Scouts from Wales were among the first to congratulate adventurer Dwayne Fields on his appointment as the new UK Chief Scout at a special ceremony.
Dwayne, who was the first Black Briton to reach the North Pole, has been chosen to be the 11th Chief Scout and to lead half a million young people and adult volunteers for his values, commitment to help young people learn skills for life, and outstanding leadership.
Explorer Scouts Iwan Clark, aged 17 from Merthyr Tydfil, and Lily-Rose Haddrell, aged 16 from Bangor in Gwynedd, were among Scouts from across the UK to witness this landmark event for the Scouting movement. They travelled to Scout Park in North East London, near to where Dwayne attended Cubs as a child, along with volunteer leaders Elizabeth O’Malley, Area Lead Volunteer for Gwent Scouts and Iestyn Nevatte, Assistant leader of Viking Explorers in Pembroke Dock, to see Dwayne make his promise and being invested into his new role. They also heard more about his aspirations to inspire young people from every community in the UK to join Scouts and to recruit enough volunteers to make that happen.
All four have been active member of the Scouting community in Wales for many years and have shown outstanding dedication and enthusiasm in their Scouting journeys.
The select Scouts and leaders who attended the investiture participated in various activities on the day with the new Chief Scout. They enjoyed activities such as climbing, soft archery and soft tomahawk throwing, and making paracord bracelets. The evening ended with toasting marshmallows around a warming campfire, where the new Chief Scout made his Scout promise and expressed his excitement for this new journey.
Dwayne succeeds Bear Grylls OBE, who steps down as Chief Scout after serving three five-year terms. The handover took place at Scout Park in North East London where he spent time in Cub Scouts as a child.
A key part of Dwayne’s mission will be to attract new volunteers, especially in communities new to Scouts so that the movement can welcome more young people. He will be visiting these areas, encouraging and inspiring teams to grow the movement. Scouts gave Dwayne a great start in life. Born in Jamaica, Dwayne came to the UK at the age of 6. Growing up in inner city London, without access to nature, Scouts offered Dwayne new horizons.
Iwan Clark, who attends Glan yr Afon Explorer Scouts in Merthyr and has been involved in Scouting for nine years, said: “It’s been a great opportunity. I think he’s going to be a really inspirational figurehead of the movement. I was really inspired by his speech by the campfire when he was invested as Chief Scout.”
Lily-Rose Haddrell, a member of DeMôn Explorers in Menai Bridge and a Young Leader at 1st Llanfairpwll Scout Group where she started as a Beaver aged six, said: “I really enjoyed this evening. It was an amazing opportunity to watch Dwayne be invested and to become the Chief Scout. It was really special to see this – he’s going to be an amazing new leader, very inspirational. I think Dwayne is inspiring because he is very connected with young people and shows that he loves Scouting and is dedicated to improving the movement.”
Elizabeth O’Malley, Area Lead Volunteer for Gwent, said: “It’s been an absolute privilege to see the 11th Chief Scout being revealed. He genuinely will have an amazing impact on the future of Scouting. When he first arrived in the UK, Scouting was the first place that he felt at home and where he belonged. His Akela gave him the drive to succeed. Scouting gave him confidence and allowed him to grow. When he speaks you can tell how this has given him such inspiration to succeed and that he wants to pass this on to the future generations.”
Iestyn Nevatte, Assistant Explorer Leader at Viking Explorers in Pembroke Dock, said: “Listening to Dwayne speak and being a part of the experience has been a great honour. I truly believe Dwayne will inspire the movement and bring positive change. Dwayne’s background – moving over from Jamaica and finding a home in Scouting – is truly inspiring. This is something that resonates with me personally, as I find Scouting to be a second family.”
Rhian Moore, ScoutsCymru’s Chief Volunteer, said: “I’m very excited Dwayne is our next Chief Scout. He embodies Scouting and has a very special Scout story to share. I’ve met him a few times and he’s an inspiration. He’ll have a go at anything and helps others to be the best they can be. His sense of adventure is infectious, and he makes wonderful things happen, making it easier for those who may not have the confidence to have amazing adventures.”
When Dwayne joined the movement as a Cub Scout, membership of his local ‘Pack’ gave him friendships, skills, belief in himself and hope for his future. Through his determination and support from his Scout leaders, he set himself on a path to becoming the first Black Briton to reach the North Pole in 2013. He has gone on to a successful career in adventure and TV, presenting successful shows on Channel 5, Disney+ and National Geographic. He is passionate about encouraging people from all backgrounds to explore nature, support their communities and be the best they can be.
