Seb gains his King’s Scout Award

Seb Parton recently received his King’s Scout Award, the highest youth award in scouting.

Seb started the award as a Newmarket District Explorer Scout when he was 16. Tough challenges ensued, the pinnacle of which included climbing to 6,000 metres in the Himalayan mountains over 11 days, in the Ladakh area of North West India, for the Duke of Edinburgh’s Gold expedition element. “An incredible experience,” said Seb, “[with] an amazing view of K2 in the distance in Pakistan.”

Bob Groom, Programme Lead for Cambridgeshire Scouts, congratulated Seb on his achievement and presented him with the prestigious award. Around 50 parents and young people attended Swaffham Prior Scout HQ, where Seb started his scouting as a cub and is now part of the Beaver Scouts team of adult volunteers.

Chief Scout’s awards were also presented by Mark Clements , Programme Lead for Newmarket District Scouts. These marked completion of various scouting activities and personal challenges. The recipients included 7 Beaver Scouts (6-8); 3 Cubs Scouts (8-10), 2 Young Leaders and two Explorer Scouts (14-18). 11 beavers and cubs also received their moving on awards.

Local events like these allow young people to highlight how scouting challenges have helped them to build confidence, teamwork and resilience; Skills for Life that will help them succeed as they grow.