Chief Scout Dwayne Fields awards William from Grantham Unsung Hero for act of selflessness
On the 9th of May, Chief Scout Dwayne Fields had the honour of celebrating William from Grantham at a special award ceremony held at the Scouts’ home, Gilwell Park. Presenting the Unsung Heroes Award to winners who represent the best in their community for acts of outstanding bravery and selflessness, the Chief Scout was moved by the inspiring personal stories of the winners. 20 young Scouts were selected from over 100 nominations – out of 475,000 Scouts in the UK.
Combined, this group of fantastic young people helped to save 8 lives, support others at times when they needed it most, spent countless hours volunteering in the community, and raised approximately £56,000 for charitable causes that are personal to them.
William and his family have created Evelyn’s Butterfly Effect, a community impact movement that encourages acts of kindness in memory of William’s older sister, Evelyn, who sadly passed away in April 2022. William has been actively involved, helping to spread kindness in a variety of thoughtful ways - from leaving positivity stones for strangers to find, to baking for the community, just as his sister used to, and taking part in Flower Friday, where you buy flowers and give them to random people to hopefully brighten their day. The initiative has helped William’s parents share Evelyn’s story, raise awareness around mental health, and highlight the importance of simple, compassionate acts.
The Unsung Heroes Award is a coveted personal achievement which recognises the amazing skills and endeavours of young people across the Scouts community – from Squirrels, Beavers, Cubs, Scouts, Explorers and people in the Scout Network. Ranging in age from 5 to 20, the winners were nominated by Scout volunteers for their outstanding bravery and leadership in the community, showing skills and qualities which are learned by being part of the Scouts and subsequently taken through life. Winners were chosen by an experienced panel of Scout Ambassadors led by the Chief Scout.
These inspiring stories of young people doing incredible deeds for others demonstrate the true spirit of Scouting and show why this fantastic group deserve the title of Unsung Heroes.
Chief Scout, Dwayne Fields said "A huge congratulations to the winners of this remarkable award for acts of courage and selflessness in the community. Being part of the Scouts provides young people with skills they take with them through life, and the stories of these young people represent the highest form of Scouting values. I want to thank you for your dedication and celebrate what is a truly outstanding achievement!”
William, said: “I feel really happy and proud to win this award. Doing kind things to make people smile, just like my sister Evelyn did. I hope it helps other people feel happy too, because you never know who might need it.”
The Unsung Heroes Award ceremony was held at Scouts’ home Gilwell Park, celebrating the most courageous young people across the country. Friends, families and Scouts joined together to proudly watch the outstanding young people as they collected the newest Scout award and reflected on the incredible achievement.