 After Christmas, Epsom and Ewell Borough Council will operate free real Christmas tree recycling collection for all residents.
Real Christmas tree recycling collections will take place on your normal rubbish collection day during week commencing Monday 7 January and week commencing Monday 21 January. Leave your real Christmas tree (all decorations removed) in a clearly visible place next to your green rubbish bin and the council will collect it separately for recycling. Leave your recycling and waste out for collection in a clearly visible place at the edge of your property by 6:30am on collection day. More details about rubbish collection over Christmas Our sale has now drawn to a close for this year. On Saturday we sold 86 trees and a further 56 on Sunday bringing the our grand total this year to 392, 28 of which were sold supporting other schools or Scout Groups. This is a new record for us, smashing last year's total of 335 trees. We were delighted to see so many familiar faces from our sales in previous years, and this is just testament to the quality of our trees. This year, we were also selling tree stands. We sold out in our first weekend but were able to obtain some more for the second weekend. Following this success, we will therefore be looking to have a greater stock of stands for our future sales.
The sale has been a phenomenal success and has raised several thousand pounds for the Group. This has come at a good time for the Group, following a recent theft of the drive shaft of one of our vehicles which has had to be replaced, and news that our phone mast will be removed next year, and our income from this will cease. We couldn't have achieved this without the support of parents, Leaders, the Group Executive Committee and of course Beavers, Cubs and Scouts who assisted in many ways. Not forgetting our loyal customers, to whom we wish a very happy Christmas. Thank you for your support.  A group of avid bird watchers congregated beside the Scout Headquarters to capture photographs of our latest arrival, a flock of Waxwings. Waxwings are well known as irruptive winter visitors to the UK. They breed in the remote northern pine forests of Scandinavia and Russia. In autumn and winter they feed on berries and it is the relative abundance of these that determines how far the birds have to travel to find food. Variable berry crops from year to year result in varying numbers arriving in the UK. 
 Dan and Matt, young members of the Group inspect Christmas Trees from all angles. Whether it's little people helping you to choose the perfect tree, or the little extra you might spend with your tree on mistletoe or our prize raffle, everything helps to support 4th Ewell (Nonsuch) Scout Group.
More stock has been cut today and will be with us on Saturday morning. The trees are of superior quality and will likely sell out fast considering how we sold a tree every 3 minutes last Saturday. Arrive early to avoid disappointment! The sale begins at 0900 and finishes at 1600 - contact us should you need a tree outside of this time.
 One of our Cubs, Lewis Cook, helped at our Christmas Tree sale this weekend. Here's his story.
On 8th December 2012 4th Ewell scouts had a Christmas tree sale to raise funds for the scout group. When we got there we had to take the trees out of the pallets and lay them on the metal gates that were in a pyramid shape. I helped lots of people to choose the size tree they wanted. I had lots of fun and the money we raised was outstanding. It was freezing but at least I was wrapped up warm for the sale. I was selling trees for over 5 hours and the sale was on from 9:00am-4:00pm. At the end of the day we sold 150 trees and also when we were there, there was a raffle to raise extra money for scouts. The trees were more expensive when they got taller and we had trees ranging from 5ft to 10ft. Lots of people wanted 7ft trees and they were about £40. The sale was also on Sunday and next weekend and let’s hope we raise more money for 4th Ewell scouts. By Lewis Cook (4th Ewell cubs) I am really pleased to highlight that on Sunday we sold a further 100 Christmas Trees bringing our sales total to 250 and with the sale of tree stands, mistletoe, tree delivery and the raffle, we have raised significant funds for the Group. A special thanks should be given to all of those who assisted but in particular, parents who stepped forward to volunteer their time on Sunday.
We are anticipating further high demand this weekend and have ordered additional trees to boost our stock levels, making 4th Ewell the best place to come for your Christmas tree this year.  What an amazing success - today we were selling a Christmas Tree every 3 miutes! Customers were queueing 30 minutes before we officially opened and were still turning up while we were trying to pack away. We sold 150 trees smashing our previous one-day record of 122. We have been raising funds to support our Scout Group through selling trees, stands, mistletoe and by holding our raffle. 8 of the trees sold today have also helped raise funds for cooperating schools and Scout Groups.
Lots of people have been asking about our prices, which are now available online. Many of our customers have commented on the quality of our trees and that we are much cheaper than alternative retailers. Several of our happy customers have already 'Shown us theirs'! We suggest that customers arrive early to avoid disappointment as at the current rate demand could outstrip supply. Many people are buying early as the met office are predicting blizzards next week which may make it difficult to get to our sale. We look forward to seeing you at the sale. The count-down has begun! It seems incredible that yet another year has passed, and after all the planning, organising and leafleting, we're just 5 days away from our fourth annual Christmas tree sale.
This year, we've distributed over 13,000 leaflets to the local area. Did you get one? Don't forget to bring your leaflet with you when you come to select your tree to get your special treat and enter our free prize draw! This year you will have noticed on the back of our leaflet a message from Bear Grylls, the Scout Association's Chief Scout, about being an adult volunteer in Scouting. Were you a Scout or a Guide when you were young? Have you ever considered getting back involved? ‘One of my big missions is to encourage people across the UK who have the time, enthusiasm and ability, whatever it is, to put something back into their communities. It’s about a lot of people doing a little. I don’t want to hear any more about kids who can’t join because of a lack of leaders. We’ve got a brilliant, talented nation and I want some of that talent to be used to support young people.’
Our adult volunteers are at the heart of Scouting, and they get out every bit as much out of it as they put in. Scouting is not only about young people, but also about the development of adults within the Movement. To support adults in Scouting, the Association provides a comprehensive programme of training to build on existing skills and knowledge and develop new competencies. Some elements of training can count towards externally-recognised qualifications, and within the movement there are also awards to recognise dedication to training and outstanding service.  Our Christmas tree sale is staffed completely by volunteers from 4th Ewell. Many are our Leaders, Executive Committee members, parents and of course our Beavers, Cubs, Scouts and Explorers too. If you have any questions about the various roles available to adults in Scouting (it's not all about being a Leader, but that's got to be one of the best jobs) then there will be plenty of people around to ask.
We look forward to welcoming you to our tree sale this weekend or next and sharing some festive cheer over a glass of mulled wine and mince pie!  Keep an eye out for one of our Christmas tree sale fliers coming through your door over the next few weeks. If you bring it with you when you buy your tree from us, we will give you a special Christmas treat, on us! This year, we're delivering 13,000 promotional leaflets to the local area, which includes: Stoneleigh, East Ewell, Ewell Court, West Ewell, Ewell Village and parts of Epsom and Cheam.   This year we are also promoting local Scouting with a message from our Chief Scout, Bear Grylls, on the reverse of our flier. Scouting encourages young people from all backgrounds, male and female, to have self-belief and a voice. It helps them develop physically, intellectually, socially and spiritually. We call this ‘everyday adventure’. They just call it fun. Over the last four years we've experienced an unprecedented surge in membership and to keep up with demand we need more volunteers. There are nearly 1,600 people involved in Scouting in Epsom and Ewell, with many more on our waiting lists. Nationally, we have a waiting list of over 36,000 young people because we don’t have enough adults to help out.
You may think that you have no skills to offer Scouting, but the truth is that everyone has something to give. The opportunities to volunteer with us are flexible. Think of something you’d like to do and chances are it’s just what we require. Something as simple as organising games or refreshments can give the leader more time to spend with the young people. Useful links 4th Ewell (Nonsuch) Scout Group - Proud organisers of the Christmas Tree Sale Epsom and Ewell District Scouts The Scout Association BearGrylls.com |
