{"alias":"newsItem","byline":"Alanah Reid, Creative Content Producer","standfirst":"Almost 300 Scouts from across the country celebrated their Queen\u0027s Scouts Awards with Chief Scout, Bear Grylls, in front of their family and friends. They were joined by our ambassadors, including Ellie Simmonds, Megan Hine, Dwayne Fields and Tim Peake.","content":{"layouts":[{"type":"singleColumn","areas":[{"items":[{"gridType":"gridImageBlock","gtmId":"gtmId","gtmClass":"gtmClass","image":"/media/17388/ambassadors-and-preet-chandi.jpg","width":2048,"height":1944,"altText":"Megan Hine, Tim Peake, Dwayne Fields, Ellie Simmonds, Preet Chandi standing smiling at the camera, all with Scouts uniform or necker","caption":"Our ambassadors Megan Hine, Tim Peake, Dwayne Fields and Ellie Simmonds with Preet Chandi","link":null},{"gridType":"RichTextBlock","content":"\u003Cp\u003E24 April was a day to remember for many.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EFor the first time in three years, we held our special Day of Celebration and Achievement at Windsor Castle. With the sun shining, more than 1,700 smiling faces gathered to cheer on our young people and volunteers.\u003C/p\u003E","gtmId":"","gtmClass":""},{"gridType":"RichTextBlock","content":"\u003Cp\u003EMany Scouts were celebrating their \u003Cspan\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022/top-awards/kings-scout-award/\u0022 title=\u0022Queen\u2019s Scout Award\u0022\u003EQueen\u2019s Scout Award\u003C/a\u003E\u003C/span\u003E: the highest honour for young people in Scouts. The award is given to 18-25-year-olds for outstanding personal achievement.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EOther Scouts earned \u003Ca href=\u0022https://www.scouts.org.uk/volunteers/learning-development-and-awards/awards-and-recognition/meritorious-conduct-and-gallantry-awards/\u0022\u003EMeritorious Conduct and Gallantry Awards\u003C/a\u003E, after being nominated for their heroism and bravery. \u003Cspan\u003ECornwell Scout Badge award holders also enjoyed the day, celebrating their awards for high character and devotion to duty.\u00A0\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIt wasn\u2019t just young people celebrating their awards, either. We were pleased to see some of our outstanding adult volunteers being recognised for their dedication to Scouts, and for giving so many young people skills for life.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIt was a fantastic day of celebration, and one that many guests will remember forever. We\u2019re so proud of all our award holders and what they\u2019ve achieved. You\u2019re truly inspirational.\u003C/p\u003E","gtmId":"","gtmClass":""},{"quoteText":"Queen\u2019s Scout Award recipients are the absolute pinnacle of determination, grit and perseverance","attribution":"Chief Scout Bear Grylls","gridType":"quote","gtmId":"","gtmClass":""},{"gridType":"RichTextBlock","content":"\u003Cp\u003E\u0027Queen\u2019s Scout Award recipients are the absolute pinnacle of determination, grit and perseverance,\u2019 said Bear Grylls, Chief Scout. \u2018They\u2019ve contributed to their communities and developed skills along the way, and earning their Queen\u2019s Scout Awards is just another step in their journey to personal growth. These Scouts are an inspiration to all others around the world thanks to their hard work and I find myself full of admiration for every single one of them.\u0027\u003C/p\u003E","gtmId":"","gtmClass":""},{"gridType":"RichTextBlock","content":"\u003Cp\u003EIt\u2019s days like this we hear so many incredible stories from Scouts all over the country. We thought we\u2019d share just some from a few inspirational Scouts that captured our hearts:\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Ch4\u003EShaun\u2019s story\u003C/h4\u003E","gtmId":"","gtmClass":""},{"gridType":"gridImageBlock","gtmId":"gtmId","gtmClass":"gtmClass","image":"/media/17405/shaun-ramsay-and-bear.jpg","width":636,"height":843,"altText":"Bear Grylls puts an arm round Shaun Ramsay, both wearing Scout uniforms and neckers, in front of Windsor castle","caption":"","link":null},{"gridType":"RichTextBlock","content":"\u003Cp\u003EOne true hero is Shaun, a 10-year-old Cub at Central Johnstone.