Paul Golder writes for the Brentwood Gazette

“You don’t have to be Bear Grylls to join the scouts”, we were told last week.

That’s a real relief as I spent a couple of years with 3rd Gidea Park in my youth and I’m not sure I could survive more than 24 hours today without a bed and a roof over my head. I did, however, take the scout motto of “Be Prepared” to heart, which goes a long way when you run a radio station.

I was amazed to see that my old troop is still going strong, and still in the same place too, celebrating its 90th anniversary this year.

1st Weald Brook Scout Group isn’t quite so long established, having formed in 1999, possibly to show us all how to survive when the Millennium Bug hit us all and brought an end to civilisation.

Martin and Bernadette Bateman visited us from the group, coming in to talk to Drive’s Jo Bailey about the diverse roles within the Scouts that volunteers can help with – anything from traditional Scout leaders to organising routes for walks, and work that needs to be done behind the scenes. Berndatte says that “there’s a place for everyone”.

If you have a skill or an interest, from gardening to map reading and can help out, then you may be able to find a rewarding new hobby within the organisation. Scouting is still a very popular pastime, despite some people in the media who would have you think that kids are only interested in staring at their phones.

You can hear the interview again at phoenixfm.com, or find out more about 1st Weald Brook Scout Group at 1stwealdbrook.org.uk. Brentwood and District Scouts’ own site lists all the local groups available at brentwoodscouts.org.uk.