Swansea scouts commit to raising £1,000 for Wales Air Ambulance by taking part in an exciting summer art trail

Swansea scouts commit to raising £1,000 for Wales Air Ambulance by taking part in an exciting summer art trail

A Swansea scout group is excited to announce their ambitious goal of raising £1,000 for the Wales Air Ambulance Charity. 

In recognition of their efforts, Fforestfach Scouts Group has been given the opportunity to decorate and exhibit a castle at the upcoming Wild in Art Castles in the Sky art trail, which will take place this summer in Swansea. 

To achieve their fundraising target, the scout group has planned a series of challenging and community-centred activities, which are designed to not only raise funds but also to promote outdoor adventure, teamwork, and the scouting spirit among the youngsters.  

The Squirrel Scouts will take part in a sponsored 2km walk/ scoot around Fendrod Lake in Llansamlet, while the Beaver Scouts will embark on a 4km hike in Three Cliffs in July. Scout leader Sam Rees will take on the Swansea Triathlon this weekend, while Group Scout leader Louise Davies and her husband Gareth together with their four children, Will, aged 11, Sam, 10, Ben and Joe, both aged six and who are all in scouts, will climb Snowdon to help raise funds. 

Fforestfach Scouts Group’s castle is called Never Give Up, named after the badge awarded to leaders by the movement’s chief scout Bear Grylls. It features scout badges and the scout motto.  

Louise said: “We were delighted to have the opportunity to take part in Castles in the Sky and are looking forward to being part of the community art trail in Swansea this summer. 

“The children, which range from four to 14, are excited to be involved and are looking forward to taking part in several fundraisers to raise money for the Wales Air Ambulance.  

“We teach the children about the importance of first aid, and they know about the work of the air ambulance so hopefully, when they see the helicopter, they will realise how much of a part they are playing in helping raise money for such a valuable lifesaving service.  

“The children all came together and put their ideas forward as to what they wanted to see on the castle, and they are very pleased with the end result from the pictures they have seen. They cannot wait to see the big reveal!  

“Our castle is about giving young people the chance to try something new. As our chief scout Bear Grylls says, “every child has a right to adventure. Life is about opportunities.” Our leaders are seen peaking behind the portcullis, and it honours our dedicated leaders who work incredibly hard, especially over the year by providing fun, challenging, and exciting activities for young people. 

“There are 60,000 children waiting to join scouts in the UK and there are not enough volunteers to become scout leaders. We are hoping our castle will raise awareness about our group as well as getting people to think about volunteering.” 

Fforestfach Scouts Group plan to visit their castle as a group and see some of the other castle sculptures, which will be dotted around the city from July 6 to September 15.  

Louise said: “Everybody is very excited, and we are determined to reach our £1,000 goal to raise money for such a worthy cause.” 

To donate to Fforestfach Scouts group in aid of Wales Air Ambulance visit Louise Davies is fundraising for Wales Air Ambulance Charitable Trust (justgiving.com) 

To know more about Fforestfach Scouts Group, visit Fforestfach Scouts Group on Facebook or visit fforestfachscouts.co.uk