Highbury Home            -  23  -              Reports 2008
of activities, including braving the high ropes course, building a pioneering bridge, wide games and a campfire.

Two teams entered the Malvern Challenge on Cleeve Hill in June, where we were all glad the weather was considerably better than the previous year.

We joined Leckhampton and Bethesda Scout Troops for our Summer camp at Chalfont Heights, with the Scouts working in patrols and cooking their own meals all week. The program included narrow boating on the Grand Union Canal, pioneering, backwoods cooking, climbing, an assault course, mountain biking, building a bivouac and sleeping in it, a trip to the Science Museum in London, local walks and swimming. We also had the benefit of a few unplanned activities, including being flooded out and evacuated from the site (although this did provide the opportunity to get to know some Irish Scouts, singing “Head shoulders knees and toes” in Gaelic), and two trips to the local A&E department!

A number of Highbury Scouts also went of County run activity courses, such as the survival skills, water activity, and hill walking weekends.

The Autumn term saw Leo Knowles become the first Highbury Scout to obtain his Chief Scouts Gold Award, with Sam Collier becoming the second a few weeks later. Congratulations to both of them, and we wish them all the best when they move up to Explorer Scouts.
Mark Addington
Scout Leader
British and International Sailors’ Society

During the past year some of the ladies of Highbury have been knitting furiously to produce woolly hats for sailors to wear. These are distributed through The British and International Sailors’ Society in Southampton to wherever they are needed in the world.

I have posted several large parcels of hats in a variety of colours during 2008 and hope to send many more in 2009.

Contact Diana Adams if you would like a pattern.  Keep knitting!

Jenny Bartlett

Administration

The work of Highbury Congregational Church is focused on the worship we share, the mission we engage in and the service we give to our community.  None of that work would be possible, however, without a great deal of behind the scenes work and administrative assistance.  
A particular thank  you this year must go to Sue Cole for taking on the work of Church Secretary and to Jean and Roger for the wonderful work they did over many years.  We must also say a big thank you to Darryl Mills who has not only taken responsibility for maintenance but steered through very significant work on the boilers and the wiring of the church.  A big thank you to everyone behind the scenes for making things run so smoothly.