What we cleaned up:
Broken beer bottles.
Lots of them.
Sparkling like the world’s saddest fairy lights outside the hall.
And… someone set fire to rubbish by the front door,
so we’re now officially using the side door only,
which makes us feel like we’re sneaking into our own building.
Just another Monday on the estate.
Best excuse of the night:
“Well my uniform is at school…”
No further comment. No idea.
Best moment:
A tie this week:
- Tommy’s 9th birthday cake, which ended up on at least three faces,
and - Our MP crying in the middle of our Cub Pack for the right reasons.
Happy Birthday, Tommy!
Tommy arrived glowing with excitement because he is now officially 9 years old.
We had cake.
We had singing.
We had a moment where three Cubs tried to blow out the candles for him.
We had more icing on hair, hands, and hoodies than on the cake itself.
Tommy’s grin could have powered the estate for a week.
Special Guest: Our Local MP
Tonight we welcomed our local MP and we weren’t sure what to expect.
Some MPs turn up, smile politely, say “community is important,”
take a photo, and disappear back into the Westminster mist.
Not this one.
He walked into a hall full of laughter, noise, broken-glass cleanup, and estate reality
and he didn’t flinch.
He talked to the leaders,
watched the Cubs play,
and then sat with the kids in small groups like he had all the time in the world.
Then Isabella told her story. Trigger. This WILL make you cry.
Isabella’s Story And One MP Who Actually Listened
In the calmest, bravest voice you can imagine,
Isabella said:
“I live in emergency accommodation
because we had to run away from my dad when he got drunk.”
The hall went quiet.
The MP went still.
Leaders froze mid-cleaning.
Even the usually unstoppable Cubs paused.
This is the kind of reality our kids deal with.
Not small problems.
Not “naughty behaviour.”
But big, life-shaking, safety-level stuff.
And the MP this professional, political man
had tears in his eyes.
Actual tears.
Not show tears.
Not pretend “I care deeply about issues” tears.
Real ones.
He said quietly:
“You’re very brave, Isabella.”
And she smiled a small, proud, powerful smile.
You can’t plan moments like that.
And Then Something Extraordinary Happened
After he left, my phone buzzed.
A message from him to donate to us.
From him.
£2,000.
His own money.
No fanfare.
No photo op.
No conditions.
Just a message saying:
“This is amazing.
Please use this for the kids.”
This is why this blog is anonymous.
Because this wasn’t a publicity stunt.
This was a human being doing something quietly good for children who need it.
Two thousand pounds.
Just like that.
Because he saw what we’re trying to do and he believed in it.
Why This Matters So Much
These kids deserve the world.
But what they get is:
- broken glass outside their meeting place,
- fire by the doorway,
- trauma that should never be theirs,
- poverty making daily life harder than anyone realises,
- and systems that don’t catch them quickly enough.
Yet in spite of everything,
they come to Cubs and shine.
They show kindness.
They look after new Cubs.
They celebrate birthdays.
They tell their stories honestly.
They find belonging.
They grow.
And every now and then,
someone from outside our estate sees that
really sees it
and steps forward to help.
That’s what happened tonight.
Week Fourteen Verdict
- Fire by the front door: dealt with.
- Broken glass: swept.
- Tommy is 9!
- Our MP cried (and we adore him for it).
- Isabella showed bravery beyond her years.
- We received an unexpected gift that will change lives.
- The Pack continues to thrive in ways no one could have predicted.
Fourteen weeks in,
and this isn’t just a Cub Pack anymore.
It’s a community.
A refuge.
A second chance.
A family.
And we are only just beginning. And then the Scouts started to arrive. Just four of them, but they are here!
Council Estate Cub Pack 
Leave a comment