Young people are at the very heart of what we do here at ScoutsCymru. This is why we are working hard to make Scouting more youth shaped throughout Wales. We know that young people should be involved in decision making, programme creation and all other elements of our organisation. We want ScoutsCymru to reflect the fast-paced and ever-changing world facing our young people today.
To celebrate this, we caught up with Kris Hall, 21, from North Wales who is one of our amazing Youth Commissioners to find out a little bit about him and his role.
When did you become a Youth Commissioner?
“I became a District Youth Commissioner in 2017 and then in November 2019 I became one of the Youth Commissioners for Wales.”
Why did you want to become a Youth Commissioner?
“I wanted to become a Youth Commissioner because I wanted to see young people in Scouting achieve as much as they can, from leadership to their top awards. I also wanted to help encourage a real enthusiasm with young people by ensuring that their voices were heard.”
What was the process of becoming a Youth Commissioner?
“I applied to become a Youth Commissioner for Wales as part of the recruitment for Team Cymru and the process had three stages. The first stage was a teamwork exercise, the second was a presentation and the third was an interview. It was a fun process! Afterwards I had an email from Rhian (Chief Commissioner for Wales) asking me if I would like to accept the role.”
What does your role involve?
“My role involves supporting Youth Commissioners at an Area and District level as well as the Deputy Youth Commissioners for Wales. I also support Team Cymru by showing them how great youth shaped Scouting is. I try and visit sections and events as often as I can too.”
What are you hoping to achieve in your role?
“I hope that we will be able to appoint a Youth Commissioner in every District and Area across Wales, I want to see more young people having their say. I also hope that we will see more and more young people achieving their top awards.”
How has being a Youth Commissioner has helped you in your personal life, your career and your education?
“Being a Youth Commissioner has helped me in my personal life by giving me the confidence to do new things and know that anything is possible. In school, all of the training and mentoring I’ve received helped me to become Deputy Head Boy in Sixth Form and I also sat on the Governors. In my career it gave me confidence in interviews and it’s also something that employers find really interesting.”
