{"alias":"blogEntry","byline":"Nicola Hilliard, Creative Content Producer","standfirst":"Rosie\u2019s been doing brilliant work at her Scout group, as well as part of the Liverpool Football Club Foundation and #iwill.","content":{"layouts":[{"type":"singleColumn","areas":[{"items":[{"gridType":"RichTextBlock","content":"\u003Cp\u003EBy the age of nine Rosie was diagnosed with autism. She was a quiet, shy child, but since joining Scouts her confidence has grown.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EFrom overcoming hurdles with autism, to facing bullying in school and mental health problems during the pandemic, Rosie\u2019s been through a lot. She\u2019s now channelling her energy into helping others.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ENow, Rosie\u2019s busy encouraging other young people in her local area to get involved in youth social action. She\u2019s part of the \u003Ca href=\u0022https://www.liverpoolfc.com/foundation\u0022\u003ELiverpool Football Club (LFC) Foundation\u003C/a\u003E Youth Panel, become an \u003Ca href=\u0022https://www.iwill.org.uk\u0022\u003E#iwill\u003C/a\u003E ambassador, and is both an Explorer and Young Leader in Scouts.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EHere\u2019s her story.\u003C/p\u003E","gtmId":"","gtmClass":""},{"gridType":"gridImageBlock","gtmId":"gtmId","gtmClass":"gtmClass","image":"/media/20353/rosie-smiling-with-her-mum-and-dad-all-wearing-scouts-uniform-and-neckers.jpeg","width":1393,"height":1203,"altText":"","caption":"","link":null},{"gridType":"RichTextBlock","content":"\u003Ch3\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EJoining Scouts\u003C/strong\u003E\u003C/h3\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ERosie\u2019s mum and dad were keen for her to join Scouts. Her dad comes from a Scouts background, having been in Explorers when he was younger. Since Rosie joined, her mum, Vicky, became a Cub leader and her dad now runs Beavers.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ERosie was apprehensive to begin with. The noise and new environment were unsettling. On her first weekend away, she felt more comfortable sitting out of activities. But everyone made her feel welcome and, after her first camp, she settled right in.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EHer mum had been there as a volunteer to support and reassure her during Cubs. But her mum and dad were both keen to continue to lead in Beavers and Cubs, instead of moving to Scouts with Rosie.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EWhen she moved from Cubs to Scouts, Rosie grew more independent than she\u2019d ever been.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ENow in Explorers, she gets on well with the volunteers. She knows she can go to them if she needs a support, such as asking for a moment to herself. And they\u2019ll come and talk to her about her day. They\u2019re always there to listen. Rosie told us that Scouts has given her a safe space to be herself\u003Cspan\u003E. It\u2019s something to look forward to where she\u2019s made supportive friends.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EShe\u2019s become more confident about trips away since she started, too. Rosie now researches places before trips or camps to help her prepare for them and feel more comfortable.\u003C/p\u003E","gtmId":"","gtmClass":""},{"gridType":"gridImageBlock","gtmId":"gtmId","gtmClass":"gtmClass","image":"/media/20351/rosie-in-a-lifejacket-helmet-and-holding-a-paddle-shes-ready-to-go-in-the-water.png","width":1044,"height":1231,"altText":"","caption":"","link":null},{"gridType":"RichTextBlock","content":"\u003Ch3\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ELoving the outdoors\u003C/strong\u003E\u003C/h3\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ERosie loves the outdoors, going on camps and helping others. Through Scouts, she\u2019s continued to grow in confidence.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ERosie used to be terrified of water and going on boats. Now in Explorers, though still nervous, she really enjoys a mixture of paddle sports. On a recent camp, canoeing and paddle-boarding were two she really loved. Crate-stacking was also in Rosie\u2019s list of favourites!\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u2018Scouts has given her a good start in life, It\u2019s thanks to her Scouts background that she\u2019s had the confidence to do many things,\u2019 Vicky, Rosie\u0027s mum, told us.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ERosie really enjoys first aid and the skills that come with it, such as learning to stay calm in emergencies and knowing to register a phone with the ambulance service.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ELast year, Rosie attended the \u003Ca href=\u0022https://www.merseymoot.org.uk\u0022\u003EMersey Moot\u003C/a\u003E, which has a disco, inflatables and a muddy obstacle course. Rosie\u2019s team came 3rd for being muddiest.