{"alias":"newsItem","byline":"By Ayesha Karim, UK Youth Commissioner ","standfirst":"As nominations for the Chief Scout\u0027s Unsung Heroes 2023 open, the head of the judging panel explains why it\u0027s a privilege to find and tell their stories.","content":{"layouts":[{"type":"singleColumn","areas":[{"items":[{"gridType":"gridImageBlock","gtmId":"gtmId","gtmClass":"gtmClass","image":"/media/17413/ayesha_karim.jpg","width":3084,"height":4625,"altText":"","caption":"Our UK Youth Commissioner, Ayesha Karim","link":null},{"gridType":"RichTextBlock","content":"\u003Cp\u003EWe all know our young people are amazing. We see that every week in Scouts, and we\u2019re always proud to recognise their achievements with our badges and awards. But sometimes there are young people who do something truly extraordinary.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThis could be raising money for a good cause; getting through an incredibly tough illness or helping someone in urgent need. Whatever it is, we think it\u2019s really worth celebrating their courage, kindness and incredible spirit of determination and resilience.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Ch4\u003ECelebrating our young people\u003C/h4\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThat\u2019s why, three years ago, our \u003Ca href=\u0022/about-us/our-people/chief-scout/\u0022 title=\u0022Chief Scout\u0022\u003EChief Scout, Bear Grylls\u003C/a\u003E introduced his Unsung Heroes Awards. He personally provides \u00A310,000 each year so that 20 young people in UK Scouting can each receive a \u00A3500 prize for their amazing efforts. They\u2019re also invited to a special ceremony where they meet Bear and the other winners. For the last two years, this has taken place at the Bear Grylls Adventure in Birmingham, where the winners and their families have got to try out some of the amazing activities too, including indoor freefall and even swimming with sharks!\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ELast year, I was privileged to be on the judging panel. And what a tough job we had, looking through hundreds of entries, being inspired by our Scouts\u2019 creativity and generosity. This year, I\u2019ll be helping with the judging again, and I know the standard will be just as high.\u003C/p\u003E","gtmId":"","gtmClass":""},{"gridType":"gridImageBlock","gtmId":"gtmId","gtmClass":"gtmClass","image":"/media/19458/microsoftteams-image-9.png","width":7360,"height":4912,"altText":"Bear Grylls in Scouts uniform at Windsor ","caption":"Chief Scout Bear Grylls","link":null},{"gridType":"RichTextBlock","content":"\u003Ch4\u003ESome amazing stories\u003C/h4\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EWe love telling our Unsung Heroes\u2019 stories. Why? Because they show Scouting at its best. These are Scouts like 17 year old Kieran, from Scotland, who stepped in when he saw a man in distress in the street, stayed calm, and called for help. Or 17 year old Nicole from Northern Ireland, who has achieved so much despite having as serious medical condition \u2013 and is now an ambassador and spokesperson for a national charity.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThen there\u2019s Jonathan, who cycled 1,000 miles from Land\u2019s End to John O\u2019Groats. It took him just 21 days and he helped raise over \u00A312,000 towards the refurbishment of his Group\u2019s meeting place.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EWe also loved \u003Ca href=\u0022/news/2022/november/meet-neo-and-his-treats-for-kids-campaign/\u0022 title=\u0022Scout stories: Meet Neo and his Treats For Kids campaign\u0022\u003Ehearing about Neo\u003C/a\u003E aged 10, who set up Treats For Kids in 2020 when he realised children were going through a tough time in pandemic. Through his Treats For Kids appeals he\u2019s donated nearly 6,000 treats to children working with 12 different charities and organisations in Essex and East London.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Ch4\u003ENominate a young person today\u003C/h4\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ESo if you\u2019re an adult volunteer in UK Scouts, and know \u003Cstrong\u003Ea young person aged 4-24\u003C/strong\u003E who\u2019s gone \u2018above and beyond\u2019 and deserves to be recognised with one of Bear\u2019s Unsung Heroes Awards, then please \u003Ca rel=\u0022noopener\u0022 href=\u0022https://app.smartsheet.com/b/form/c714099ba9ec4711b9d444dc3500543d\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022 title=\u0022Nominate for the Chief Scout\u0027s Unsung Heroes 2023\u0022\u003Enominate them today\u003C/a\u003E.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EWe\u2019re particularly keen to \u003Cstrong\u003Eencourage nominations for young people from a wide range of backgrounds\u003C/strong\u003E, in particular, Black, Asian and ethnic minority communities.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIt\u2019s easy to nominate and it\u2019s not a lengthy process by any means. \u003Cstrong\u003ENominations close on 31 March\u003C/strong\u003E, so please don\u2019t delay! Thank you.\u003C/p\u003E","gtmId":"","gtmClass":""},{"gridType":"callToAction","gtmId":"","gtmClass":"","buttonText":"Nominate a young person","buttonLink":{"name":"Nomination Form for Chief Scout\u0027s Unsung Heroes 2023","id":null,"url":"https://app.smartsheet.com/b/form/c714099ba9ec4711b9d444dc3500543d","newWindow":false,"target":"_blank"},"colour":{"value":"490499","label":"490499"},"alignment":"left"}]}],"config":null}]},"searchDescription":null,"pageType":null,"location":null,"versionDate":"02 January 2023","reviewDate":null,"furtherReading":[{"caption":"","title":"Nominate a young person for 2023","url":"https://app.smartsheet.com/b/form/c714099ba9ec4711b9d444dc3500543d","newWindow":true},{"caption":"","title":"Read about last year\u0027s winners","url":"/news/2022/september/bear-congratulates-his-unsung-heroes-at-birmingham-awards-day/","newWindow":false}],"relatedLinks":[{"caption":"","title":"Learn more about Chief Scout Bear Grylls","url":"/about-us/our-people/chief-scout/","newWindow":false},{"caption":"","title":"Read an interview with Ayesha Karim about Islamophobia Awareness Month","url":"/news/2022/november/ayesha-karim-uk-youth-commissioner-chats-to-us-about-islamophobia-awareness-month/","newWindow":false}],"id":48735,"nodeName":"Ayesha Karim on the Chief Scout\u2019s Unsung Heroes 2023","title":"Why we need to celebrate our young people\u0027s achievements","type":"newsItem","image":{"url":"/media/19583/ayeshakarimportraitcropped.jpg?width=800\u0026height=450\u0026v=1d9becd25d80ef0","caption":"Ayesha Karim in Scouts necker and uniform (Portrait cropped)","type":"jpg","size":83671,"width":609,"height":433,"altText":"Ayesha Karim in Scouts necker and uniform (Portrait cropped)"},"assets":null,"headerOptions":{"headerTitle":"Why we need to celebrate our young people\u0027s achievements","headerSubTitle":null,"headerCta":null,"headerCtaText":null,"headerCtaLink":null,"headerBackgroundColour":null,"showSEOImage":false,"headerBackgroundImage":null,"quickLinks":null},"subHeader":"We love telling our Unsung Heroes\u2019 stories - they show Scouting at its best.","browserTitle":null,"silktide":"eyJjbXMiOiJVbWJyYWNvIiwiZWRpdG9yVXJsIjoiaHR0cHM6Ly9wcm9kLWNtcy5zY291dHMub3JnLnVrLy91bWJyYWNvIy9jb250ZW50L2NvbnRlbnQvZWRpdC80ODczNSJ9","canonicalUrl":"https://www.scouts.org.uk/news/2023/january/ayesha-karim-on-the-chief-scout-s-unsung-heroes-2023/"}