Coming from a Scouting family it was probably inevitable that I would end up volunteering too – with my first role as a young leader in a Beaver colony when I was a Girl Guide completing the service element of my Baden Powell Trefoil Award. I joined Venture Scouts not long after instead of moving to Rangers and continued helping with the Beaver colony once the service element had been completed (for full disclosure I should probably add that my dad was the group GSL so leaving wasn’t really an option!).
Throughout University I continued volunteering with the Scouts, taking on roles within the Cub Pack and Scout Troop at the 13th Exeter (Exwick) before returning to GLSW and taking on Scout section roles within the 15th Wallington Scout Group, ultimately taking over as Scout Leader.
Providing Scouting for young people with additional needs has been and continues to be a real passion of mine. Along with great teams of leaders and supporters I’ve made weekly programme evenings accessible for young people with a wide range of additional needs and enabled young people to participate in as many District and County events as possible. I’ve taken young people with additional needs on international camps abroad, I volunteered at the Greater London Agoonoree Scout summer camp for over 10 years and have seen young people develop and challenge assumptions and boundaries – their own and those of the leaders around them. I’ve also tested the apron strings of a number of parents and carers along the way!
In 2011 I joined a fabulous team of leaders taking 2 units of young people to the World Scout Jamboree in Sweden – it was that event 10 years ago that resulted in me being jointly appointed ACC (International) in 2012 with Dave – a role we have both held up until now, signing off visits abroad, overseeing selection of two World Scout Jamborees and supporting the units in their journeys as well as supporting other large scale events abroad. The most memorable visit abroad was the Sea Scouts who telephoned to say their campsite had been flooded and they were being evacuated by the Red Cross.
My role as Scout leader at 15th Wallington continued until 2018 when I stepped back and took on an executive committee role at the group – I also had a brief stint as District Appointments Committee Secretary (in Scouting terms 3.5 years is a brief stint!) before more recently taking on the role of ADC (Development) in Sutton. Along the way I’ve held (or still hold) appointments as District Scouter, Training Advisor, County Trainer and Active Support Member (Scout 4×4 and District service crew) as well as having worked as part of HQ volunteer teams. 2 hours a week they say?!
Outside of Scouting Dave and I have 2 young girls who keep us on our toes and who love the outdoors. They’ve been camping from 4 months old and 6 months old respectively. Between the children, Scouting, and working 4 days a week I don’t have much time left to get into trouble, but I like to bake and enjoy a G&T or two when I can.
I’m excited to be part of the next chapter for GLSW, to take on a new role and support new injections of enthusiasm into Scouting at all levels, whether that be with leaders resuming face-to-face Scouting and teaching new skills, to hearing about the plans for international events when borders open up or providing the support to the managers across the County to empower and inspire leaders and young people locally.
