The Scouts of the World Award (SOWA) is a Scout Network only award that gives Scout Network members the chance to undertake a project of their choice within the themes of Peace, Environment and Sustainability and take action on their chosen issue.
Through their Scouts of the World Award journey, they develop skills and knowledge that empowers them to undertake a project that will make a sustainable impact on their local, national or international community, while developing personal skills.
Emily Brown (one of our Network Members and Section Assistant at 10th Widnes), who knew nothing about gardening prior to commencing her award, took the opportunity during lockdown, to build a bee garden in her local community garden to promote biodiversity.
In order to meet the requirements of the award, Network members have to complete 80 hours or service a significant portion of which includes planning and research. For her project Emily did a lot of research into the kind of plants and habitats Bees and other pollinators thrive in and devised a spreadsheet with all different kinds of species of plants and flowers.
After doing her research, she approached and worked with members of a local community garden to plant the new environment she had designed, learning all sorts of useful things about horticulture along the way. While Emily was there she also renovated and built two bug hotels designed specifically for pollinators. Emily plans to take young people from her Scout group to the community garden when covid restrictions allow so they to can learn about the important role of Bees and other pollinators in our natural world.
After her project concluded Emily gave a presentation to members of the Mersey Weaver and Cheshire Teams a long with members of her family and her project mentor Chippy Richards.
We are really proud of Emily completing the Award as to our knowledge she is one of the first in Mersey Weaver and possibly Cheshire to do so! Congratulations Emily on the completion of your Award and project!
