First Black Briton to reach North Pole becomes Chief Scout
Melanie May | 6 September 2024 | News
Scouts has announced Dwayne Fields, the first Black Briton to reach the North Pole, as the UK’s new Chief Scout.
The role will see the adventurer and TV presenter lead half a million young people and adult volunteers with a key part of his mission being to attract new volunteers, especially in communities new to Scouts. This will see him visiting these areas to encourage and inspire teams to grow the movement.
Born in Jamaica, Fields came to the UK at the age of 6. Growing up in inner city London, without access to nature, he credits Scouts with offering him new horizons.
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He has been a Scout Ambassador since 2017 and has presented shows on Channel 5 and BBC1. Fields will also be the 11th Chief Scout, taking over from Bear Grylls, who held the role from 2009 until this year.
Fields will be formally invested as Chief Scout at Scout Park in North East London where he spent time in Cub Scouts as a child.
Commenting, he said:
“Scouts helped shaped who I am today and I hope my story will encourage others to join and achieve their dreams. My volunteer leaders believed in me as a young person and taught me to believe in myself. They showed me I could do anything I put my mind to and others would help me along the way. Now I want a new generation to learn the skills for life, friendship and belonging I felt when I needed them most. I want to show that the outdoors is a place for all us to be at our best and truly open to all.
“I am calling for more volunteers to step up and make a difference to young people’s lives across the country.”
Carl Hankinson, UK Chief Volunteer, at Scouts said:
“I’m so excited to welcome Dwayne Fields as Chief Scout. A committed Scout Ambassador since 2017, Dwayne has visited hundreds of Scout groups, events and camps across the UK and internationally. He champions the sense of belonging Scouts gives young people. He is able to reach across generations, to further expand reach across all communities.
“When he joined the Movement as a Cub Scout, membership of his local ‘Pack’ gave him friendships, skills, belief in himself and hope for his future. Through his determination and support from his Scout leaders, he set himself on a path to becoming the first Black Briton to reach the North Pole in 2013. He has gone on to a successful career in adventure and TV, presenting successful shows on Channel 5, Disney+ and National Geographic. He is passionate about encouraging people from all backgrounds to explore nature, support their communities and be the best they can be.”
There are more than 587,500 individuals actively involved in Scouts in the UK, and some 7,000 Scout Groups.
About Melanie May
Melanie May is a journalist and copywriter specialising in writing both for and about the charity and marketing services sectors since 2001. She can be reached via thepurplepim.com.