What we cleaned up:
Broken glass… inside the hall.
Yes, inside. Outdoors is for amateurs, our Cubs bring the full estate experience indoors.
To be fair, no one claimed responsibility. Everyone blamed “someone who left before I got here.”
Really, we got burgled. Nothing stolen because we don’t have anything.
Maddest thing:
We have a new leader! An ex-Scout leader from London who has somehow been convinced to join our madness. A super family who wondered what the noise was.
They walked in saying, “Oh, I’ve worked with tricky kids before.”
By the end they looked like someone who’d aged five years in 55 minutes and whispered, “But not like these tricky kids…” This isn’t Wimbledon mate.
Welcome to Council Estate Cubs Kush! Kush is a Child Psychologist from London who has just started a new job at CHAMS, the place where troubled kids fail to get an appointment, a diagnosis, or any help. Kush is set to change that. Thankyou Kush and GOOD LUCK!
We chew up leaders and spit out better ones.
Best excuse of the night:
“I was hungry…”
(This was the explanation for:
- shouting at a cone,
- wandering into the store cupboard,
- refusing to sit down,
- and punching the air “to check if my arms still work.” My nose is still bleeding.)
Honestly, it fits.
Half our kids arrive hungry, overstimulated, or carrying three days’ worth of stress on their tiny shoulders.
We get it.
We meet them where they’re at, even if that’s halfway up a stack of chairs.
Best moment:
A Cub stood up, looked around the hall, the noise, the chaos, the questionable hygiene (really, some of these kids don’t wash much…) and announced:
“THIS IS THE BEST THING EVER!”
And it was, in that beautiful, messy way only estate Scouting can be.
Tonight’s Big Topic: What It Means to Be a Cub Scout
You’d think this would be simple.
It wasn’t.
We gathered them, we breathed deeply, and we began:
- What Cubs do.
- How we work together.
- What the Promise means.
- Why we don’t climb radiators.
But honestly? They were mesmerised by something else entirely… we have mice, not pet mice, uninvited mice…
The Uniform Reveal
We showed them the green jumper.
They acted like we were unveiling the crown jewels.
One Cub said, “It’s SO SOFT,” stroking it like it was a therapy animal.
Another asked, “Do we wear this to school as well?”
We shut that down fast before we accidentally start a new fashion trend.
The Flags… oh, the flags
So about the flags.
We proudly presented them like the ceremonial treasures of the Pack.
Except they are moth-eaten, yellowing flags from the 1960s, discovered in the basement of the Methodist church group that I now look back on with loving memories.. that probably forgot they existed.
You could hear the dust leave their fabric when we unfolded them.
The Cubs?
Thought they were EPIC.
One declared:
“These flags must be ANCIENT! Did you use these when you were a Cub?
We did not correct him. No, I did. I’m not THAT old!
Camp Fever Has Begun
I believe that we should get the out camping soon as we can. We told them our first camp is in three weeks.
Reactions included:
- “I AM SLEEPING IN A TENT? LIKE A REAL ONE??”
- “Are there toilets or do we dig holes like foxes?”
- “Can we fight a wolf?”
(Absolutely not.) - “Can I bring my hamster?”
(Also no.) - “What if I get lost?”
(You live on an estate. You can navigate by instinct.)
But the excitement?
Off the scale.
This camp will be chaos, joy, and potentially a small health and safety nightmare, but it will change them.
And then I almost cried as Dan asked “Will this be like a real holiday with adventure?” Dan, and none of these names are their real names, has been living in a bed and breakfast with his mum and baby sister for six months now, his dad, well let’s not call him that… Yes Dan, this will be like a real holiday with adventure.
The Real Stuff Beneath the Madness
Week Three and already:
- Kids with tough home lives are finding stability.
- Those labelled “naughty” are actually leaders in disguise.
- Children who never talk are suddenly full of questions.
- Kids who rarely smile are shouting that this is “the best thing ever.”
This is why we’re here.
Broken glass and all.
Cubs gives them an hour and a half where life isn’t about poverty, stress, or surviving the day but
it’s about belonging, laughing, learning, and feeling safe.
And we’re only three weeks in.
Imagine what we’ll be in three months. Bloody knackered I think!
Council Estate Cub Pack 