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Lancing College OL Ollie Faragher, who graduated in 2022, has just been appointed the Deputy UK Youth Commissioner for the Scouts. His role will focus on People - to look and find new ways to embed youth shaped Scouts in local and national governance structures and support the projects relating to the volunteer experience.
Since leaving Lancing College, Ollie has been working as a CAMHS inpatient HCA at Chalkhill Hospital and will be starting training as a dual registration Child and Mental Health Nurse at the University of Leicester in September 2023.
Ollie visited the Scout group at Lancing College on the 19 April to spend some time with the members, and will continue to volunteer his time to them over the coming months.
Q&A with Ollie
Q - What's your background in Scouts?
A - My scouting journey began aged 16 when I joined the Lancing College Minerva Explorer Unit (a school Explorer Unit) in 2020 as one of the first members. Over the last three years I helped develop the unit into a group of over 50 young people, taking on a senior leadership role in the unit and now helping as an adult leader.
Q - Why did you apply for the UK Youth Commissioner team?
A - It’s really important to me that young people of every age are the leaders of shaping their experience in Scouts, and so I want to ensure opportunities and events support young people to champion the direction of scouting.
Q - What are you most excited about for your particular role?
A - As DUKYC for People, it’s probably unsurprising I’m most excited about… the people! I can’t wait to get out and about and meet as many of the amazing members of the scouting movement as possible and hear everything they have to say about their experience.
Q - What do you do outside Scouts?
A - In my day job, I work in Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services as a Support Worker for an inpatient unit. I also volunteer in the youth, safeguarding and freedom to speak up teams within St John Ambulance, as a leader for the DofE, and as a panel member for CORC (Child Outcomes Research Consortium). In any leftover time, I enjoy scuba diving and climbing for an escape.