21 February
A young educational administrator from Norwich has been chosen from hundreds of other candidates to be an assistant leader at the 2023 World Scout Jamboree in South Korea.
Emily Fenton, 25, who works at specialist school Aurora Eccles in Quidenham has been in the Scout movement since she was 10 years old.Emily Fenton, 25, who works at specialist school Aurora Eccles in Quidenham has been in the Scout movement since she was 10 years old.
She’s already the proud owner of a gold Duke of Edinburgh award and a Queen Scout Award - the highest award a young person can get in Scouting.
In South Korea, she will be responsible for the safety and wellbeing of 36 young people, along with three other leaders, collaborating with Scouts from around the world.
“I’m thrilled to be going to the jamboree and my experience of Scouting and leading young people at Eccles really gave me the confidence to know that this would be something I would be good at,” said Emily. “I’ve learnt so much by working with children with special educational needs which I believe is why I was selected. I’m going to do my best to ensure all those involved have an amazing time and make memories that will last a lifetime!”
Emily currently helps run the Duke of Edinburgh awards at Aurora Eccles, organising activities for students aged 11-18 who have experienced difficulties in mainstream settings.
Set in 34 acres of countryside, the school has a wealth of outdoor learning spaces for students, including an area of private woodland which offers students the freedom to learn in a natural environment.
Emily is also training to be a Lowland Leader - a nationally recognised leadership qualification.
“Emily's outdoor skills and experiences built through scouting have been invaluable in breathing life into our Duke of Edinburgh programme as we return to our expeditions following the lull in activity during the pandemic,” said Chris MacKinnon, headteacher of Aurora Eccles School “With her organisational support, we’re looking forward to taking about 50 students on expedition this summer.”
Emily needs to raise £4,000 to cover the costs of her trip to South Korea so she’s started fundraising by organising plant and jumble sales, bingo nights, raffles, car boot sales and afternoon teas.
Those interested in helping Emily can find out more on her GoFundMe page here.
