On the 9th of May, Chief Scout Dwayne Fields had the honour of celebrating Lucy Clegg from Rochdale at a special award ceremony held at the Scouts’ home, Gilwell Park.
Presenting the Unsung Heroes Award to winners who represent the best in their community for acts of outstanding bravery and selflessness, the Chief Scout was moved by the inspiring personal stories of the winners. 20 young Scouts were selected from over 100 nominations – out of 475,000 Scouts in the UK.
Combined, this group of fantastic young people helped to save 8 lives, support others at times when they needed it most, spent countless hours volunteering in the community, and raised approximately £56,000 for charitable causes that are personal to them.
Lucy Clegg was walking in the West Pennine Hills with her grandad when he slipped and fell into a river, sustaining an ankle injury and entering a state of shock and early hypothermia. Acting quickly and calmly, Lucy assessed the situation, made him comfortable, and attempted to support him out of the river. When it became clear she couldn’t move him alone, she used the What3Words app to communicate their precise location and ran to get help. She learned about What3Words in Cubs and remembered how to apply it in a real-world situation to direct emergency services accurately, praised by her dad as “one of the most practical skills she had ever learned in Scouts”.
During the 5–6 hour wait for Mountain Rescue, Lucy stayed calm, kept her grandad responsive with conversation and humour, fashioned a makeshift crutch from a tree branch, and gave him her clothing to help prevent further heat loss. Despite finding it challenging to speak to unfamiliar people due to mild autism, she confidently communicated with the paramedics and Mountain Rescue, staying focused on her grandad’s needs. After the incident, Lucy presented the experience to her local Cubs group, reinforcing how Scouting skills can be lifesaving.
The Unsung Heroes Award is a coveted personal achievement which recognises the amazing skills and endeavours of young people across the Scouts community – from Squirrels, Beavers, Cubs, Scouts, Explorers and people in the Scout Network. Ranging in age from 5 to 20, the winners were nominated by Scout volunteers for their outstanding bravery and leadership in the community, showing skills and qualities which are learned by being part of the Scouts and subsequently taken through life. Winners were chosen by an experienced panel of Scout Ambassadors led by the Chief Scout.
These inspiring stories of young people doing incredible deeds for others demonstrate the true spirit of Scouting and show why this fantastic group deserve the title of Unsung Heroes.
Chief Scout, Dwayne Fields said
“A huge congratulations to the winners of this remarkable award for acts of courage and selflessness in the community. Being part of the Scouts provides young people with skills they take with them through life, and the stories of these young people represent the highest form of Scouting values. I want to thank you for your dedication and celebrate what is a truly outstanding achievement!”
Lucy described the experience as “surreal and emotionally intense”, particularly the moment she had to leave her grandad to seek help. She acknowledged the adrenaline kept her going and credited her Scout training for giving her a “baseline knowledge” that made her feel prepared.
Her dad described feeling “overwhelmed with pride and emotion at how calm and capable she was in such a serious situation”. Lucy expressed that being recognised as one of Dwayne’s Heroes is “exciting and important, particularly in showing how skills learned through Scouts from a young age can make a real difference”. She hopes her story encourages other young people to believe in themselves and what they can do in difficult situations.
The Unsung Heroes Award ceremony was held at Scouts’ home Gilwell Park, celebrating the most courageous young people across the country. Friends, families and Scouts joined together to proudly watch the outstanding young people as they collected the newest Scout award and reflected on the incredible achievement.
