The recent visit of Bear Grylls to Croydon’s Pinewood Scout Centre has led to a collaborative partnership between local Scouts and the Croydon Forest School and Adventure Project to make the centre more accessible to non-Scouting groups.

Local Scouts have been working on the “garden” at Reeves Corner for Scout Community Week

This is Scout Community Week, and work around Pinewood is one of the activities in which Scouts reach out to other groups. Pinewood is a hidden wilderness close to the heart of urban Croydon and works with schools, nurseries, child-minders, families and youth groups to engage children and young people – particularly those with learning or behavioural difficulties with nature through forest school and bush-craft sessions.

This centre and the project support the Scouting ethos of being inclusive. Young people with learning difficulties from the project are being given learning opportunities alongside local Cubs and Scouts from across the borough.

For more information about Croydon Forest School and Adventure Project please contact Meike Weisner meike.weiser@croydon.gov.uk or Suzy Strudwick suzy.strudwick@croydon.gov.uk.

In another project for Scout Community Week, local Scout groups have been working on the site at Reeves Corner left vacant following the 2011 Croydon Riots.

It is nearly a year since the site was cleared of the post-riot hoardings and replaced with some potted saplings and a white picket fence. It has offered an opportunity for Scouts to utilise their skills to try to revitalise the site and the area, by weeding, painting and clearing the site for the benefit of the local community.

“This work will be on going in the evenings during Scout Community Week and will hopefully lead to an on-going project for the local Scouts of Croydon in association with the House of Reeves,” said Trevor Reeves, the director of the furniture retailers.

• For more on the events of Scout Community Week (June 2 to 8) and in Croydon throughout the year, visit the Croydon Scouting website here, or email for more information dc@croydonscouting.org.uk

Coming to Croydon

• Croydon Tech City “summit”, June 6
• An Improvised Murder, Spread Eagle Theatre, June 7
• Old Town residents’ meeting, June 7
• Crystal Palace Transition Town annual meeting, June 11
• Old Town residents’ meeting, June 11
• Lakes Playground Action Group fun day, June 14
• Croydon Green Fair, North End, June 14
• Elm Tree Cottage garden open day, June 15
• Norwood Society Talk: The Concrete Church, June 19
• Airport House swing dance free event, June 21
• Classic Car Show at Purley Rotary Fields, June 22
• Crystal Palace Overground Festival, June 26-29
• Warnings to the Curious, Spread Eagle Theatre, June 27
• South Norwood Allotments open day, June 28
• Fragile, Spread Eagle Theatre, July 24-26
• CODA’s Midsummer Night’s Dream at Wandle Park, Jul 30-Aug 2
• Elm Tree Cottage garden open day, Aug 10
• Norwood Society Talk: War Memorials, Sep 18
• Norwood Society Talk: From Fire Station to Theatre, Oct 16
• Norwood Society Talk: Lambeth’s Archives, Nov 20

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