“Working within our community is central to the Scouting ethos,” says ANZA Scout Leader Toph Brown. “Over the years, ANZA Scouts and Cubs have done community service with disadvantaged youth, environmental clean-ups, and wildlife research programs. Each year, we aim to do at least three or four service activities.”
Scouts & the community
Running the Election Sausage Sizzle with ANZA Action at the Australian High Commission in May 2019 was a great experience for ANZA Scouts and a chance to meet a furry new community group. “On the day, we were introduced to Guide Dogs Singapore, the beneficiary of the fundraising,” says Toph. “After the event, we talked with the youth leaders on our Scouts Troop Council (11-14 years) and Venturers Unit Council (15-18 years) about how the Sausage Sizzle had gone. They were keen to do more community service activities like this, and the Guide Dogs sounded like a great cause to support. The youth councils voted to work with GDS as our main cause.”
Understanding visual impairment
The next step for the Scouts was to find out more about visual impairment. “The team from GDS came to a Joeys (4-7 years) and Cubs (8-11 years) meeting so our younger members could learn about living with visual impairment,” explains Toph. “The Guide Dogs team used props and activities to let our kids experience the effects of different impairments.” The highlight was meeting Guide Dogs client Gary and his guide dog Jordie. “The Cubs and Joeys quickly learned when Jordie was working, and when it was okay to give the dog a scratch and pat.”
Future plans
GDS has a full calendar of awareness and fundraising events and the ANZA Scouts are excited to help where they can. “With a long-term partnership, ANZA Scouts will see the difference that their efforts make to lives of an under supported community,” says Toph. “Importantly, we can engage in different ways at different ages – critical for our diverse group.”
Join ANZA Action!
We are looking for a wordsmith to write up the ANZA Action magazine
page each month. Get in touch if you’re interested in helping our charity arm tell their stories. editor@anza.org.sg
