Help us find The Chief Scout’s Unsung Heroes 2026
Once again, we’re delighted to open nominations for The Chief Scout’s Unsung Heroes Awards. This year, Dwayne Fields and his team of young judges are looking for 20 young people aged 4-24 in the UK Scout movement who’ve gone above and beyond, showing courage, kindness and lived our Scout values.
This could be someone who’s started a community project in their local area, completed an epic adventure or fundraising challenge. Or perhaps it’s someone who’s quietly helped other people when they’ve needed it most?
A chance to meet Dwayne and receive a £250 bursary
Each of the 20 young people chosen will be invited to a special awards ceremony at Gilwell Park and receive a certificate from Dwayne Fields in person, along with a £250 bursary, kindly funded by the Vasey Family Trust.
Please nominate a young person
If you’re an adult volunteer in UK Scouts and would like to nominate a young person (not related to you) who you believe deserves this award, please complete the nomination form by midnight on 15 March 2026.
We’ll notify all nominators of the outcome by 15 April 2026, and publish the winners’ names on the Scouts’ website by 31 May 2026.
Meet some of The Chief Scout's Unsung Heroes
Ivy was one of our Unsung Heroes in 2025. Aged just five, she spent her Saturdays helping to raise money for the Royal British Legion by selling poppies. She was the youngest poppy seller in Bradford and helped raise over £5,000.
Neo was only 8 years old when he set up Treats For Kids in 2020, after realising that young people were going through a tough time in the pandemic. Neo donated over 10,000 treats to young people in Essex and East London in just two years.
Saim was an Unsung Hero from 2023. Then aged 17, he started 58th Walsall Scout Group in 2019 with his mum when they moved from Cardiff. Scouts was a new concept for the Walsall Muslim community at the time. However with Saim’s passion and determination the whole community got on board, even carrying on, through lock down, delivering online Zoom sessions. The younger Scouts listened to his instructions, respected and look up to him. He encourages them to step out of their comfort zone and try new things, giving them a real sense of purpose.
Harry, then aged 11, was an Unsung Hero in 2025. He cycled all the way from Land’s End to John O’Groats... and then turned around and did it all again. He raised a huge £40,000 for a hedgehog rescue charity and made lots of new friends along the way.
George, 15, was kayaking on Ullswater in the Lake District. While paddling, he came across a young child who had paddled across the lake in a kayak without safety equipment and who fell in the water. George held the child above the water until help came from another boat nearby. He was another Unsung Hero from 2025.
Nicole was one of our brilliant Unsung Heroes from 2022. She lived with a little known condition called FND. Due to this, she became a target of online bullying. Instead of letting this bring her down she turned it into a story of resilience, raising awareness. This helped others come forward and a support network was formed. She's also been an ambassador, speaking at medical events and summits on what it means to be a teenager with the condition.
Open to all
We welcome nominations for young people of all backgrounds. We’re committed to fairness and equal access, and we also encourage nominations for young people from Black, Asian and ethnic minority communities, who are currently underrepresented in opportunities like this.
The Chief Scout's Unsung Heroes 2026 is very kindly funded by The Vasey Family Trust.
