{"alias":"blogEntry","byline":"","standfirst":"In the summer of 2015 we launched A Million Hands, our social action programme to give half a million young people the support they need to tackle the issues they care about and to make a positive impact in their communities.","content":{"layouts":[{"type":"mediaBlock","areas":[{"items":[{"gridType":"gridImageBlock","gtmId":"gtmId","gtmClass":"gtmClass","image":"/media/4076/beavers-a-milllion-hands.jpg","width":1200,"height":800,"altText":"Beaver speaking with lady","caption":"","link":null}]}],"config":null},{"type":"singleColumn","areas":[{"items":[{"gridType":"RichTextBlock","content":"\u003Cp\u003EOur members chose the issues they most wanted to work on, and we partnered with a fantastic group of charities to create resources and provide support: clean water and sanitation with WaterAid, dementia with Alzheimer\u2019s Society, emotional wellbeing with Mind, disability with Leonard Cheshire and Guide Dogs, and assisting with all of these themes was the Canal \u0026amp; River Trust. The work was aligned with the existing Community Impact Staged Activity Badge, and was broken down so that young people could understand an issue, plan action, take action, learn and do more, and tell the world.\u00A0\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EAt the end of this month we officially launch \u003Ca href=\u0022#\u0022 title=\u0022A Million Hands\u0022\u003Eour new themes and partners\u003C/a\u003E, but before we do, we want to take a moment to reflect on the incredible stuff our young people have achieved over the past four years. Because, honestly \u2013 they\u2019re amazing. We\u2019re beyond sticking-it-on-the-fridge proud, and into the realm of we-made-a-scrapbook-and-everyone\u2019s-sick-of-seeing-it proud. We\u2019re the most annoying parents at the school gates, and we don\u2019t care. Because look at this:\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cul\u003E\n\u003Cli\u003EOver the course of the partnerships, over 135,000 Community Impact badges were ordered (as of June 2019) representing over 960,000 hours of action. That\u2019s almost a million hours spent helping people.\u003C/li\u003E\n\u003Cli\u003EThe number of young people getting involved has continually increased. Data shows a significant increase in groups taking part in a community impact project, from 25% in 2015, to 56% in 2017.\u00A0\u00A0\u003C/li\u003E\n\u003Cli\u003EData from our 2018 A Million Hands summit showed that 4,703 Scout groups were registered. That\u2019s over a quarter of a million (250,200 to be exact) young people.\u003C/li\u003E\n\u003Cli\u003EOver 1,100 pieces of media have been published on the various projects so far, reaching an audience of over 110 million people (more than the population of the Philippines!).\u00A0\u003C/li\u003E\n\u003Cli\u003EA Million Hands has been the winner of two Charity Times Awards: Best Cross Sector Partnership in 2016, and the Community Award in 2018.\u003C/li\u003E\n\u003C/ul\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EOf course, these are just the headlines: it\u2019s difficult to capture the impact that Scouts must be making on the ground. One thing we can do is pull an example from each of the issues though, to get a better understanding of how young people are using A Million Hands to make a difference.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Ch4\u003EClean water and sanitation\u003C/h4\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https://tackleyscouts.com/tackley-walk-for-water\u0022\u003E1st Tackley \u0026amp; Heyford Scouts\u003C/a\u003E chose this theme for their project. They managed to get their \u003Ca href=\u0022https://tackleyscouts.com/beavers-carry-water\u0022\u003EBeavers\u003C/a\u003E,\u00A0\u003Ca href=\u0022https://tackleyscouts.com/understanding-water-aid\u0022\u003ECubs\u003C/a\u003E\u00A0and\u00A0\u003Ca href=\u0022https://tackleyscouts.com/scouts-tippy-tap\u0022\u003EScouts\u003C/a\u003E\u00A0all learning about the work of\u00A0\u003Ca href=\u0022https://www.wateraid.org/uk/\u0022\u003EWater Aid\u003C/a\u003E, and how lucky we are to have clean, safe water and toilets in our homes. They also did a \u2018Walk for Water\u2019 together: a 5-mile route carrying large bottles of water. They said, \u2018We had several five litre bottles of water that Beavers, Cubs and Scouts took turns in carrying so we could get an idea of how children in other parts of the world might feel. Five litres gets heavy very quickly.