THE hard work and dedication of Scout groups has been rewarded at a special ceremony.

A total of 37 Beavers, Cubs, Scouts and Explorers from across Castle Point attended the ceremony at the Castle Point Council offices.

Proud family members also packed into the hall to see the youngsters receive their awards.

The children had collected a certain number of badges for activities such as hiking, volunteering, circus skills, fire safety, world faiths and many others.

The badges then counted towards the Bronze award for the Beavers, the silver award for Cubs, gold award for Scouts and platinum for Explorers.

John Stringle, district commissioner for Scouts in Castle Point, said: “It was a fantastic event.

“I think we had about 150 people, including parents, family and friends of those who got the awards.

“The children each got a certificate and a badge.”

Castle Point mayor Steve Cole attended the event to present the children with their awards.

Mr Cole, who is also the district commissioner for Scouts, organised for the youngsters to take part in a debate in the council chambers.

The Beavers were given the topic of whether they should go to school, and Scouts and Explorers debated the American Presidential election.

Mr Stringle added: “That was a great opportunity for them.

“They were put on the spot a bit as Steven came up with the idea and topics so they didn’t have a chance to prepare.

“We are looking to have a debating day soon.”

There are ten units in Castle Point that have a Beaver, Cubs and Scout section.

There are five Explorer units that are for older children up to the age of 18.

Beavers take children from the age of six and anyone is welcome to join a group.

The units in Castle Point are looking for new volunteers to help support them.

As long as you’re over 18, you can help out as an adult volunteer in Scouting. There is no upper age limit for adult volunteers.

If you are aged between 14 to 18, there is the option of becoming a Young Leader.

For more information, call John on 07786 001032 or email him on john_stringle@hotmail.com

For more information, visit scouts.org.uk