Scouts and Explorers from 2nd Beeston Sea Scouts recently competed at HMS Raleigh, Plymouth, in the Royal Navy Recognised Sea Scouts National Swimming Gala. They returned to Nottingham with the Otter Shield, awarded annually to the best-performing Sea Scout group in the country, for the second year in succession.
Last year’s win, the group’s first in 97 years, was celebrated as a historic moment. This year’s defence, with four teams competing against squads that have dominated the event for decades, makes it something more significant: evidence that a deliberate approach to developing young people produces results that last.
Chris H, Scout Team Lead Volunteer said: “Winning once is an achievement. Winning again, with more young people involved and against the high quality of competition, tells you it wasn’t a fluke. These young people have put the work in, and they’ve shown what they’re capable of.”
Originally presented to the Scout Association by the Otter Swimming Club of London for the “Encouragement of Swimming and Lifesaving”, the Otter Shield has been the prize for the best overall team at the national gala since the competition’s inception in 1910. For over fifty years it has been contested at HMS Raleigh in Cornwall, drawing Royal Navy Recognised Sea Scout groups from across the UK.
2nd Beeston Sea Scouts operate from two bases: Lilac Grove HQ in Beeston and Barton Island, a natural island river base on the River Trent accessible only by boat. Water confidence is not an optional add-on for the group’s young people; it is a foundation skill built progressively from the youngest sections upwards.
The group continues to grow, with waiting lists across all age sections, more than 90 young people enrolled, and 30 adult volunteers giving their time. The expansion from two teams in 2025 to four in 2026 reflects that wider trajectory.
“Everything we do centres on the water; Barton Island, the Trent, water safety built from the ground up. The Otter Shield is a proud moment, but what matters more is that this community knows these young people are out there doing something genuinely worthwhile. We want more of Beeston to be part of it getting more families through the door, that’s the best outcome of all.” said Eamonn Mc., Scout Leader.
Both years’ trips to Plymouth have been funded in part by direct community support. Bag-packing fundraisers at Tesco in Beeston and Toton, alongside donations via the group’s JustGiving page, have covered transport and costs over the last two years. The group thanks everyone who contributed.
As they celebrate this historic win, the group hopes to inspire young people to take on new challenges and create lifelong memories through scouting.
If you want to support the group or get your young person involved? Visit www.2ndbeeston.org.uk