What we cleaned up:
Half a smashed watermelon and several abandoned sandwiches.
Someone brought “picnic practice food” and the Cubs treated it like a live training exercise for a seagull riot.
We also found a map in a puddle,
“THIS IS NOT WHERE WE ARE.”
Correct.
Best excuse of the night:
“I wasn’t lost… I was exploring.”
Said with the confidence of a politician caught in a hedge. They were lost, in the place they live…
Best moment:
Samuel’s mum messaged to say:
“He’s home… and he’ll be back at Cubs next week!”
The whole Pack cheered like we’d won Eurovision.
Bank Holiday Monday: We Still Met Of Course We Did
Normal groups might cancel for the Bank Holiday.
Not us.
Estate kids don’t get endless days out, trips to the coast, or weekends away in cottages.
Bank Holiday Monday is just another Monday.
So the Cub Pack opened as usual doors wide, leaders caffeinated, maps in hand, chaos guaranteed.
Tonight’s plan:
Navigate around the estate in teams using maps
→ end up in the park
→ have a picnic dinner together.
Simple, right?
Haha.
No.
Absolutely not.
Map Reading, Estate Style
Teamwork tonight looked like:
- one Cub actually reading the map
- three Cubs walking confidently in the wrong direction
- one Cub shouting “FOLLOW ME I KNOW THIS ROAD” (he didn’t)
- a leader doing 10,000 steps in 20 minutes
- one team arriving at the park via a scenic route that included a hedge, a shortcut that wasn’t, and a block of flats no one lives in anymore
- another team arriving with one shoe missing (don’t ask)
- Dog poo
But eventually,
every team made it.
Tired. Sweaty. Proud. Loud.
Estate explorers in their natural habitat.
Picnic in the Park Where We Learned Something Big
The Cubs sat down, opened their bags…
and we noticed something we hadn’t expected:
Some kids had full picnics.
Some had snacks.
Some had nothing at all.
Not forgotten, just nothing.
Food poverty is real here.
We knew it, of course. But I didn’t think is was quite like this.
But tonight made it painfully visible. So Kush spoke to some of the Cubs and we are devastated.
One Cub quietly said,
“I didn’t bring food… we didn’t have sandwiches.”
Another said,
“I wasn’t hungry at home, but I am now.”
No shame.
Just honesty.
So leaders did what leaders do on council estates:
shared everything.
Sliced fruit, spare sandwiches, extra crisps, drinks no one went hungry.
But as we watched the Cubs eat, a new thought settled in our stomachs heavier than any sandwich:
We need a plan.
A proper one.
A long-term one.
And we’ve already started shaping it.
Food Poverty Plan: The Beginning
We’re going to:
- run community meal nights
- make sure no Cub ever leaves Cubs hungry again
- build a small food reserve for emergency situations
- work with local supporters to keep kids fed during school holidays
- AND make all events even picnics fully inclusive and fully provided
Because Cubs shouldn’t depend on whether a family has £5 spare for food.
Belonging shouldn’t have a price tag.
We’ll never single out a child.
We’ll never embarrass anyone.
We’ll just… quietly make sure every Cub has what they need.
And Through It All Samuel Is Coming Back
Samuel’s mum’s message was the high point of the week.
He’s home.
He’s healing.
He’s excited.
He’s counting the days until he can be back with his friends —
friends he didn’t have before Cubs.
When his message was read out, one Cub said,
“Good. It’s weird without him.”
That’s real community.
Real belonging.
Real love.
Week Nine Verdict
- Bank Holiday? Still ran Cubs.
- Estate navigation? Chaotic masterpiece.
- Picnic? Heartwarming and eye-opening.
- Food poverty plan? Begun.
- Samuel? Coming home to a Pack that misses him.
This is council estate Scouting at its best:
joy, mess, resilience, honesty, and adults doing their absolute best for kids who deserve the world.
Week Ten… we’re ready.
Council Estate Cub Pack 
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