Bear Grylls visits to see Scouting group success

UK Chief Scout and World Scouting’s Chief Ambassador has witnessed the Investiture of a group of Prior’s Court’s young people into the Scouting movement.

Adventurer, TV presenter and Chief Scout Bear Grylls visited our site on Monday, 4 July to see the formal welcoming of young people into the 2^nd Chieveley Scout group.

Four Prior’s Court young people are part of Scouts Troop (10 to 14 years old) with five further being part of the Scout Network (for 18 to 25-year-olds).

At the Investiture ceremony, the four Scouts and five Network Scout members made their Promise and received their Scout scarves. The nine young people also received a number of Scout badges they have earned having been working towards since the groups started meeting in March 2022.

Bear said: "It was a huge privilege to witness the Investitures and see nine young people welcomed into Scouting. Scouting works hard to make sure there are no barriers to any young person who wants to join."

"This is a great example of how Scouting can be creatively adapted to suit the needs of this particular set of young people. I am so proud that Scouting can help them develop key life skills that they will find invaluable in the years to come."

Making Scouting accessible to our young people

Over the past four months the Scout Troop and Scout Network provision have been working towards their world faith, craft, and forester badges.

The activities the young people have undertaken to help earn these badges have included planting trees for The Queen’s Green Canopy project, visiting a mosque to learn more about Islam, and using craft activities to explore different cultures.

Group Scout Leader Siobhan Walter, who is also Prior Insight Systems Lead at Prior’s Court, said:

“This Scout group is like any other – those taking part are learning skills that they will use and later life and will be awarded badges, to recognise that these skills have be learned. Not only do they have fun but they are also making an active difference to their community and engaging in activities to develop a keen sense of belonging. It was lovely to see the nine young people make their Promise and formally enter the world of Scouting under the eye of the Chief Scout.”

Siobhan added:

“I want to say a huge thank you to the other Scouts groups in the District, and in particular Trevor Glue, for their huge amount of support in setting up 2nd Chieveley. I also want to say thanks to all of the Prior’s Court staff members who have dedicated their time to ensuring the group has got off to such a great start”