{"alias":"blogEntry","byline":"By Tim Kidd, UK Chief Commissioner","standfirst":"I\u2019ve just been listening to Bear Grylls on Radio 2. He was asked what he\u2019d take on an expedition and his answer, I thought, was quite brilliant: \u2018That never-give-up spirit.\u2019 To me, that sums up everything we\u2019re doing as volunteers. Giving young people the courage, positivity and resilience to keep going, even in the toughest times.","content":{"layouts":[{"type":"singleColumn","areas":[{"items":[{"gridType":"RichTextBlock","content":"\u003Cp\u003EI don\u2019t know about you, but my spirits are always lifted when I see a Scout showing that amazing spirit. They\u2019re the positive voice in the room when others are stuck in a negative cycle; they\u2019re the ones with the smile or friendly word that\u2019s enough to lift the whole group. And I\u2019ve seen it in young people and adult volunteers alike. Learn it young, and you\u2019ll carry it with you throughout your life \u2013 and resilience is needed as much in the boardroom or in a work huddle as it is halfway up a cold mountain with a gale blowing.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EGetting through tough times \u003C/strong\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThere\u2019ve been times when I\u2019ve struggled with family issues, or difficult moments at work, or even at Scouts; times when I\u2019ve felt my reserves of energy and positivity getting low. It\u2019s that Scout spirit of resilience that\u2019s got me back on my feet again.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThat\u2019s why I\u2019m so pleased that we\u2019re focusing on resilience this week as one of our brilliant skills for life. We always knew it was a key skill, but some new research we\u2019ve commissioned from YouGov really underlines this.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIn the survey of 1,000 parents, over half said they believe life is harder for young people today that it was twenty years ago. That seems to make sense when we think about increased testing in schools, the tidal wave of social media, the intense sense of competition they must feel, and the pressure to conform. But the good news is that over two thirds of these parents also think that being a Scout helps you develop resilience \u2013 the ability to cope with these pressures and bounce back.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EThe six ways to build resilience \u003C/strong\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EAs a practical step, we\u2019ve decided to share the six ways to develop resilience (and by the way, these are just as useful for adults as they are for young people).\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Col\u003E\n\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EHave a go at something new (and be prepared to fail).\u003C/strong\u003E\u003C/li\u003E\n\u003C/ol\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EWhether it\u2019s climbing a mountain, setting up a community project or running your first camp, it\u2019s amazing how we find the strength we need when we dig deep. \u00A0\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Col start=\u00222\u0022\u003E\n\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ELearn and pass on a skill.\u003C/strong\u003E\u003C/li\u003E\n\u003C/ol\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThis could be as simple as learning how to tie a bandage or cook a meal. Succeed in one thing and it gives you the confidence in another.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Col start=\u00223\u0022\u003E\n\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ESpend a night away.\u003C/strong\u003E\u003C/li\u003E\n\u003C/ol\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ESpending nights away helps young people think for themselves and go it alone. When young people wake up from a night under the stars, they feel ready to take on the world.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Col start=\u00224\u0022\u003E\n\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EChat with someone different to you.\u003C/strong\u003E\u003C/li\u003E\n\u003C/ol\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EStepping out of our comfort zone is so important if we want to grow as people. When we speak to new and different people, we\u2019re learning about ourselves as well as others. \u00A0\u00A0\u00A0\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Col start=\u00225\u0022\u003E\n\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAchieve something as part of team.\u003C/strong\u003E\u003C/li\u003E\n\u003C/ol\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ERemember, you\u2019re not on your own. When times get hard, we\u2019re there for each other. It can be amazing how just sharing an issue with the team and deciding on what we are going to do can make a problem seem so much easier to solve.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Col start=\u00226\u0022\u003E\n\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ELearn to pick yourself up, start again and bounce back.\u003C/strong\u003E\u003C/li\u003E\n\u003C/ol\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIn life, things will go wrong. It\u2019s how we bounce back that counts. Pick yourself up, dust yourself off, and try and try again.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EResilient volunteers \u003C/strong\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EOf course, we as volunteers need to build our resilience too. We know that volunteering can be incredibly rewarding, but there are always those days when we feel over-stretched and underappreciated. Having that never-give-up spirit is just as important for us. And remember, one of the most effective ways to build our resilience is knowing you\u2019re part of a team. No volunteer should ever feel like they\u2019re alone. If you\u2019re going through a tough time, speak with another volunteer \u2013 a problem shared is a problem halved, as the old saying goes.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EPerhaps I could leave you with this final thought. There\u2019s nothing more inspiring for a young person than to see a volunteer smiling in the face of adversity, being positive, and supporting the group. That\u2019s truly living our values. When we show that never-give-up spirit, a young person will see it, mirror it and pass it on. Resilience is what keeps us going and is at the heart of our amazing movement. Thanks for everything you do. \u00A0\u003C/p\u003E","gtmId":"","gtmClass":""}]}],"config":null}]},"searchDescription":null,"pageType":null,"location":null,"versionDate":"03 December 2019","reviewDate":null,"furtherReading":[],"relatedLinks":[],"id":50746,"nodeName":"Why resilience matters","title":"Why resilience matters","type":"blogEntry","image":{"url":"/media/5918/pattern.jpg?width=800\u0026height=450\u0026v=1d9becd2a85df90","caption":"Way 1","type":"jpg","size":1608748,"width":2669,"height":1575,"altText":""},"assets":null,"headerOptions":{"headerTitle":"Why resilience matters","headerSubTitle":null,"headerCta":null,"headerCtaText":null,"headerCtaLink":null,"headerBackgroundColour":null,"showSEOImage":false,"headerBackgroundImage":null,"quickLinks":null},"subHeader":"","browserTitle":"Why resilience matters","silktide":"eyJjbXMiOiJVbWJyYWNvIiwiZWRpdG9yVXJsIjoiaHR0cHM6Ly9wcm9kLWNtcy5zY291dHMub3JnLnVrLy91bWJyYWNvIy9jb250ZW50L2NvbnRlbnQvZWRpdC81MDc0NiJ9","canonicalUrl":"https://www.scouts.org.uk/news/2019/december/why-resilience-matters/"}