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EAlthough it was a long walk, we all had fun and helped each other out. Everyone who took part did brilliantly, and we have raised an amazing amount already.\u2019\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EYoung people can still explore and take action on this issue. You can go to \u003Ca href=\u0022about:blank\u0022\u003Ewateraid.org/uk\u003C/a\u003E to find out more.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Ch4\u003EDementia\u00A0\u003C/h4\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EOver 23,000 Scouts have become Dementia Friends and have taken action to support people affected by dementia through A Million Hands. 6th East Kilbride Beaver Scouts took it one step further by visiting Hairmyres Hospital\u2019s Memory Lane room, a room that helps older people \u2013 especially those living with dementia \u2013 to feel more at home during their stay. The room is decorated in authentic 1940s style, and the visiting Beavers spoke with a number of elderly residents and filled memory boxes using materials that related specifically to each person\u2019s life story. One of the patients they met, Thomas McCready, used to be a taxi driver, ferrying partygoers to and from the city centre. In his memory box, the Beavers included photos of the popular Glaswegian dancehalls he may have frequented, maps of the roads he might have driven, and audio samples of the most popular rock and roll hits of the era. Since Thomas is the hospital\u2019s resident sweet tooth, they also made sure to pack plenty of sugar mice into the box, alongside bars of nougat, and enough of the traditional Scottish sweet known as \u2018tablet\u2019 to sink a ship. Reminiscence through familiar objects can unlock memories, accessing a part of the brain that can help to restore personal identity and reduce some of the symptoms of dementia, like memory loss, co-ordination and challenges around communicating.\u00A0\u003C/p\u003E","gtmId":"","gtmClass":""}]}],"config":null},{"type":"mediaBlock","areas":[{"items":[{"gridType":"gridImageBlock","gtmId":"gtmId","gtmClass":"gtmClass","image":"/media/4081/beavers_20180316_091.jpg","width":1200,"height":800,"altText":"Beavers and leader speaking with lady","caption":"","link":null}]}],"config":null},{"type":"singleColumn","areas":[{"items":[{"gridType":"RichTextBlock","content":"\u003Cp\u003EAs well as handing out the boxes, the Beavers shared stories, visited the wards with some sweets, and took part in arts and crafts. After the visit, they put on an intergenerational, dementia-friendly, screening of The Wizard of Oz at the local cinema. On the night, volunteers put up dementia-friendly signage and Beavers acted as traditional ushers and usherettes, handing out choc ices and sweets during the intermission. Their leader Andrew said, \u2018You can see their whole body language change when they realise they\u2019re having an impact on the people they meet. You can see them thinking, \u201CWow, I can really do something here, and I\u2019m only seven!\u201D\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EYou can still get involved with this issue, including requesting a Dementia Friends Information Session for your group. Find out more at \u003Ca href=\u0022http://alzheimers.org.uk/youngpeople\u0022\u003Ealzheimers.org.uk/youngpeople\u003C/a\u003E.\u200B\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Ch4\u003EMental health and wellbeing\u003C/h4\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EA mental wellbeing project undertaken by 1st Lickey Cub Scouts has had an impressive scope, reaching over 28,000 individuals. The Pack began their project by discussing what is meant by mental health, with many Cubs giving examples of their own experiences of feeling stressed, worried, sad and happy, before making stress balls together.