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EVicky was surprised when she saw the photos of how muddy Rosie had got. She said Rosie wouldn\u2019t have entertained the idea of getting muddy before Scouts.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ERosie\u2019s recently helped Beavers and Cubs earn their Athletics badges. She plans to become a volunteer when she turns eighteen.\u003C/p\u003E","gtmId":"","gtmClass":""},{"gridType":"gridImageBlock","gtmId":"gtmId","gtmClass":"gtmClass","image":"/media/20352/rosie-covered-in-mud.png","width":1054,"height":1264,"altText":"","caption":"","link":null},{"gridType":"RichTextBlock","content":"\u003Ch3\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EHelping her community\u003C/strong\u003E\u003C/h3\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ERosie is very involved in social action projects at Scouts. Helping people experiencing homelessness and food poverty is something Rosie is very passionate about.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ERosie\u2019 mum volunteers at a local pantry, helping to keep people fed. It had to close over Christmas, but Rosie wanted to continue supporting families over the festive period.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EUsing her initiative, and with support, Rosie found a different venue and volunteers. Rosie and the volunteers were able to pack 60 bags with donated food and other essentials to help families at Christmas.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThey provided warm drinks and refreshments over New Year too. And they organised shoe donations over the festive period, which Rosie really enjoyed helping with.\u003C/p\u003E","gtmId":"","gtmClass":""},{"gridType":"RichTextBlock","content":"\u003Ch3\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ELiverpool Football Club Foundation and joining the youth panel\u003C/strong\u003E\u003C/h3\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe Liverpool Football Club (LFC) Foundation started supporting Rosie once she had her autism diagnosis.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EOver the pandemic, like many, Rosie also started experiencing mental health problems. Sadly, Rosie was bullied while at school and this continued during the pandemic.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EMatty, a coach, at Liverpool Football Club (LFC) Foundation helped support her to get counselling with their wellbeing team. He also kindly offered to sit in on the sessions with her for additional support. This made a big difference to Rosie feeling more comfortable taking part.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EMatty wanted to get Rosie involved in the LFC Foundation as much as possible. From there, Rosie joined a women\u2019s football team and became a member of their youth panel. She is helping with football coaching during summer camps too.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThrough the LFC foundation, Rosie became even more involved with youth social action. Her mum says her work with the youth panel and Scouts made her who she is now.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ENow Rosie\u0027s always talking about fundraising and helping others. Recently, as part of the Youth Panel, she walked up a mountain in Wales to raise funds to support people in hidden poverty. This was used to make boxes full of useful items, such as toiletries or key household items. Inspired by the foundation and her work there, Rosie would now like to be a disability sports coach, too.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u2018Being a part of the LFC Foundation and its Youth Panel has given me so much confidence and enthusiasm,\u2019 Rosie smiled, \u2018It\u2019s encouraged me to accept the nomination to become an #iwill ambassador, where I\u0027ll be able to continue to work on even more social action projects.\u2019\u003C/p\u003E","gtmId":"","gtmClass":""},{"gridType":"gridImageBlock","gtmId":"gtmId","gtmClass":"gtmClass","image":"/media/20354/fiqlabtxkai06f2.jpeg","width":1600,"height":1060,"altText":"Rosie and her coach stood in front of a screen that says Youth Social Action","caption":"","link":null},{"gridType":"RichTextBlock","content":"\u003Ch3\u003EBecoming an #iwill ambassador\u003C/h3\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https://www.iwill.org.uk\u0022\u003E#iwill\u003C/a\u003E ambassadors are aged between ten and twenty-five years old. They come from all different types of backgrounds. And they all have one thing in common \u2013 a passion that drives them to help others.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThis made it the perfect fit for community-minded Rosie, so she applied.