Hands-on Help from Hydra

As part of their ICV badgework, 23 Hydra Explorers and four leaders headed to Crawfordsburn Activity Centre to help with some site service and maintenance projects. They were asked to dismantle an old 100m wooden walkway, move breezeblocks for a new path, clear brambles and vegetation for a future activity area, and pack and move the archive room contents. Luckily, the rain stopped. With gloves, boots and warm layers on, they got stuck in.

Armed with tools some had never used before – sledgehammers, wrenches, wheelbarrows, saws, an axe and a mattock – they were given instructions and got straight to work. A large fire was also lit to burn the rotten wood that couldn’t be reused. Soon it was t-shirt weather as Explorers moved slabs, bricks and a mountain of beams and boards across the site. The Explorers worked for six hours and made a huge difference to the site and the new activity areas. As a thank you, pizza was ordered and they were given the new Crawfordsburn Badge. The next morning, instead of taking a slower start, they even asked if they could go back and do more.

Stuart Osborne, Hydra Explorer Leader and Interim International Lead, said:
‘We use Crawfordsburn regularly. It’s brilliant seeing how the Explorers were so keen to get stuck in to make space for the site to improve. This is our resource here in Northern Ireland: we have a responsibility to help maintain it to protect it for future generations. Our Explorers get that and are excited to see what’s to come.’

Ian Paden, Operations and Development Manager for Crawfordsburn, said:
‘I am absolutely delighted with the work that the Explorers carried out last weekend. They showed excellent work ethic, and all seemed to be really enjoying the challenge. Having young people helping out on site gives them responsibility for their centre as well as helping me keep costs down, ensuring we remain cost effective for Scout groups in the future. Please get in touch if you would like to bring a group to do something similar.

Peter Wilson, Hydra Leader and 14-24 Team Lead, said:
‘This is a great pilot project to encourage Explorers and Network to get involved with the site. It can support their top awards and really builds a sense of teamwork and achievement when they see the final results. We’ll look to put regular weekends in the calendar so more young people can get the opportunity to learn new skills and make new friends.’