Coronavirus in Ballarat: Scouts pushing forward during pandemic

Like all groups and clubs, Ballarat's Scout groups have been forced to make huge adjustments over the past two months because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

As an organisation which is largely based around outdoor activity, 1st Wendouree Scout Group Leader Mark Lampard told The Courier the transition to online meetings have been at times difficult.

"It has been a bit of a challenge during this time," he said.

"We're doing what we can through online meetings."

We've made the move towards online meetings to try to keep the members involved.1st Wendouree Scout Group Leader Mark Lampard

"We've seen the majority of the youth stay with us and stay involved. There have been some who decided it wasn't going to work for them, which we understand... it's very different, being a part of Scouts you want to be out in the community which has been very hard to do."

As restrictions begin to ease, Mr Lampard said he is looking towards Scouts Victoria for when activities can return to some semblance of normalcy.

"It all depends on what directives we're given from Scouts Victoria," he added.

"We're looking and starting to get groups back outside in groups under 10. We have well over 30 members so it's going to be a while until we can have everybody back together."

When asked how his group has responded to the pandemic, Mr Lampard said his group has displayed great resilience and have continued to remain positive throughout isolation.

This comes after a survey from Resilient Youth Australia found that Scouts have an overall better emotional capacity to cope with difficult times such as COVID-19 isolation.

Mr Lampard said he wasn't surprised by the results, stating that he has seen it first hand through his son, who is a Scouts member.

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"I can speak from what I've seen from my son during this extended time at home. He's shown a great ability to get on and push through things."

Chief Commissioner of Scouts Australia Phil Harrison echoed these sentiments in a statement.

"The results of this study are truly ground-breaking and exciting for our organisation, as they reaffirm the essential service Scouting is, and continues to deliver to our local communities," he said.

"We're proud to know that the work we do for young people in our communities is helping build resilience, self-confidence and the emotional capacity to help cope during difficult times.

"This is especially poignant today as everyone needs the ability to stay positive after the devastating bushfires over summer and now the impact of COVID-19 on the lives and livelihoods of Australians."