A CUB Pack from Stretford got more than they bargained for when they started one of the latest additions to their activity badges.

The troop,1st Gorse Hill, were mid-way through their Disability Awareness badge when they caught the attention of their MP Kate Green, who is also Shadow Minister for Disabled People.

Ms Green visited the pack and presented the Cubs with a letter of congratulations from the House of Commons in Westminster, not only for completing their badge but for raising disability awareness amongst young people.

The Stretford and Urmston MP said of the Cubs, “It was great to meet the Cubs from 1st Gorse Hill and congratulate them for all their hard work in gaining their disability awareness badge.

“Raising disability awareness amongst young people is really important and I was interested to learn about the fun and interactive ways the Cubs used to take this on board.”

Badges were presented by Sue Blaylock of Trafford Wheelers – a Trafford charity which offers cycling to disabled people. Sue was accompanied by Karen Salisbury who, in addition to her role as assistant county commissioner for Cubs, is also a member of the National panel responsible for adding new badges to the Cubs Programme.

To complete the badge, the Cubs learned how to support young people with disabilities, how to communicate effectively using methods other than speech, painted a picture using only their feet, learned how to identify their name in Braille as well as whole host of other requirements including making themselves familiar with how buildings in our community could be made more accessible for people with disabilities.

Group scout leader, Andy Farrell said: “The Cubs have really taken to this badge and the leaders have come up with some inventive ways of making it interactive. For example, when learning Braille, we iced biscuits and stuck on jelly sweets to spell out letters. When the Cubs got the correct answer, they were allowed to eat it."

The launch of these new badges follows an extensive 10-month consultation with people inside and outside Scouting.