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EShaun has Trisomy 8 mosaicism, a rare chromosome syndrome. Shaun\u2019s condition has affected many parts of his body, as well as his communication and development. Shaun\u2019s been through a lot - he was born with a cleft palate, and he recently had surgery to save his hearing.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EShaun takes a bit longer to process information, and sometimes struggles with his speech. When he was diagnosed, Shaun and his family were told he might never walk, talk, or smile. Thankfully, he\u2019s managed to do it all.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EShaun\u2019s volunteers nominated him for a Meritorious Conduct and Gallantry Award after he saved his mum\u2019s life in December 2020. On a seemingly usual morning before school, 9-year-old Shaun found his mum having a seizure. Immediately, he called 999, told the emergency services what was happening, and directed the pandemics to his house. Shaun\u2019s bravery also earned him an award from the Scottish Ambulance.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EShaun\u2019s mum, Anne, says \u2018We\u2019re so proud of what Shaun manages to achieve every day, and I\u2019ll never forget what he\u2019s done for me. Shaun really enjoyed the day at Windsor - he especially loved the bands and watching the Queen\u2019s Scout parade. When we joined the parade, he loved giving lots of high fives (Shaun thinks he gave about 1,000 high fives that day!)\u2019\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EShaun says \u2018I\u2019d never met an astronaut before, so I was very excited to meet Tim Peake. Bear Grylls is my buddy, so I was excited to meet him too and give him a high five!\u2019\u003C/p\u003E","gtmId":"","gtmClass":""}]}],"config":null},{"type":"singleColumn","areas":[{"items":[{"gridType":"RichTextBlock","content":"\u003Ch4\u003ELouis\u2019 story\u003C/h4\u003E","gtmId":"","gtmClass":""},{"gridType":"gridImageBlock","gtmId":"gtmId","gtmClass":"gtmClass","image":"/media/17404/louis-jackson-and-bear.jpg","width":845,"height":849,"altText":"Bear Grylls shakes the hand of Louis Jackson, who is wearing Scout uniform with lots of badges, at Windsor","caption":"","link":null},{"gridType":"RichTextBlock","content":"\u003Cp\u003ELouis\u0027 a Beaver at 1st Byers Green, who has Becker\u2019s muscular dystrophy. His condition means he needs to use a wheelchair, and he sometimes struggles with mobility when he\u2019s out and about.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EOver time, Louis\u2019 muscles will weaken more, and he has a shortened life expectancy. Even though Louis wakes up in pain, he always goes to Beavers with a smile on his face, and takes part in all the activities.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ELouis also faces challenges due to the neurological behaviours that come with the disease. Despite these challenges, he\u2019s created a strong bond with his volunteers, and always joins in with everyone. Louis\u2019 progressed so much in Scouts, from sitting on the sidelines, to becoming a true voice in his group.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ELouis earned himself a Meritorious Conduct and Gallantry Award after fundraising for research into his condition. He\u2019s managed to raise an incredible \u00A35,000 through his JustGiving page, \u003Cspan\u003E\u003Ca rel=\u0022noopener\u0022 href=\u0022https://www.justgiving.com/campaigns/charity/muscular-dystrophy/loveforlouis\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022 title=\u0022Love for Louis\u0022\u003ELove for Louis\u003C/a\u003E\u003C/span\u003E.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ELouis says \u2018My favourite parts of the weekend was the train, the food and meeting famous people!