What we cleaned up:
A trail of biscuit mush leading from the hall to the toilets.
At some point, someone clearly panicked, tightened their tiny fist, and turned a Custard Cream into wet dust.
We also found part of a sausage roll on the radiator.
We do not want to know.
Best excuse of the night:
“I didn’t steal it… I just borrowed it forever.”
This was said in relation to a glue stick.
A half-used glue stick.
The prestige item of the crafting world, apparently.
Best moment:
A Cub, wide-eyed, breathless, full estate sincerity, ran up and shouted:
“THIS IS MY FAVOURITE DAY OF THE WEEK!”
We asked, “Even better than Saturday?”
He said, “WAY better. You lot are funnier than my mum’s boyfriend.”
We’ll take that.
Tonight’s Main Event: RAT MEET & GREET
Yes.
The rat is still here.
Yes, he is thriving.
Yes, the Cubs are obsessed.
Yes, the leaders have absolutely lost control of the situation.
The big reveal tonight was:
- what he eats
- how to hold him
- how not to hold him
- why he cannot go in a hoodie pocket (though he LOVES it!)
- and why “can we race him?” is a question we must firmly shut down every single week
The Cubs’ reactions ranged from pure joy to mild terror to “CAN WE GET A SECOND ONE?”
Which is how we know we’re doomed.
We still haven’t agreed on a name.
The finalists are:
- Sir Nibbles
- Ratatouille
- The Undertaker
- Cubby
- and Custard
Democracy is dead in this Pack.
Whatever name wins, half the Pack will riot.
Skill of the Night: Taking Turns (Not Our Strongest Area)
We attempted a circle activity.
A simple, calm, polite, one-at-a-time sharing moment.
What actually happened:
- three kids talked at once
- someone tried to stand on a chair to “make my point stronger”
- one Cub loudly declared the rat should speak next
- another Cub crawled under the circle and popped out like a whack-a-mole
- one leader reconsidered all their life choices
Still, improvement!
Mild improvement.
Tiny, microscopic improvement.
But improvement.
Topic of the Night: “What Makes a Good Cub?”
We got surprisingly heartfelt answers:
- “Helping people, even if they’re annoying.”
- “Trying hard, even if you’re bad at it.”
- “Not hitting people unless they REALLY need it.” (We corrected this.)
- “Being brave, like when I told my teacher she was wrong.”
They also told us they want:
- more animals
- more dodgeball
- more snacks
- fewer rules
- more campfire songs even though we are inside a hall with a smoke detector
We’ll… review the feasibility.
Leadership Chaos Corner
Leaders tonight were:
- one caffeinated
- one confused
- one covered in unidentifiable crumbs
- one holding the rat like a newborn child
- one manically updating the risk assessment in real time
And yet, somehow, the Pack ran.
Somehow, everyone learned something.
Somehow, no one cried (much).
Somehow, no rat escapes happened.
That is what we call a Council Estate Miracle™.
The Real Magic Beneath the Madness
Six weeks in and already:
- the kids feel ownership of this Pack
- the Pack feels like the safest place some of them have
- their confidence is growing
- their behaviour is slowly shifting
- families trust us
- siblings are begging to join
- kids who struggle everywhere else are thriving here
This is why we started.
Not for perfect meetings.
Not for tidy halls.
Not for quiet evenings (we will never have those).
We started because these kids deserve joy, belonging, adventure, and adults who see their worth.
And already six chaotic, biscuit-covered, rat-themed weeks in we can see the difference.
The rat’s name… Custard.
Council Estate Cub Pack 
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