Firstly, can I thank you for your interest in this key role with Scouts. I am only too aware of how busy people like you can be, so we really appreciate that you have taken the time to consider this opportunity.
Scouts are the do-ers, the go-getters and the give-it-a-goers. They’re also our future. Up and down the country Scouts are helping out, mucking in, bringing communities together and making society stronger. Our role is to help young people gain the skills to succeed in life – giving them the courage to ask the big questions, to think for themselves and play their part.
Our Chair, Jennie Price CBE, will step back from her role by March 2025. She’s helped us extend our reach, make volunteering easier and support more young people to be part of our great adventure. Now we’re now looking for a new Chair to pick up this great work and continue the remarkable journey that Scouts has been on for more than 100 years.
As Chair, you’ll work side by side with our new Chief Executive, Aidan Jones OBE, our UK Chief Volunteer, Carl Hankinson DL and our UK Youth Lead, Ayesha Karim, to take us on the next step in our journey. You will also meet periodically with Dwayne Fields, Chief Scout, on ceremonial occasions and other events. We are coming to the end of our current Skills for Life Strategy, which has transformed our movement in so many ways. We are convinced about the impact of the skills for life we offer young people, and the value that we add to communities, but we realise that we have more to do.
We are currently engaged in an exciting period of transformation. We have started to shape what we want to do in the next nine years. We are committed to extend our reach even further into different, diverse communities and to contribute in a positive way to a more cohesive, connected society.
You’ll bring strong leadership to the Board of Trustees and make sure our movement is well managed. You’ll be a proven leader in your field with an excellent understanding of governance. A clear and persuasive communicator, you’ll also be able to win people over and make strong relationships with key stakeholders. Able to step easily into other people’s shoes, you’ll also know to listen to, support and thank our volunteers, and really understand what makes them tick.
This role is both rewarding and challenging. You’ll help us take key decisions that will improve the lives of hundreds of thousands of young people. Not only will you develop your own skills as part of a talented team, but you will also be helping build a stronger society too. Your wisdom and experience are what we need most.
Thanks so much for considering this role and if this sounds like you, then please apply. It could be one of your best decisions yet.
Dr Graham Haddock OBE,
Trustee of The Scouts and Chair of the Search Group