nearer the time. Please take note of these dates for your
program planning.
St George’s Day – 26th April 2026
We’ve once again been invited to Beamish Museum for the St George’s Day Parade and renewal
of our Scouting promises.
• Meet: Main gate at 10:00
• Finish: Approximately 13:30
If you’re willing to help with planning and managing the event, please email:
dc@chesterlestreetscouts.org.uk
We’ll hold a planning meeting in early February at the Dunn Cow pub, Burnmoor. Any help
would be welcome!
District Vacancies
We are still looking for a District Secretary. This role does not need to be a District Trustee but
would involve attending trustee meetings to take minutes, send out meeting reminders, etc.
If you’re interested, please email: dc@chesterlestreetscouts.org.uk
Either Mick Winn or I would be happy to go through the role in more detail in person.
Any information about Chester le Street Scouts, Management, Events, Burnmoor Activity
Centre, etc can all be fount on our website. Home | Chester-le-Street District Scouts
Andrew Pine
District Lead Volunteer
Chester le Street Scouts