\u00A0\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ENext, they held an open evening at their meeting place, inviting parents, relatives, friends and District Leaders. Guests at the evening made their own stress balls, saw displays that explained A Million Hands and the Pack\u2019s planned project, and learned about a petition the Cubs were putting together to send to their local MP, the Right Honourable Mr Sajid Javid. The guests were then asked to sign and decorate a plaster each so it could be added to the petition. The Cubs were also asked to think and write down a creative way they could present the plaster petition to really get the attention of the MP. The session ended with tea, cake and a chat, which fitted perfectly with one of the five recommended ways to maintain and improve mental wellbeing: staying connected.\u00A0\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe winning petition presentation was a life-size poster of a mannequin, which the Cubs stuck the plasters onto. The 1st Lickey Cubs posted their petition to Mr Savid Javid and were featured in their local newspaper. They received a 3-page response letter from Mr Javid, who also re-tweeted the news article on the project to his 80,800 followers. Mr Javid said he was very pleased to read of the support being given to this campaign and thanked the Cub Scouts for the fantastic way they had attracted his attention. He said the petition of signatures on plasters was a \u0027wonderful piece of artwork\u0027, and it\u2019s now on the door of his Westminster office.\u00A0\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EMind have been re-chosen as a supporting charity of one of the new A Million Hands themes \u2013 better mental health for all \u2013 so it\u2019s easy to get involved if you\u2019d like to work on this issue. Go to \u003Ca href=\u0022#\u0022 title=\u0022A Million Hands\u0022\u003Escouts.org.uk/about-us/help-others/community/\u003C/a\u003E.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Ch4\u003EDisability\u003C/h4\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EFrom Sept 2015\u2013Feb 2019, more than 860 Scouts volunteered at Leonard Cheshire\u2019s services. Their speaker network began towards the end of 2017, and in 2018/19, they received 67 requests from Scout groups.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https://www.facebook.com/glenlevenscouts/posts/2015216388525310\u0022\u003E89th Fife (North Glen) Scout Group in Scotland\u003C/a\u003E is one of the groups that have helped out at the local Leonard Cheshire Centre: their work includes painting garden furniture. Andrew Crumpton, Group Scout Leader said: \u2018I am so proud of the work our Scouts have done to help their community. We encourage our Scouts to do more, be more and share more and I think our group is a great example of going the extra mile to help bring your community together.\u2019\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ENiamh, a 14-year-old Explorer Scout said: \u2018I have made great friends and learned new skills at the same time as serving my community. And there\u2019s always a welcome for other young people who think of others before themselves.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E37th Ormskirk (St Anne\u2019s) Scouts chose to do their disability project with Guide Dogs. Their leader Anne Gilham said: \u2018One of our Scouts is registered blind and he spoke to all sections, detailing what it means to him to be blind and also what it means to him to be accepted into Scouts. In total, 100 Beavers Cubs and Scouts heard him speak and asked very relevant questions. The best one being \u0027What is the best thing you have done during your time in Scouts?\u0027 He said, \u0027being allowed to chop wood with an axe and to use a saw.\u0027 We then had a visit from Guide Dogs and then the young people voted on which Guide Dog Puppy they wanted to sponsor. They set about raising \u00A32 each, by whatever means they could, mostly doing odd jobs. We raised the \u00A3200 within two weeks and adopted a Guide Dog puppy called Felix. We get a regular \u0027pupdate\u0027 about his progress.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EWe want to dispel myths around disability and hope that our young people will grow up caring about all members in society, and understand that everyone has a place and a part to play.\u2019\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EYou can still get involved with Leonard Cheshire \u2013 use their resources in your section or request a speaker. \u003Ca href=\u0022https://www.leonardcheshire.org/what-can-we-do-you/employers-and-education-providers/groups-and-schools?utm_medium=referral\u0026amp;utm_source=scouts.org.uk\u0026amp;utm_campaign=group_volunteering\u0022\u003EFind out more here.