Scouts end long wait to get a grip on fun
AROUND 60 members of 2nd Rossendale Scout Group enjoyed an evening on the climbing walls at Grip and Go in Haslingden - more than 18 months late!
Members aged from six to 14, young leaders and adults had booked a group outing to the walls for March 31, 2020, but the national lockdown happened just eight days before their intended visit.
However, once the Beavers, Cubs and Scouts were able to resume meetings at the Scout HQ in Burnley Road, Bacup, the booking was reinstated.
Rossendale Leisure Trust runs Grip and Go at its Adrenaline Centre and the visit of 2nd Rossendale was the largest group booking to the facility for 18 months.
Administrative officer Emily Cryer said: “When we first returned, we were just open at the weekends and then Friday evening was added.
“Now we are also open Monday to Friday evenings and, like with 2nd Rossendale, if we have a large booking, then they have exclusive use of the facility. Our main visitors are our members, but it is really enjoyable for us to have a big group of younger people as it makes a massive difference to our staff.
“We were lucky that a lot of group bookings that were scheduled before lockdown, were left with us and those groups have now come back to fulfil their plans and we have a number coming in before Christmas.”
Grip and Go has 24 different walls to try, including ropes and tyres, stairway pillars, a traverse wall
and ‘leap of faith’ where climbers jump from a high platform and try to grab a suspended bag on the way down.
2nd Rossendale Cub leader Akela Catherine Smyth said: “As a Scout Group we try to hold joint activities where possible and we were so disappointed
when we were unable to go last year.
“However, we were delighted to be able to literally take over the walls for an evening and members of all of the groups got such a lot out of the sessions. What was also lovely was a former Beaver and Cub Scout Max Lythgoe, is
now working for Rossendale Leisure Trust and he was helping the young members to get clipped in securely.
“As we had a Cub due to be invested - that is where they say their promise and are officially made a Cub Scout - we arranged it so that Charlie safely climbed
one wall flanked either side on two other walls by King Louie Mark Bradley and myself.
“When Charlie reached as high as he could, he safely secured himself on the wall and said the Cub Scout Promise. It was one investment no one will forget.”