A great day shaking hands to support Surrey Scouts

An amazing day was had by everyone who came to Surrey Sports Park on Saturday 3^rd June, to ‘Shake Hands and Have Fun’ in support of Surrey Scouts.

People from across Surrey were invited to come along and take part in what was a fun attempt to beat an existing world record for the longest non-stop relay handshake.

The weather was fantastic and those who attended enjoyed music, food, drink and fun stalls throughout the day.

It was a shame the present world record wasn’t quite beaten, but the fun and laughter more than made up for that.

Donations were made throughout the day, and continue to come in, to help Surrey Scouts refurbish their adventure facilities at Bentley Copse near Guildford, for the benefit of Surrey youngsters.

Bentley Copse provides life-developing activities for youngsters, with camping and dormitory accommodation for longer stays. Hundreds of groups of Surrey Scouts visit each year, and it can accommodate stays for up to 500 young people at a time.

Visits to Bentley Copse help to instil, at a young age, the confidence and life skills needed to help young people achieve future success, such as teamwork, leadership, and resilience skills, that have helped past generations of Scouts to become everything from teachers and social workers to astronauts and Olympians.

Last Saturday’s BIG HANDSHAKE event was organised by Surrey Freemasons, to provide some local community fun, with all monies raised going direct to Surrey Scouts.

Ian Chandler, Head of Surrey Freemasons, said just before the start of the actual relay handshake:

“Today is just one event and I hope, over the years to come, that we can continue to support Surrey Scouts, particularly at Bentley Copse and perhaps also some other future projects.”

If anyone was unable to make it on the day, you can still contribute to a wonderful cause by texting: HANDSHAKE to 70085 to donate £3.