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EBrilliantly, Rosie was selected as one of 82 people to become an #iwill ambassador. Her work to help her local area really helped her to stand out.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EWith her mum, Rosie attended the induction weekend in September last year. She met up with more than 30 other young people for a weekend of fun. The weekends away with Cubs and Scouts had made such a difference to her confidence and Rosie shined.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe following month, Rosie attended an #iwill ambassador residential in Bournemouth, where she met the other ambassadors. She spent the weekend making new friends, learning new skills and taking part in activities in the great outdoors!\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EDuring #iwill week in November, Rosie presented at an assembly to Beavers, Cubs and Scouts. She spoke about youth social action and her hopes to inspire as many people as possible.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Ch3\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ERosie\u2019s thriving\u003C/strong\u003E\u003C/h3\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ESince she\u2019s been involved in Scouts and these projects, Rosie\u2019s confidence has grown immensely. Her mental health has really improved. She\u2019s excited to continue as an #iwill ambassador and what she can bring to her local community.\u00A0\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIn Scouts, Rosie\u2019s now an Explorer and Young Leader at her local Scout group. She\u2019s enjoying teaching Scouts all about youth social action.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIn September 2022, after all her hard work, Rosie was nominated as \u2018Champion of the Month\u2019 by Rob Harper, the #iwill Social Action Co-ordinator and Youth Panel Leader at the LFC Foundation.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Ch3\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ERosie and Vicky\u2019s advice\u003C/strong\u003E\u003C/h3\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ELike everyone, Rosie has faced hurdles, but she now has the confidence and determination to overcome the challenges she faces.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ERosie\u2019s advice about autism is Scouts is an inclusive organisation and there\u2019s lots of support, for both volunteers and young people.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EVicky and Rosie both agreed on three things that have allowed Rosie to thrive in Scouts. They are:\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cul\u003E\n\u003Cli\u003Epatience\u003C/li\u003E\n\u003Cli\u003Ecommunication with volunteers\u003C/li\u003E\n\u003Cli\u003Emaking reasonable adjustments\u00A0\u003C/li\u003E\n\u003C/ul\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ERosie\u2019s always been reassured, and she knows she can go to her section volunteers with an issues or problems. She\u2019s never looked back.\u003C/p\u003E","gtmId":"","gtmClass":""},{"type":"Promo","cta":"","body":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EWell done, Rosie. We\u2019re all so proud of you and the incredible passion you have for youth social action. You\u2019re an inspiration to us all, and we\u2019re excited to see where your work takes you next!\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E","link":null,"colour":"#ffb4e5","title":"","image":null,"imageFocus":"","imageId":0,"imageKey":"00000000-0000-0000-0000-000000000000","imageCrop":"","gridType":"card","gtmId":"","gtmClass":""}]}],"config":null}]},"searchDescription":null,"pageType":null,"location":null,"versionDate":"28 March 2023","reviewDate":null,"furtherReading":[{"caption":"","title":"Support for autistic people in Scouts","url":"/volunteers/equity-diversity-and-inclusion/including-disabled-and-neurodivergent-people/","newWindow":true},{"caption":"","title":"Making reasonable adjustments in Scouts","url":"/volunteers/equity-diversity-and-inclusion/including-disabled-and-neurodivergent-people/making-reasonable-adjustments/","newWindow":true},{"caption":"","title":"Find out more about National Autistic Society","url":"https://www.autism.org.uk/advice-and-guidance/topics/autism-friendly-guide","newWindow":true}],"relatedLinks":[{"caption":"","title":"Find out more about LFC Foundation","url":"https://foundation.liverpoolfc.com/","newWindow":true},{"caption":"","title":"Find out more about #iwill","url":"https://www.iwill.org.uk/","newWindow":true}],"id":50905,"nodeName":"World Autism Acceptance Week: Meet Rosie","title":"World Autism Acceptance Week: Meet Rosie","type":"blogEntry","image":{"url":"/media/20351/rosie-in-a-lifejacket-helmet-and-holding-a-paddle-shes-ready-to-go-in-the-water.png?width=800\u0026height=450\u0026v=1dab800235402b0","caption":"Rosie In A Lifejacket, Helmet And Holding A Paddle. 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