THE 1st Byfleet Panthers have made history by becoming the first Cub pack in Surrey to be awarded the Duke of Cornwall Community Safety Award.

The award was inaugurated in 2012 by Prince Charles to educate young people aged between five and 18 about what to do in an emergency, such as flooding, long-term power cuts or similar disasters.

As Byfleet is situated on the flood plain of the River Wey, this gave the Cubs the opportunity to base their studies on what they would do if the River Wey burst its banks. In the last 50 years Byfleet has suffered major flooding four times, the most recent on Boxing Day 2013.

The Cubs discussed what they would do in significant flooding; they planned routes to safe places, and played games to learn about safely crossing flood water. They also discussed how to protect their homes from rising flood water and how to help the elderly and disabled.

For the full report, see the 2 January edition of the News & Mail