\u003C/a\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EOr, invite a Guide Dogs \u003Ca href=\u0022https://www.guidedogs.org.uk/services-we-provide/speaker-service/\u0022\u003Espeaker into your section\u003C/a\u003E and use their resources to learn more.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Ch4\u003ECanal \u0026amp; River Trust\u003C/h4\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EYoung people were able to take action on a few of the issues though engaging with their local waterway. They were also able to take action on plastic pollution via a project funded by Defra (Department for Environment, Food \u0026amp; Rural Affairs). Together, Scouts, Canal \u0026amp; River Trust and Defra all launched new resources on plastic pollution in April 2019. In total, the resources have been downloaded 5,716 times.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca rel=\u0022noopener\u0022 href=\u0022http://mysefton.co.uk/2018/09/05/crosby-scouts-create-secret-garden-to-help-people-with-mental-health-issues/\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022 title=\u0022Crosby Scouts create \u2018secret\u2019 garden to help people with mental health issues\u0022\u003E4th Crosby \u0026amp; District Scouts\u003C/a\u003E decided to \u2018adopt\u2019 a length of their local waterway, the Leeds \u0026amp; Liverpool Canal in Litherland, Sefton, for their community impact project. The Scouts wanted to focus on using their section of the canal to promote metal health awareness, so they involved the mental health charity Mind. The group wanted their stretch of canal to become a place where people could come to relax and enjoy the surroundings, improving their mental health and making life better by the water.\u00A0\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe initial plan for the garden included clearing the area of any litter, and cutting\u00A0back and clearing vegetation to make space for planters. Next, they built planters from scratch with instruction from Start Creative CIC, an arts and creative social enterprise based in SAFE Regeneration Ltd.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E4th\u00A0Crosby Scouts are continuing to improve this area \u2013 they have plans to add a noticeboard with contact details for \u2018Mind\u2019 and description of this A Million Hands project.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EYou can still get involved in your local waterway here: \u003Ca href=\u0022https://canalrivertrust.org.uk/get-involved\u0022\u003Ecanalrivertrust.org.uk/get-involved\u003C/a\u003E.\u00A0\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u2026\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EBuilding on this phenomenal success, A Million Hands is re-launching in this year with new partners. \u003Ca href=\u0022#\u0022 title=\u0022A Million Hands\u0022\u003EWe can\u2019t wait to see what\u2019s achieved next\u003C/a\u003E.\u003C/strong\u003E\u003C/p\u003E","gtmId":"","gtmClass":""}]}],"config":null}]},"searchDescription":null,"pageType":null,"location":null,"versionDate":"17 October 2019","reviewDate":null,"furtherReading":[],"relatedLinks":[],"id":40276,"nodeName":"A Million Hands four years on","title":"A Million Hands four years on","type":"blogEntry","image":{"url":"/media/4076/beavers-a-milllion-hands.jpg?cc=0.0012484394506866417,0,0,0\u0026width=800\u0026height=534\u0026v=1d9becd32cae0b0","caption":"Beavers A Milllion Hands (1)","type":"jpg","size":250822,"width":1200,"height":800,"altText":"Beaver speaking with elderly lady"},"assets":null,"headerOptions":{"headerTitle":"A Million Hands four years on","headerSubTitle":null,"headerCta":null,"headerCtaText":null,"headerCtaLink":null,"headerBackgroundColour":null,"showSEOImage":false,"headerBackgroundImage":null,"quickLinks":null},"subHeader":"In the summer of 2015 we launched A Million Hands, our social action programme to give half a million young people the support they need to ","browserTitle":null,"silktide":"eyJjbXMiOiJVbWJyYWNvIiwiZWRpdG9yVXJsIjoiaHR0cHM6Ly9wcm9kLWNtcy5zY291dHMub3JnLnVrLy91bWJyYWNvIy9jb250ZW50L2NvbnRlbnQvZWRpdC80MDI3NiJ9","canonicalUrl":"https://www.scouts.org.uk/news/2019/october/a-million-hands-four-years-on/"}