Scouting Magazine - The Scout Association

Show of supportWhat does a Gang Show,a medieval social nightand a plastercast signinghave in common?They are all activitiesWest Yorkshire Scoutscame up with to helptransform vulnerablechildren’s lives. AmeliaAustin finds out moreDeveloping socialawareness amongyoung people hasalways been a key partof Scouting. It’s also something theCounty Commissioner for the WestYorkshire Scouts, Neil Leatherland,feels very passionately about.‘As Scout leaders, we have aresponsibility to help young peopleachieve their full potential,’ he says.‘When I heard about Hope andHomes for Children I realised thatits work mirrors a lot of whatScouting is about. The charity helpsvulnerable children develop bymaking sure they grow up ina caring family environment. AsScouts, we are also like a family,from six-year-old Beaver Scoutsright up to adult volunteers ofevery age.’A lifeline for familiesThe charity Neil chose to supportworks across Central and EasternEurope and moves children out ofbleak, state-run institutions andinto caring families. Hope andHomes for Children also worksin Africa, where it provides a vitallifeline for families at risk ofbreakdown because of poverty,disease and war.Building supportNeil was impressed with thecharity’s work but wanted to makesure the West Yorkshire Scouts feltthe same way. With this in mind,he showed a short film about Hopeand Homes for Children to each ofthe 15 Districts within the County,with the idea of leaving it up tothe Scouts to decide if this was34 Scouting February/March 2009