17th Holborn

The group is linked to Great Ormond Street Hospital - our members are either patients or siblings. It is also a joint Scout & Guide Group - so we run activities for Rainbows, Beavers, Brownies, Cubs, Guides & Scouts.  This makes for a very wide age range. This makes it quite a special group.

On this page you can

• Find out more information about the history of our Group
• Find out more information about how we run our meetings
• See our current meeting programme

The Scout Troop

On the 28th February 2007, the 17th Holborn Scout and Guide Group will be 50 years old. It was started in the mid 1950’s, when two long term patients - David Mitchell and Billy Harwood wished to continue their Scouting whilst being in hospital. In order for this to occur, their Group Scout Leader contacted a local Scouter, Alf Porter, who was not only a leader in St Pancras, but who was also interested in furthering Scouting for the disabled.

The group meets every Tuesday evening in the hospital activity centre (the only official holiday we have is Christmas week!). On a treasure huntThe leaders, of whom there are about sixteen, arrive in advance to prepare the area for the meeting - this includes moving chairs and tables, setting up our flag and equipment for the evening, and putting away any distracting toys! The leaders are then let loose to roam the hospital wards and recruit children for the evening. Whilst recruiting occurs, an opening game is played e.g. skittles, which continues until all the leaders have returned - with or without children. As the hospital is so large it often takes the leaders several outings to collect all the willing participants, but when all the children have been collected the programme begins.