Wylie's journey as a young leader

Wylie is 14 and a pupil at Bishop Fox’s School in Taunton. He has been a member of West Hatch Scout Group as a Cub, Beaver and Scout. At the end of his scouting journey, having achieved his Chief Scout’s Gold Award, Wylie was encouraged to consider volunteering as a young leader with the Beavers.

Motivated by a desire to develop skills and contribute to his community, Wylie jumped at the chance. He says: “I am doing my Duke of Edinburgh Award which involves volunteering and I also want to gain good skills for future jobs. 

“Volunteering with young people has made me feel good. I can encourage and help young Cubs like others did for me and it also helps me as I have Tourette's Syndrome so I can improve my communication and confidence.

“A typical night helping at Beavers involves setting up, leading games and encouraging members to take part in activities like clay modelling, making bookmarks, looking through a telescope to understand our planets, and other tasks to help them earn badges.”

Gail Downton, Senior Leader at West Hatch Scouts, said: “Wylie is a really important member of our team. His enthusiasm and commitment have made such a difference to the younger Beavers. It is encouraging to see a young person giving back to an organisation that has supported him. Through volunteering, he is not only assisting others but also developing his own confidence and leadership skills.”

When asked what he would say to other young people considering volunteering, Wylie commented: “Go ahead and do it, it’s really enjoyable and rewarding. I think more young people should volunteer to help others.”

If Wylie's story has inspired you would to give volunteering a go, click on the link below.