During these challenging times, we have seen how every part of The Boys’ Brigade is rising to the challenge and helping to ensure we continue to provide opportunities to children and young people to learn, grow and discover.
Guidance for Battalions – Supporting the Company Programme
This document contains some ideas for how Battalions can offer activities and events, covering a range of options depending on the current restrictions and guidelines in your area. See Guidance for Battalions – Supporting the Company Programme.
Local examples
On this page you’ll find examples of how Battalions and Districts across the country are supporting their Companies and members at the moment. If you want to share your Battalion or District support story or would like advice on how to provide further assistance, please contact Vaughan Staples by emailing v.staples@boys-brigade.org.uk
London District
The District has funded activity packs that have been sent to Companies, with a focus on supporting those that are unable to meet face-to-face or run Virtual Sessions. The packs contain resources to enable continued engagement with children and young people, by providing activities and ideas that they can try at home.
Glasgow Battalion
The Battalion recognised that leaders needed support to use online delivery methods and so offered one-to-one and group support around using Zoom effectively.
Following an initiative that they read about from London District, the Battalion produced Activity Sheets for use with Under 11’s which were further developed to provide specific publications for Anchors and Juniors. These were linked to the programme material from Brigade and have been used for face-to-face work and to keep in contact when #BBatHOME & Virtual Session programmes are being used.
A number of Companies in the Battalion have provided regular opportunities to participate in quizzes, sharing information and ideas between Companies was encouraged and use of the online Kahoot platform to allow wider ‘competition’ was demonstrated with the national Christmas Family Quiz.
Northamptonshire Battalion
Using its trust fund, Northamptonshire Battalion has supported Companies by paying their capitation fees this session. The fund is traditionally used to subsidise Battalion activities and events as well as provide small grants to Companies. For this session, to recognise the pressure faced by local Companies and BB Headquarters as a result of Covid-19, the fund was used to make this generous offer as a way of stepping up and providing support.
The support has been welcomed by all of the Companies in Northamptonshire and has meant that they were confidently able to start this session. Companies were also encouraged to make an additional contribution to BB Headquarters where it was possible to do so.
Northern Ireland District
The District was able to secure funding of £50,000 from the NI Education Authority to resource and support Companies in restarting youth provision. The District has sent a BB-branded ‘Restart Kit’ to every Company in Northern Ireland, containing resources/ideas to use with all age groups during face-to-face meetings, Covid-19 safety posters, postcards/flyers to attract new members as well as re-engage with existing members and badges linking to our Vision, Mission and Values.
The funding is also enabling the District to deliver a mental health project in collaboration with the Christian charity Made for More, recognising the impact that lockdown has had on the mental health of many children and young people.