15,000 young people in Wales have pledged to tackle Wales’ biggest social issues with the launch of ScoutsCymru’s A Million Hands project.
Over the next four years, Scouts from across the country will work with the support of charity experts taking part in community action activities
Working with Crisis, WWF, Mind Cymru, National Autistic Society Cymru, British Red Cross and Save the Children, young people will address and tackle six issues of national importance that are representative of young people’s concerns. These include ending homelessness, promoting better mental health, disability, refugees and displaced children, kindness and the environment.
The initiative was launched this week at the Senedd where charity ambassadors, ScoutsCymru and local AMs gathered to share the work they do and to discuss the national impact A Million Hands will have.
Rhian Moore, Chief Commissioner for Wales, concluded: “Our young people are the change-makers and make-it-happen-ers for tomorrow. Their optimism and enthusiasm to do good in the world is truly inspiring. We want to help them to make a positive impact on the issues that matter to them and with the support of the charities they have chosen I believe that the pledge they have will make a huge impact in our local communities in Wales.
“By working together on A Million Hands, we can help bring people together, connect communities and live out our promise of leaving the world a little better than we found it.”
Scouts social impact project – A Million Hands – was launched four years ago and since then over 135,000 Community Impact badges have been ordered, representing over 960,000 hours of action.
Campaign champion, Scout Ambassador and astronaut, Tim Peake, praised the latest campaign and encouraged more Scouts to get involved by saying, “I’ve had the privilege to see Planet Earth from 400 kilometres up. It’s an incredible sight. Through the space station’s cupola window, you can see clearly for thousands of miles across the Earth’s surface in all directions. The campaign is about raising awareness across six themes. And what’s so exciting is that they’re chosen by young people themselves. Over the last one hundred years, the issues we’ve tackled have changed, but our young people’s drive to make a positive impact remains as strong as ever.”
Joyce Watson AM sponsored the Wales launch and said: “Scouts have been making a positive impact for over a hundred years, and I was proud to be a part of celebrating the next step forward with the launch of the A Million Hands programme.
“This will help young people take action to improve their communities, and to develop their skills to shape a better future for us all.
“I support all their chosen themes, which complement the priorities of our Youth Parliament – protecting the environment, kindness in the community, better mental health, understanding disability, ending homelessness and supporting refugees and displaced children.
“They are partnering with excellent organisations to take this forward, and I look forward to seeing how A Million Hands changes lives throughout Wales and the UK.”
ScoutsCymru is the national body for Scouting in Wales. Each week, 5,186 volunteers give 14,194 young people in Wales the opportunity to enjoy fun and adventure while developing the skills they need to succeed, now and in the future.
