Scouting Biography to follow….

My Scouting ‘career’ started back in 1991, when I volunteered to become an Assistant Beaver Scout Leader at 45th Bethesda Scout Group in Cheltenham.  Those were the days, when Beaver Scouts wore grey track suits and turquoise neckerchiefs and girls were only allowed to be members if the Cubs and Scouts were happy about it too.

I was studying to be a primary school teacher and I thought joining the Scouts as a leader would look good on my CV!  I was born in Poole, Dorset, just a stone’s throw over the harbour from Brownsea Island (a place I find very special) and as a girl was a Brownie, grew up in the country and also did Pony Club.  After I graduated, I moved to Somerset, married and had 3 kids (not all at once!)  I didn’t think about Scouting again until my eldest son was 7 years old and I phoned the local Scout group in Wells to put him on the waiting list.  I mentioned that I had previously been a Beaver Leader… my son was offered a place almost immediately and I went along as a parent helper once a term.  The rest, as they say, is history!  All 3 of our lads joined Beavers, Cubs and Scouts but none were with me the day Bear Grylls signed my neckerchief at the Cub Centenary Camp in Frome in 2016.

I became a Beaver Section Assistant in 2007, which then progressed to BSL within months, a role I stayed in for 11 years, being instrumental in getting another colony started.  Our Wells Beaver Scouts had the opportunity to mix with other colonies both in district, county and nationally, taking them further afield to a National Fun Days at Gilwell and Woodhouse Park.

In 2017, I was thinking about changing my appointment to Explorer leader (primarily to support the large number of Young Leaders that we had in Wells, but also to broaden my leadership skills with an older section) and so I went to ‘visit’ Explorer Moot in Taunton.  I enjoyed the weekend so much, I opened a new Explorer Scout Unit in Wells in January 2018.  It’s been lovely welcoming many of my former Beaver Scouts to the unit, seeing how they have matured into wonderful young people of integrity and adventure.

Having applied for IST for WSJ Japan 2015 and not having been successful, I was very excited when Project Kenya 2019 was advertised to leaders and Explorers alike – without the selection process!  I went to Kenya as one of the adult leaders along with former Wells Beavers too, and in the Autumn of 2019, I was asked to lead the next Project Kenya trip – now re scheduled for August 2022.

I have now been in Scouting over 16 years, and am loving every minute of it.  It’s been full on and thankfully my husband – who has bought a camera (he’s not in Scouting) has been supportive of the time I spend with a neckerchief on!  I am still enjoying running the Explorer Unit and I am hoping that adding a more managerial role of 14-24 Team Leader (Explorer) for the Avalon area, alongside what I am currently doing, will develop more skills that I never knew I had!

My Scouting adventure started as a Scout in Langport where I benefitted from varied outdoor activities and the chance to camp locally and internationally. After University, then travelling in Asia, I returned to The Levels as an ASL then SL. On moving to Yeovil, I swapped Troop responsibilities for District, and with some trepidation accepted the role of ADC Scouts. It’s been rewarding to see the Scout Section through the transition to East Somerset, working with a hugely experienced DSL Team, and we now have great cross-District participation in the extensive programme of Camps, Hikes, Competitions and Activities we offer throughout every year – although I particularly enjoy running Backwoods Camp twice a year with my husband, and fellow District Leader, Pete. In our own time we have a passion for hiking and climbing mountains, in Britain and abroad, while at work I am a Partnership Contracts Manager with responsibility for compliance, audit and quality assurance. Many friends made through Scouting are now like family and it’s with their support I’ve continued fully in my role since having our son – whose first camp was Backwoods at 12 weeks old! For me, seeing young people challenge themselves, acquire and apply new skills from opportunities provided by Scouting, and gain confidence as an individual, team member and leader, is what it’s all about.

Scouting Biography to follow….

I was born in Kent, where I started my scouting life as a Cub and Scout.

I then became involved in a local group in Yeovil, when my two sons started in beavers,  (it’s only an hour a week, I think was the phase that was used…), this then started my own adult journey in scouting initially in Beavers and then into Cubs and helping out at various events. The last few years I have been part of Somerset County training team which has kept me involved with scouting and also with a number of the groups and adults in the local area.

Now I am looking forward to getting back into day-to-day scouting, along with keeping my training advisor role to help promote leader training.

Scouting Biography to follow….

Scouting Biography to follow….

I first began Scouting in 2005 when I was volunteered to be Chair for our local Scout Group.  My Children both became members as Beavers, Cubs, Scouts and one an Explorer and Young Leader. Also my Wife became involved as Treasurer and then with Beavers and is currently a Cub Leader.

Subsequently I have held roles at District Level as well as Locally as Section assistants for both Scouts and Explorers.

Having been Assistant District Commissioner (ADC) Communications for a number of years, I was a member of the DC Team until 2022 and returned to the role of ADC Communications, before becoming the Volunteering Development Team Leader.