Allan Simpson: Our candidate for the European Scout Committee
Allan Simpson is our Candidate for the European Scout Committee. If elected at the 25th European Scout Conference in Vienna in July, he plans to support Member Organisations to deliver the Scout programme for a diverse and growing community of young people across Europe.
What's the European Scout Committee?
The European Scout Committee is a board of six volunteers, elected from across Europe. It’s responsible for the strategic development and growth of the movement.
Committee members provide support and direction to Member Organisations (MOs) and work together to enable more young people to benefit from the transformational impact of Scouts.
A little about me
I’m honoured to be standing as a candidate for the European Scout Committee.
Since joining Beavers at the age of six, Scouts has given me the confidence and skills to go out into the world. I remember my first time on a patrol camp with fellow Scouts, gaining the sense of freedom and responsibility that comes from cooking for ourselves and managing our own campsite. Not to mention the award we got for our efforts!
These positive experiences spurred me on to continue in the movement as a volunteer, supporting many different Sections. Today, I’m proud to support Explorers, young people aged 14-18, to lead change and gain the skills they need to thrive. I also support Scouts as a Support Team Leader in Western Lakes.
I’ve been privileged to volunteer with the European Scout Region since 2018. I’m currently the Coordinator for Organisation in the European Scout Region, led the development of the region’s Social Impact Service, and was part of the European Conference Planning team for Split, Croatia, in 2019 and Rotterdam, the Netherlands in 2022.
I’m so pleased to endorse Allan for his candidacy for the European Scout Committee. He has so much experience as a local, national and international level and has the right skills and motivation to succeed. Working together with Scout colleagues across the Region, I know he'll revitalise, refocus and reconnect the region to support more young people.
Dwayne Fields, UK Chief Scout
Why I’m standing
As a local, UK and European Region volunteer, I've really enjoyed working with a diverse range of people and listening to their views on the future needs of Scouts.
I believe the European Scout Region is at an important turning point. My volunteering experience within the region has highlighted three key areas to me which need change. We need to revitalise, refocus, and reconnect our region to make sure it’s focused on development and growth.
The Scout Association is the largest Member Organisation in the European Scout Region. As an organisation that's undergone transformation in the last decade, we have an opportunity to share our experience and, importantly, learn from our European partners.
The three key areas
We live in a challenging world. Now, more than ever, we should be proud to speak up about our values, keeping them front and centre as we engage with the issues affecting young people today.
From climate change to conflict, unemployment to technological change, our values can guide us, enabling young people to be the change they want to see.
To support this, it’s essential to refocus our efforts at a regional level. Take our Operational Framework, for example, which supports European Region volunteers to deliver the Regional Scout Plan and World Scouting’s strategy.
We can improve its delivery by making sure the outputs of the Framework directly support the needs of member organisations, both today and in the future.
Co-creating solutions within the region and with strategic partners such as the Council of Europe, European Union and other youth organisations can increase volunteer engagement and make sure there's meaningful impact for member organisations.
It’s time to reconnect. We need to break down barriers between the region and Member Organisations, so that the region is engaged in the issues facing Member Organisations today.
Our voice can be so much more powerful, and more clearly heard, if we speak together on the issues that really matter such as driving for dialogue and peace.
A clear vision for the region
My vision is to accelerate change, responding to the needs of young people across the region today. I’m guided by my North Star: to help lead a region focused on supporting Member Organisations to deliver the Scout programme for a diverse and growing community of young people across Europe.
Together, we can empower Member Organisations and inspire young people across Europe, making sure Scouts drives positive change for years to come.