Good afternoon,
We hope you have been enjoying the sunshine, here is your monthly communication email
- Local Growth Officer Requests
- Could you be the next District Lead Volunteer for King Alfred District?
- Top Awards Team Member DofE
- Leadership Summit 2026
- The Army in the South East Challenge Day
- The RDC foundation
Local Growth Officer Requests
Katy is doing an amazing job around the County supporting existing sections and opening new ones to offer scouting to more young people in Oxfordshire. If you have a project that needs support, please register it here: LGO project request – Fill in form
Could you be the next District Lead Volunteer for King Alfred District?
This role is all about working with people. As District Lead Volunteer, you’ll support and encourage adult volunteers, helping them feel confident, valued and well‑equipped to deliver great Scouting experiences for young people.
You’ll work alongside the County Lead Volunteer to help set the overall direction for the District, ensuring everything runs smoothly and reflects Scout values.
You won’t be doing this alone. A supportive District Team will work with you day to day, while the County Team will offer guidance and backing as the District continues to grow. As part of Scouting’s Transformation, this role can also be shared between more than one person, offering flexibility in how leadership is delivered.
If you’re interested in the role, or would like an informal chat to find out more, please contact katy.hadfield@scouts.org.uk.
We’re also happy to hear from anyone you think might be interested in future leadership roles, so please do pass this on to anyone who might like to find out more.
Top Awards Team Member DofE:
We are looking for someone to look after the DofE scheme within the County Top Awards Team. Full support and training will be provided and the role entails the following key tasks:
· Purchase participation places
· Support adult volunteers to encourage use of eDofe by participants, regularly approving uploaded evidence and agreeing the completion of sections
· Approve Bronze and Silver awards having completed the DofE Verifier training
· Provide advice to leaders and participants on evidence required for Gold Awards
· Support the submission of Kings Scout Award to the HQ Awards Team once approved locally
· Monitor the DofE mailbox and resolve any queries.
If you have any questions or are interested, then please email matthew.house@oxonscouting.org.uk
Leadership Summit 2026
We are hosting a Leadership Summit designed for District and Group Lead Volunteers, Section Team Leaders, and Trustee Board Chairs.
The Leadership Summit is taking place at Leonardo Royal Hotel,
Starting at 9.30am and concluding at 3.30pm
This event brings together volunteers from across the movement to:
- Take part in interactive workshops aimed at building leadership, management, and governance skills
- Gain practical tools and confidence to support their teams effectively
- Share experiences and ideas with other like-minded volunteers
- Strengthen connections across Groups and Districts
- The opportunity for you to plan your own programme from a range of workshops
Whether you’re leading a section, managing volunteers, or overseeing governance, the summit offers a supportive space to learn, collaborate, and grow in your role.
An outline programme and the list of workshops that you can chose to attend can be downloaded here.
To book, select workshops and plan your day, please follow the link: Leadership Summit – sign up – Fill in form
Bookings for the Leadership Summit close on Sunday 24th May 2026
We look forward to welcoming you and your teams to the Leadership Summit
The Army in the South East Challenge Day
We are thrilled to invite you to our next Leadership Challenge Day, a twice annual event that promises excitement, teamwork, and an unforgettable experience!
When: Sunday 4 October 2026
Where: Longmoor
Who: Uniformed Youth
Age: 14+
The Army in the South East Challenge Day is a unique, multi-activity event designed to showcase the diversity of military roles and personnel. It’s a day packed with engaging activities and challenges that will test and develop teamwork, leadership, and problem-solving skills.
This is your chance to:
- Compete in military tasks and challenge stands.
- Learn about the Army’s wide-ranging roles and opportunities.
- Network with like-minded organisations from uniformed youth groups, education, and employers.
Whether you’re looking to inspire your team, build stronger connections, or simply enjoy a day of fun and learning, the Longmoor Challenge Day is an event you won’t want to miss!
Spaces are limited, and fill up fast , usually within the first month, so don’t delay—secure your place today!
We look forward to welcoming you to Longmoor for an incredible day of challenges, camaraderie, and discovery.
The RDC foundation
The RDC foundation is a UK charity that provides grants of up to £1000 to help get young people into the outdoors. They provide grants for equipment for scout groups (e.g. tents, climbing equipment, water sports equipment) and also grants to individual young people to undertake adventurous activities.
The foundation has agreements with all the major outdoor equipment manufacturers as part of their charitable funding and as a result they can also offer significant discounts to Scout Leaders to purchase equipment themselves (currently they can offer any Scout leader a 20% discount at Vango, Mammut and Terra Nova Equipment).
If you think tehy could be of assistance now or in the future, please take a look at www.rdc.foundation where details on how to apply for grants and also access for leaders to apply for discount vouchers can be found.
Have a great month!
Best wishes,
Michelle
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Michelle Turnell
Pronouns: she/her
County Administrator
Oxfordshire
