Crawley teens given prestigious Queen's Scout honour

Ania Jasko and Sam Lashwood, both 14, have been members of 2nd Ifield St Margaret’s Scout Group since the age of six, progressing through Beaver Scouts, Cub Scouts, Scouts and are now Explorer Scouts. They were invested in the office by Irene Orford, County Commissioner for Scouts in West Sussex last month.

The Queen’s Scout Award is the highest award for young people in the Scouts Movement and to reach this they will have already achieved their Duke of Edinburgh Gold Award.

That included expeditions in the New Forestthe Peak District and a qualifying expedition in the mountains of the Lake District. Both have travelled widely with the Explorer Scouts including canoeing in Norway and Sweden.

Sam volunteered by helping run the cub scouts in Gossops Green; he progressed to a high standard canoeing some of the best white water in Britain. He worked as an instructor at Backland Farm, the activity centre run by Girlguiding near East Grinstead.

Ania Jasko has cycled to Poland, raising money for Mary’s Meals, developed her skills horse riding, assisted at the Polish School and been away with the National Citizen Service.

Sam and Ania, along with Jamie Keeley, who became a Queen’s Scout last year received their certificates from Susan Pyper, the Lord Lieutenant of West Sussex, on Friday April 22. They were also at the National Queen’s Scout Parade, annual service and and renewal of Scout promises at Windsor Castle on April 24.