More In Common

How to gain the badge

To gain the badge, members should complete activities from the list below.

  • Squirrels, Beavers and Rainbows complete 2 activities
  • Cubs and Brownies complete 3 activities
  • Scouts and Guides complete 4 activities
  • Explorers and Rangers complete 5 activities

Upon completion of the activities, leaders will be able to order the badges ( they are free of charge)  from Peter Rookes direct who manages the supply and distribution of these. Please email Peter who will arrange despatch – pjrookes@gmail.com

 

These activities can be adapted for those with inclusion and/or disability needs. If leaders or young people have additional ideas for activities that fit within the ethos of the badge, then please email us at info@birminghamscouts.org.uk and we will include them on the website.

Guidelines

The County Commissioners for both Birmingham Scouts and Guides have agreed that the More in Common badge can be worn on the uniform and will be provided free of charge to members who have completed the requirements. This results from a generous donation in memory of the late Jean Rookes, who worked jointly for many years, with Peter, in working for a friendlier, more compassionate society.

The badge has proved a popular inclusion into all section programmes and today we have given out over 1,300 badges across the County - a huge achievement for Peter and the team.

 

More in Common Guide (version: November 2024)

Background

The More in Common badge is a partnership between Birmingham Scouts and Guides and the Jo Cox Foundation. The ethos of the badge is to encourage Scouts and Guides to show compassion, kindness and friendship to others, and to reach out across our diverse communities. An introduction to the badge by Kim Ledbetter, Jo’s sister can be found on the Birmingham Scouts YouTube Channel and the work of the Jo Cox Foundation can be found on their website.

Jo Cox Foundation Website

Activities

  • Find a care home near where you live, either one where older people, or people with a learning disability, live
  • Cut a piece of card of any pale colour to your preferred size – perhaps 15cm square
  • Draw something suitable on the front, maybe flowers, trees, your place of worship, your scout flag
  • Write a suitable message on the inside wishing the residents well and thanking the staff for their hard work, particularly during the pandemic
  • Include an address in case they wish to reply
  • Identify a scout or guide group to whom you would like to send a message
  • You may want some of your friends to join you in making the video
  • Think about what you want to say about your group and some of your activities in the community, and write them down.
  • Include some questions that you can ask about their group
  • Record your video, which should be between 2-5 minutes on your mobile phone and send it by WhatsApp, or similar medium to your chosen group.
  • Decide on the shape and size of your flag
  • Decide on which faiths you want to include: the most common are Christian, Muslin, Sikh, Hindu, Jewish, and Buddhist
  • Look each one up on an internet search engine and find their emblems or logos, and decide how you want to display them
  • Use the back of a roll of wallpaper and cut off a piece up to 1 metre in length
  • Look around you at what is different from your own place of worship. You can ask your friend about what you see.
  • Create images to show this on your collage. You can use poster paint, felt tips, coloured pencils, or paste images on to your collage.
  • Think about young people who are different from yourself – they maybe of a different faith, different colour, have an impairment such as loss of hearing or loss of sight, or have a disability such as cerebral palsy.
  • Now think about what you like about one or more of them.
  • Aim for 12-16 lines in your poem - this can be any number of lines in your verses, such as 4 verses of 4 lines each
  • Consider which words are going to rhyme – quite often it will be the end words of the 1st and 2nd and 3rd and 4th lines, or maybe the 2nd and 4th
  • This could be someone you meet at school
  • Explain to him or her what you are doing and ask their permission before asking them any questions
  • Also explain to your teacher what you are doing
  • Ask questions like how many brothers and sisters does he or she have, older or younger, what is his or her religion, where does he or she attend for worship, does he or she have to wear special clothes, or eat special food. what does he or she do with their spare time. Does he/she pray, other than when he/she attends their place of worship
  • This could be someone you meet at school
  • Explain to him or her what you are doing and ask his/her permission before asking any questions. Be careful to ask your questions in a sympathetic way.
  • Also explain to your teacher what you are doing
  • Ask questions like how does his/her disability or impairment affect his/her daily life
  • What activities are more difficult because of his/her impairment – does he/she need help with any of them
  • How do other people react to him/her when they realise that he/she has a disability or impairment

 

  • This could be someone you meet at school
  • Explain to him or her what you are doing and ask his/her permission before asking any questions.
  • Also explain to your teacher what you are doing
  • Ask questions like how old was he/she when he/she moved to Birmingham and does he/she know why the move took place
  • Ask where he/she moved from
  • Ask him/her how he/she felt when he /she first realised that he/she was going to leave his/her previous home
  • Ask about his/her first impressions of Birmingham
  • Ask how he/she found making new friends
  • This could be someone you meet at school
  • Explain to him or her what you are doing and ask his/her permission before asking any questions. Be careful to ask your questions in a sympathetic way.
  • Also explain to your teacher what you are doing
  • Ask questions like how old was he/she when he/she moved to Birmingham and does he/she know why the move took place
  • Ask where he/she moved from
  • Ask him/her how he/she felt when he /she first realised that he/she was going to leave his/her previous home
  • Ask about his/her first impressions of Birmingham
  • Ask how he/she found making new friends
  • Watch one of Sir David Attenborough’s programmes on YouTube
  • Note some of his points about the planet is changing
  • Think carefully about actions you could take to improve the situation, such as using less plastic, encouraging people around you to dispose of their rubbish responsibly, write an article or blog to influence other people, ask your local councillor or MP to make a particular change.
  • Make and carry out 3 specific pledges of actions you will take
  • Type the Jo Cox Foundation into your internet search engine
  • Scroll down to ‘About Jo Cox’ and read about Jo’s life and the causes that she was passionate about
  • Make some notes of key points
  • Think about what it is in Jo’s life that inspire you
  • Make a 2 minute video on your mobile phone and send it to some of your friends, who have expressed an interest in what you are doing
  • Find out where your local Foodbank is located, which is likely to be at a place of worship or community centre
  • Ask the Foodbank what food items they need
  • Arrange to collect some of these items from your friends and family, and deliver to the Foodbank.
  • Identify a suitable location and seek permission for your activity
  • Agree with the appropriate ‘manager’ what you are planning to do – this could be sowing wild flower seeds, planting bulbs or bedding plants
  • Prepare the soil and sow the seeds or plant the bulbs or bedding plants.
  • Water regularly until the plants are established.
  • Discuss your intention with your parents and decide whether to invite a family to your home or community centre.
  • If you invite the to your home decide on what food to prepare indoors or a barbecue in your garden
  • Be conscious of the type of food your guests are able to eat
  • You should help with the preparation, including preparing the food
  • You should also befriend the family’s children and make them feel welcome and comfortable
  • If you decide to take them to a community centre, introduce them to your friends

 

Any questions?

Please contact

info@birminghamscouts.org.uk

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