Beaver Scouts find novel ways to make bunting for PEH’s 70th

Guernsey Beaver Scouts have been tasked with creating bunting for the celebrations, with each one needing to make around 100 flags to reach the target of 2,000.

Beaver Scouts leader Beckie Gabriel works at the hospital and thought the youngsters would be up to the challenge.

‘I work at the PEH, which was how we got involved.

'The arts coordinator, Lottie [Barnes], asked me if I thought our Beavers would like to get involved.’

The theme for the bunting was blue, with the children using different methods to decorate the paper to be used from bubble blowing to using kitchen utensils and their own hands to make prints.

‘We are making them this week and next week and we need 2,000 sheets,’ said Ms Gabriel.

She said the children would take inspiration from the sea to make more Guernsey-themed bunting by using potato prints to create sea creatures.

Making the bunting will also go towards two different badges the Beavers are working on: the creativity badge and the world challenge award, for which they need to do an activity that helps their local community.

Sammy Vidamour, 7, was one of the Beaver Scouts helping with the bunting and said his favourite way of painting them was using water guns.

‘We’ve been using bubble blowers and blowing through a straw into the dye.’

Sammy said it was important to decorate the hospital for patients and visitors.

‘So when people look around the hospital it looks nice,’ he said.

Nathan Mullan, 8, had also been hard at work making sheets to use for bunting.

‘It’s lots of fun but kind of messy,’ he said while holding out his blue hands.

‘We want the patients to be happy and it’s all about caring about the people who are at the hospital,’ he said.

After all the sheets have been painted by Beaver Scouts, a template will be used to cut their creations into bunting shapes ready for decorating the hospital.

. Sunday 23 June will mark the 70th anniversary of the official opening of the PEH by Princess Elizabeth.