History of 7th Lichfield Scout Group
1961: 7th Lichfield Scout Group started in St. Michael's Hall. Ian Cowburn became the first warranted leader on the 7th of June 1961. He started with 4 Cub Scouts who were about ten years old. As numbers grew and the boys got older, a Scout Troop was formed and led by John Williams. From 1962 to 1967, the chair was John Glare, and the secretary was Geoffrey Lines.
1967-8: A second Cub Pack was formed. 'Friends of the 7th' started fundraising for a Scout Hut led by Mr. S. Shearman MBE. Money was given generously by the Charities of Lichfield.
1970: The Member of Parliament formally opened the Scout hut on Ash Grove.
During the 1970s, at one stage, 18 leaders were assisting 2 Scout Troops, 2 Cub Packs and 1 Venture Scout Group. They were very busy at all levels. Parties of Venture Scouts travelled as far as Germany, Switzerland and America.
The 1980s saw a decline in enthusiasm, and by 1991, there was 1 Scout Troop, 1 Cub Pack and 1 Beaver Colony. Most existing leaders had left over the previous year, and the group faced the genuine prospect of closure.
The Group Scout Leader (GSL) at the time, Mr Brian Homewood, appealed for help to the parents in the group, and an influx of new leaders answered this.
By 1992, the group was operating with renewed vigour. In the words of Brian Homewood from a newsletter in 1993, 'The current leaders of the 7th Lichfield (St. Michael's) Scouts can be especially proud as they have pulled the group from major leadership crises that could have seen the Group close down. It is now going strong for the benefit of about 60 boys.'
Under Brian's stewardship, the land lease from the council on which the Scout Hut sits was renewed for another 21 years, having expired in 1991. However, with minimal investment and maintenance, the Scout Hut showed its age, battered by over 20 years of heavy use.
A newsletter from January 1993 on the subject of faults with the Scout Hut reads. "On cold nights, water condenses and freezes inside the roof. When it thaws, the water drips onto the floor. The floor is in a bad state and must be repaired. Door posts have rotted at the bottom. Another door is broken and needs rebuilding or replacing. The store behind the garage has a leaking roof." The list of problems goes on and on.
By 1995, funding enabled the replacement of the light asbestos roof with a new insulated steel roof. However, further problems, including faulty electrics, required more fundraising to repair.
The leadership of the time persevered, and eventually, the Scout Hut was refurbished to a suitable level. This period set the stage for a sustained growth period where the Scout Group's popularity remained steadily high.
2000's:
In 2004, Cath Babington took over as GSL.
The group continued to benefit from sound leadership and operated two sections of Beavers, Cubs and Scouts. It was running at capacity year in and year out. It was the largest Scout Group in the District and certainly one of the most active. The 7th could proudly boast the best-qualified leadership with the most permits in Staffordshire County.
2010's:
In 2009, Cath handed the GSL Baton to Adrian grew.
In 2014, the group saw its next major expansion, adding Swinfen Beaver Colony, Somers Cub Pack and Erasmus Scout Troop. This expansion took the group up to 9 sections, with approximately 210 young people as members. The hut was used six days a week, and the waiting list was still long.
2020's:
In 2017, Richard Taylor took over as Group Scout Leader.
We continued to develop our paddlesport capability at Manor Park Sailing Club. The group has long been running water activities at Manor Park, with sailing run since the 1980s. By mid-2010, we could offer Kayaking, Canoeing and raft building. In 2020, we expanded this to include Stand Up Paddle Boarding. We also increased the number of water-permitted leaders and the number of other groups we ran sessions for. In 2023, we ran sessions for approximately 1700 young people on the water at Manor Park with a team of over 70 adult volunteers.
2023 saw yet another expansion. The 7th Lichfield opened its first Squirrels section: Acorn Squirrels Drey. This expansion took our young people membership up to nearly 240 and our leadership team to over 70 adults in uniform.
7th Lichfield was fortunate to have reached a critical mass, and we no longer struggled to attract leaders and children - our good name stands before us. We benefit from several well-established fundraisers, and our accounts are very healthy.
This brief history of our Group should remind us that we should not take these things for granted and rest on our laurels. The group has been successful before and has allowed it to slip away - the current leadership is dedicated to ensuring this will never happen again.