Petworth scouts recognised for lifetime of service

Joanne Burns, Chris Evans and Adrian Colenutt, notched up 40, 20 and 25 years of scouting respectively and were each presented with a framed certificate and tanked for their service by district president David Grimwood.

Chris Evans, the deputy district commissioner at Petworth and Pulborough Scouts was delighted to have received the award: “This is a great district for Scouting and a great community to be part of. There’s always something new to learn and it’s been amazing to see how much has been achieved by the young people and the volunteer leaders who do their bit every week to offer the best opportunities possible.

"Local Scouting has been buzzing again this year with lots of great activities going on including a Halloween Hike with around 100 young hikers taking on the challenges we set, and the Petworth Park Camp attended by some 250 Scouts, Guides and Explorers.

“This wouldn’t be possible without the backing and support of the Scout Network and the fantastic volunteers who inspire so many young people in our local area.”

The meeting ended with yet more cause to celebrate, as presentations were made by six participants from Petworth and Pulborough Scouts and Explorers, and a leader from the international service team, for their hard work getting to, and during, the World Scout Jamboree in South Korea.

Each participant had to raise £4,000 to attend the three week event and talk at length about their experiences, highlighting friendships they made along the way, temples and markets they visited and a range of activities, including a baseball game, a football match, a visit to the de-militarised border (DMZ) with North Korea, and a Taekwondo themed musical. There were challenges to navigate, too, including a heatwave and a typhoon, but all six scouts said their experience was beautifully positive, with a K-Pop performance bringing more than 40,000 scouts together for their last day.

Chris Evans added, “We’re proud of what these young people have achieved, not just for their own trip but also because we know they represent all of our hard-working and committed Scouts and Explorers.”