{"alias":"newsItem","byline":"Words: Aimee-lee Abraham | Pictures: Gavin Roberts and Francessca Jones","standfirst":"","content":{"layouts":[{"type":"singleColumn","areas":[{"items":[{"quoteText":"I think the main benefit has been gaining confidence and building new friendships.","attribution":"Lois Hill, Cub volunteer","gridType":"quote","gtmId":"","gtmClass":""},{"gridType":"RichTextBlock","content":"\u003Cp\u003ELois Hill\u2019s a Cub volunteer in Weston-super-Mare. Though she has likely always had a condition called Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome (EDS), she only became symptomatic after the birth of her first child.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EEDS can affect different people in different ways. For some, the condition is relatively mild, while for others their symptoms can be disabling. In Lois\u2019 case, it causes her to experience joint pain, fatigue and problems with several of her internal organs, which can result in her collapsing unexpectedly. She\u2019s been using a wheelchair for six years, and has been a Scout for one year.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EDespite using the chair, Lois is an active leader, and the Group tries to get outside as much as they can. Their favourite activities include hiking, walking on the beach, and \u2018hosting big barbeques\u2019.\u003C/p\u003E","gtmId":"","gtmClass":""},{"gridType":"gridImageBlock","gtmId":"gtmId","gtmClass":"gtmClass","image":"/media/1979/lois-hill-cub-leader.jpg","width":1500,"height":1001,"altText":"Lois Hill pictured by the sea.","caption":"","link":null},{"gridType":"RichTextBlock","content":"\u003Ch4\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EPeople often have a lack of understanding about additional needs when making adjustments. Are there any misconceptions people have about your condition or ability to participate?\u003C/strong\u003E\u003C/h4\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EGenerally, I\u2019ve found everyone to be very welcoming, but some parents are a bit surprised when they first see me, purely because they\u2019re probably not expecting to see a leader in a wheelchair. I\u2019m sure some even felt a bit apprehensive about it at first. They might worry about my ability to look after their children because of my additional needs.\u00A0\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EBut once they\u2019ve spent time with me, they realise that\u2019s not the case, and they don\u2019t think anything of it. I\u2019ve got the support of my husband, who joins me at Scouts and is also my carer. Although I do most of the work myself, he can support me in my role, which is a big help.\u003C/p\u003E","gtmId":"","gtmClass":""},{"gridType":"RichTextBlock","content":"\u003Ch4\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAre there any new skills you\u2019ve gained at Scouts that you perhaps wouldn\u2019t have otherwise?\u003C/strong\u003E\u003C/h4\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EI think the main benefit has been gaining confidence and building new friendships. I can\u2019t work, because my condition means I can collapse at any time. I didn\u2019t get many opportunities to meet new people before I joined Scouts. I\u2019m more active since I became a volunteer. It forces you to get out there and do things, doesn\u2019t it? My first camp was with the whole District. There were about 600 people there, so I jumped into the deep end pretty quickly. Generally, we try to get outside and be social as much as we can.\u00A0\u003C/p\u003E","gtmId":"","gtmClass":""},{"gridType":"gridImageBlock","gtmId":"gtmId","gtmClass":"gtmClass","image":"/media/1981/lois-hill_cub-leader-3.jpg","width":1500,"height":1001,"altText":"Cub leader, Lois Hill with two cubs.","caption":"","link":null},{"gridType":"RichTextBlock","content":"\u003Ch4\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAre the young people in your Group aware of your condition and how it affects you? How do you talk to them about it?\u003C/strong\u003E\u003C/h4\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThey are aware, but we don\u2019t often need to talk about it. Something I find really lovely is that the Beavers, Cubs and Scouts have never even questioned me or my condition. They understand I have good days and bad days and have only ever known me as I am. They just see me as me.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Ch4\u003EDo any of the young people in the Group have their own additional needs?\u003C/h4\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EAlthough we don\u2019t have any young people with additional physical needs in the Group, there are some young people who have non-physical additional needs, such as ADHD and Autism. While they\u2019re learning about my needs and adapting to them, I\u2019m also adapting to theirs. The changes I make tend to be quite simple; things like making sure that young people who find it difficult to enjoy unstructured time always have something to do, and get extra reassurance whenever we plan to try new and unexpected things. We get to learn together.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Ch4\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EDo you need to adapt what you do at Scouts often?\u003C/strong\u003E\u003C/h4\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe days aren\u2019t always great for me but the evenings tend to be better, so it\u2019s nice to have the routine of going to Scouts one night a week. It\u2019s the right amount of challenge. Being a volunteer keeps me busy preparing Programme activities during the evenings in-between, and it\u2019s a nice regular activity we can enjoy as a family.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EMy son is in my Cub Group and my daughter is a Beaver.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EGenerally, I\u2019m able to participate in most Scout activities, but there will be times when I need extra support. I had one episode on camp when I felt unwell and had to go and lie down for a bit, but the other leaders immediately gathered around and helped.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EYou don\u2019t always get that same sense of connection in other group situations. The people I\u2019ve met through the Scouts are very understanding and quick to jump in if I need them to share the load with me. Knowing I can rely on them is great.\u003C/p\u003E","gtmId":"","gtmClass":""},{"gridType":"gridImageBlock","gtmId":"gtmId","gtmClass":"gtmClass","image":"/media/1980/lois-hill_cub-leader-2.jpg","width":1500,"height":1001,"altText":"Lois Hill with another cub leader and a cub scout","caption":"","link":null}]}],"config":null}]},"searchDescription":null,"pageType":null,"location":null,"versionDate":"13 May 2019","reviewDate":null,"furtherReading":[],"relatedLinks":[],"id":40259,"nodeName":"Lois\u2019 story","title":"Lois\u2019 story","type":"newsItem","image":{"url":"/media/2124/lois-hill-cub-leader-min.jpg?width=800\u0026height=450\u0026v=1d9becd2d9b5cf0","caption":"lois-hill-cub-leader-min.jpg","type":"jpg","size":72083,"width":800,"height":534,"altText":""},"assets":null,"headerOptions":{"headerTitle":"Lois\u2019 story","headerSubTitle":null,"headerCta":null,"headerCtaText":null,"headerCtaLink":null,"headerBackgroundColour":null,"showSEOImage":false,"headerBackgroundImage":null,"quickLinks":null},"subHeader":"Meet Lois Hill, a Cub volunteer with Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome, who\u2019s gaining confidence and building new friendships in Scouts.","browserTitle":null,"silktide":"eyJjbXMiOiJVbWJyYWNvIiwiZWRpdG9yVXJsIjoiaHR0cHM6Ly9wcm9kLWNtcy5zY291dHMub3JnLnVrLy91bWJyYWNvIy9jb250ZW50L2NvbnRlbnQvZWRpdC80MDI1OSJ9","canonicalUrl":"https://www.scouts.org.uk/news/2019/may/lois-story/"}