In both 2008 and 2011, St Wilfrid’s Grappenhall Scout Troop kindly chose Bolton Mountain Rescue Team as their Christmas Charity to support and raised a total of £1,250 for us.
In May of this year we were delighted to learn that we had once again been chosen as their Christmas Charity and the Scouts visited our HQ on 14th October 2016 to learn how their fundraising would help us in our work.
On Sunday 13th November 2016, thirty-eight Grappenhall Scouts embarked on a blindfolded sponsored walk from Grappenhall to Lymm to raise funds for Bolton Mountain Rescue Team. Representatives of our Team were invited to visit the Troop at their HQ in Grappenhall Village on Friday 16th December, to join them for a social evening. Team members Mike Marsh, Phil Crook and Gillian Gregory were pleased to accept the invitation and arrived at their Scout Troop HQ in time to judge the Christmas fancy dress competition, enthusiastically entered by all the Scouts, with the “Christmas Tree” and “Brussells Sprout” declared the joint winners. Mike, Phil and Gillian then joined the Scouts carol singing in the two village pubs, The Parr Arms and The Ram’s Head, where welcoming and generous customers joined in the singing and dropped their donations into the BMRT collection buckets.
Then it was back to the Scouts HQ with Scouts, supporters, friends and families for drinks and mince pies and time to announce the results of the sponsored walk fundraising with the top three who generated the most income to be treated to a Mountain Rescue Experience with Bolton Mountain Rescue Team – this ‘prize’ went to Charlie Ford, Zachary Jones and Miriam Veltkamp who raised collectively a marvellous £275.
Father Christmas arrived to give out gifts to all the Scouts, following which all present were then treated to an amusing rendition by twelve Scouts of “The Twelve Days of Scout Camp”
complete with props, followed by a short presentation on their summer camp 2017 to Switzerland and a well-delivered speech of thanks to the Leaders from a young lady about to leave the Troop.
A surprise then awaited Scout Leader, Denis Ward, who was presented with a well-deserved Co-Op Community Award for his outstanding work in the local community.
The time then came for the grand total raised to be announced and presented to Mike and Phil (with Gillian behind the camera!) – an overwhelming £827.60 was raised from the walk, £140.84 from the carol singing, generously made up to the marvellous sum of £1,000 from Troop funds.
Mike, Phil and Gillian would like to express their sincere thanks for the great hospitality extended to them, the very enjoyable social time and entertainment, and, of course, the fantastic support shown to Bolton Mountain Rescue Team yet again. Best Wishes to Denis and St Wilfrid’s Grappenhall Scouts with your activities during 2017, and enjoy your Scouting!
