CHEDDAR Scouts held a barbecue on the July 14 to remember former leaders Grahame Burnell and Doug de Ivey, who sadly passed away last year.

Grahame, the former 1st Cheddar Scouts chairperson, left a contribution which was used to renovate the Scout Hut’s campfire area, which was where members of the Beavers, Cubs and Scouts groups gathered to remember him.

This is the first time all three sections of the Scouts group have been able to run since 2019, thanks to the commitment of the volunteer team.

“Grahame had spent 50 years in Scouting, many of those with the 1st Cheddar Scouts,” remembered Kim Wall, the current chairperson.

“He was so passionate about creating a safe and fun environment for anyone who wished to join the scouting movement.

“His passion and commitment is why we still have a scouting movement in Cheddar and we wish to build on his hard work to grow the group to enable everyone who wishes to join a space."

Doug De Ivey, Cub Scout Leader for seventeen years, was also remembered and celebrated at the barbecue.

Current Cub Scout leader, Nyika Suttie, said: “Doug was so enthusiastic about Scouting, and endlessly inventive.

“He would say, ‘I don’t see why you wouldn’t get involved in Scouting; you get to have so many experiences you wouldn’t otherwise have’”.

Doug’s passing last October was a great shock to all Scout members, and he will be sorely missed.

To commemorate Grahame and Doug, the Scouts erected a plaque dedicated to the two of them.

With Beavers, Cubs and Scouts in Cheddar all up and running once again, there are more opportunities than ever for children to get involved in Scouting, which is a fantastic opportunity for children to get outdoors, work as a team and learn new skills.

However, with the reopening of all three groups, there are also more voluntary leadership positions that need to be filled.

Anyone interested in helping out with the 1st Cheddar Scouts, either as assistant leaders, committee members or fundraisers should email Kim at cheddarscouts@gmail.com for details.