\u2019\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ELouis\u2019 mum, Sarah, says \u2018Louis became a Beaver as soon as he was old enough and has thrived from the start. It\u2019s a place where he feels comfortable and has the same opportunities as his peers.\u00A0We had such a lovely time at Windsor, and feel so proud and privileged to be part of such a special occasion. Louis looked so smart, and it made him feel very special.\u2019\u003C/p\u003E","gtmId":"","gtmClass":""},{"gridType":"RichTextBlock","content":"\u003Ch4\u003EJack\u2019s story\u003C/h4\u003E","gtmId":"","gtmClass":""},{"gridType":"gridImageBlock","gtmId":"gtmId","gtmClass":"gtmClass","image":"/media/17403/jack-lally-and-bear.jpg","width":636,"height":844,"altText":"Bear Grylls and Jack Lally put an arm round each other, both wearing Scout uniforms, in front of Windsor castle","caption":"","link":null},{"gridType":"RichTextBlock","content":"\u003Cp\u003EJack\u2019s a 10-year-old Cub at 74\u003Csup\u003Eth\u003C/sup\u003E Silverdale.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EAfter saving his dad\u2019s life, Jack\u2019s been hailed a hero. He was at home with his dad, Adrian, who was cooking his tea. Suddenly, Adrian started having a chronic asthma attack. Jack was just 7 years old at the time. He stayed calm and collected, but acted quickly.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EHe immediately dialled 999, giving their home address and clear details about his dad\u2019s condition. Jack then spotted the ambulance going the wrong way, so he helped direct it to his house in Knutton. Adrian was rushed to the Royal Stoke University Hospital\u2019s resus room, and he\u2019s now continuing his recovery at home.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EJack visited Windsor Castle to celebrate receiving a Meritorious Conduct and Gallantry Award for his bravery.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EJack\u2019s dad, Adrian, says \u2018Jack had a fabulous weekend - we also went to Thorpe Park! He\u2019s very proud he received his award, and he was so excited to meet Bear Grylls.\u2019\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EJack says \u2018My best moment was meeting Bear Grylls, and I was so proud to represent my group, 74\u003Csup\u003Eth\u003C/sup\u003E Silverdale Scouts.\u2019\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u00A0\u003C/p\u003E","gtmId":"","gtmClass":""}]}],"config":null}]},"searchDescription":null,"pageType":null,"location":null,"versionDate":"29 April 2022","reviewDate":null,"furtherReading":[],"relatedLinks":[{"caption":"","title":"Queen\u0027s Scout Award","url":"/top-awards/kings-scout-award/","newWindow":false},{"caption":"","title":"Scout Ambassadors","url":"/about-us/our-people/scout-ambassadors/","newWindow":false}],"id":48706,"nodeName":"A fantastic day of celebration: inspiring stories from Windsor","title":"A fantastic day of celebration: inspiring stories from Windsor","type":"newsItem","image":{"url":"/media/17415/windsorambassadorscrop.jpg?width=800\u0026height=450\u0026v=1d9becd1d07e4d0","caption":"Windsor Ambassadors Cropped","type":"jpg","size":106316,"width":657,"height":414,"altText":"Megan Hine, Tim Peake, Dwayne Fields, Ellie Simmonds, Preet Chandi standing smiling at the camera, all with Scouts uniform or necker"},"assets":null,"headerOptions":{"headerTitle":"A fantastic day of celebration: inspiring stories from Windsor","headerSubTitle":null,"headerCta":null,"headerCtaText":null,"headerCtaLink":null,"headerBackgroundColour":null,"showSEOImage":false,"headerBackgroundImage":null,"quickLinks":null},"subHeader":"Discover some inspiring stories and highlights from the day.","browserTitle":null,"silktide":"eyJjbXMiOiJVbWJyYWNvIiwiZWRpdG9yVXJsIjoiaHR0cHM6Ly9wcm9kLWNtcy5zY291dHMub3JnLnVrLy91bWJyYWNvIy9jb250ZW50L2NvbnRlbnQvZWRpdC80ODcwNiJ9","canonicalUrl":"https://www.scouts.org.uk/news/2022/april/a-fantastic-day-of-celebration-inspiring-award-winning-stories-from-windsor/"}