The Scout Camp Site is at the entrance to Parndon Wood and in the pitch darkness, it was good to see the lights through the hut window. Even more welcome was that the hut was nice and warm - particularly since it was very very cold outside.
Although the Scouts were aged between ten and fourteen years, I was struck by both the intelligence of their questions and also the issues that they cared about. Housing problems, protection of our green space, regeneration of Harlow and Youth facilities were the main subjects of conversation. It was good to see that a number of the youngsters cared deeply about our green belt and did not want unthinking building to take place. The same feelings were exhibited when we discussed Stansted Airport Expansion and I got the impression that most supported protection of our countryside rather than destroying it with a new Runway.
What was even more interesting was that some of the questions focused around provision for the elderly and sheltered accommodation, which showed a concern not just for their own needs but those of their parents and grandparents.
If these Scouts are anything to go by, Harlow faces a bright future. These youngsters are a credit, not just to their families but to young people as a whole.
Nigel told me that he had been in the Scouts for over thirty years. I thought that it was thanks to his dedication, and that of the other Scout volunteers, that some young people in Harlow had a great community activity to undertake. And it was this voluntary ethos that made the Scouts such a success.
It was for me a really enjoyable, and informative evening. I look forward to a future visit.
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