What we cleaned up:

Hardly anything because we weren’t in the hall!
A rare win for the mop bucket.
(Although someone did manage to bring back a pocket full of gravel from the fire station. Standard.)

---

Best excuse of the night:

“I didn’t mean to spray the extinguisher that much… it just really wanted to come out.”

Fire extinguishers do not “want.”
But enthusiasm was high, so we’ll let it slide.

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Best moment:

Watching the Cubs rally around Austin, our new Cub with autism, like he had always been part of the Pack.

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Tonight: A Trip to the Fire Station

Nothing makes estate kids’ eyes go wider than a fire engine.
Lights. Sirens. Buttons.
The holy trinity of childhood awe.

The firefighters welcomed us in, looked at our group of excited, loud, unpredictable Cubs and said,
“Right then… let’s go!”

Brave people. Truly.

The Cubs got to:

• try a real fire extinguisher
• practise with a fire blanket
• sit inside the fire engine
• ask 10,000 questions
• AND learn how firefighters keep communities like ours safe

One Cub asked,
“If there’s a fire on BOTH sides of the road, which one do you put out first?”
The firefighter replied,
“The one that’s got someone still inside.”
A simple answer.
A powerful one.

And then things got serious.

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A Moment None of Us Expected

While we talked about fire safety, one Cub quietly said to a firefighter:

“My mum died in a fire.”

The room paused.
The leaders paused.
The firefighters paused.

And then beautifully, gently everyone gathered around him with kindness, not fuss.

A leader knelt beside him.
Another Cub held his hand.
The firefighter said,
“I’m so sorry, mate. We try our hardest every single day to stop that happening to anyone else.”

This is why we do Cubs here.
Because these children carry things that most adults would struggle with.
And instead of being alone with it, tonight he wasn’t.

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Welcome to Our New Cub: Austin

Tonight was Austin’s first night a wonderful new Cub with autism who arrived nervous, shy, and unsure.

Within five minutes:

• one Cub walked beside him explaining everything
• another held his hand when the extinguisher made a loud hiss
• another showed him where to sit
• two more invited him to be on their team

Not because we told them to.
Because that’s who they are becoming.

At the end, his mum said,
“He’s never joined a group before. I can’t believe how kind they were.”

Honestly?
Neither can we.
But we’re proud beyond words.

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We Now Have a Waiting List (!!)

Somehow, in twelve weeks:

• the hall is full
• the Pack is full
• the games are full
• our hearts are full

And now:
We officially have a waiting list.

People are queuing to join the Council Estate Cub Pack.
How wild is that?

From nothing in January…
to THIS in May.

This isn’t just a Cub Pack anymore.
It’s becoming the beating heart of the estate.

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**Subs: Only Two Pay…

And Honestly? That’s Fine.**

We now have a whole Pack of Cubs.
A waiting list.
Uniforms.
Trips.
Food.
Activities.
Craft.
Tools.
Camp kit.

And only two Cubs pay subs.

The rest?
We cover.
Gladly.
Proudly.

Because money should NEVER be the thing that stops an estate kid joining Cubs.
Not here.
Not ever.

If that means we fundraise, hustle, apply for grants, shake the tin, and make every penny stretch — then that’s what we’ll do.

Because these kids deserve the world.
And if the world won’t give it to them easily,
we’ll build a new one inside a community hall on a Monday night.

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Week Twelve Verdict

• Fire station visit: Incredible.
• Cubs using extinguishers: Terrifying, but incredible.
• A Cub shared deep loss, and the Pack held him up.
• Austin joined and was instantly loved.
• We now have a waiting list.
• Only two Cubs pay subs.
• And we wouldn’t change a single thing.

This Pack is becoming exactly what we dreamed it could be:

A family.
A refuge.
A riot of joy and noise and kindness.
A place where every child every single one belongs.

Bring on Week Thirteen.