Our valued friends and supporters at 25th Warrington East Scout Group (St. Wlifred’s, Grappenhall) have once again been kindly fundraising for the team this Christmas.

This evening representatives of the team accompanied 25th Warrington East Scout Group (St. Wlifred’s, Grappenhall) on their carol singing evening around Grappenhall, Warrington.
Along with our Land Rover Mountain Rescue Ambulance ‘BM4,’ our President Bob Hutchinson attended alongside his wife Janet, our Secretary and Support Group member Gillian Gregory and colleague Support Group member Amanda Strickleton.

A full report on this evening appears below with thanks to our Team Secretary and Support Group member Gillian Gregory, plus the fantastic news of the large donation to the team made by 25th Warrington East Scout Group (St. Wlifrid’s, Grappenhall).

“Bob, Janet, Amanda and I arrived at St Wilfrid’s Grappenhall Scouts’ HQ just in time to join the Leaders, Parents and Scouts as they set off for their first location for carol singing – The Old Rectory Residential Home – where the elderly residents were entertained with enthusiastic singing from the Scouts. Before departing, the staff kindly provided the Scouts with drinks and biscuits.

Our next destination was the Parr Arms just round the corner. As we walked past the church on the right, the scene was like the front of a Christmas card, with light shining from the stained glass windows reflecting on snow in the churchyard, and fairy lights in the trees in the cobbled main street beyond. The Parr Arms is a small cosy pub, so most of the adults stayed outside whilst the Scouts split into two groups to enter the bar and lounge areas to sing for the customers.

It was then on to the Rams Head Inn just up the lane to sing again for their customers, who warmly applauded the singers. There were some very appetising smells and delicious looking plates passing under our noses on the way to customers’ tables! A member of staff then kindly appeared with a large plate of mince pies for us all which quickly disappeared!

From there we all walked back to the Scouts HQ to announce the winners of the collection boxes fundraising. All the Scouts were issued with a Bolton Mountain Rescue Team collection box each in September this year which were returned at the end of November to be counted by our Collection Boxes Co-Ordinator, namely me! The three Scouts who collected the most money will be treated to a Mountain Rescue Experience Day with the Team in 2012.

I thanked all the Scouts for their fantastic fundraising efforts to raise the grand total of £565.19. Our President, Bob Hutchinson, was asked to announce the 1st, 2nd and 3rd prize winners and present their certificates – James Jago, Charlotte Stout and Caitlin Clifford. Only James was present for the photograph.

Bob presents James Jago with his 1st Prize Certificate

Group Scout Leader Denis Ward then surprised us by revealing that the total raised was actually £633.07 because they had added the amount collected this evening of £67.88 from the carol singing to the total.

Father Christmas then arrived to hand out Troop 2012 diaries to the Scouts and Denis kindly gave me a diary for the Team and drew my attention to the month of September which displayed a photograph of the Scouts outside our HQ taken when they visited us in that month of 2011 (see website 23rd September 2011).

Father Christmas giving out Troop diaries to the Scouts

There was just time for a Group photograph handing over the cheque to Amanda and Bob before we had to depart to return to Bolton.

Bob receives the cheque from GSL Denis Ward

On behalf of Bob, Janet, Amanda and myself, many thanks to St Wilfrid’s Grappenhall Scouts for inviting us to share this evening and sincere thanks from all members of Bolton Mountain Rescue Team for the wonderful support. Together with the Scout Troop’s fundraising in 2008, over £1,200 has been donated to the Team.”

Amanda & Bob receive the donation from all the Scouts