THE Scouts has announced that Jennie Price CBE will be Chair of the Trustees and Carl Hankinson becomes UK Chief Commissioner from September 2021.

The impact of the pandemic over the last year has brought unprecedented financial and practical challenges for Scout groups. Jennie Price and Carl Hankinson will lead the movement’s recovery with a particular focus on helping communities disproportionately affected by the pandemic.

For many young people, the experience they have at Scouts can be truly transformational, increasing wellbeing and life chances. Now more than ever, it’s vital that everything is done to give young people the support they need.

Jennie Price was Chief Executive of Sport England between 2007 until 2018 and is currently the independent Chair of Trustees for the Youth United Foundation, the network of the UK’s leading uniformed youth organisations. At Sport England, she led the multi-award winning ‘This Girl Can’ campaign which inspired 2.8 million women and girls to become more active. In the UK, almost a third of Scouts 638,000 members are female. She now has a portfolio of roles which includes chairing the International Tennis Integrity Agency, sitting on the board of the Canal and River Trust and being a Forestry Commissioner.

Jennie has a passion for youth advancement and a track record in promoting good governance. As volunteering underpins grassroots sport, she understands the benefits and constraints this brings to organisations. She will chair a fifteen-person board of trustees, which shapes and approves the Scouts’ strategy and its key policies and rules.

Jennie Price said:

“I am passionate about supporting young people and have been privileged to work on this in my roles at Youth United and Sport England. I am thrilled to be joining the Scouts as Chair of the Board because of the difference Scouts makes to the lives of thousands of young people across the country and its ambition to grow and diversify its membership. I am looking forward to working with the trustees to ensure Scouting is accessible for everyone.”

Carl Hankinson is to become UK Chief Commissioner, a voluntary role that leads the 163,000 adult volunteers in the UK. Carl has volunteered with Scouts for more than a decade, both in his home county of Lancashire and nationally. He has been a national trustee, he led West Lancashire Scouts for ten years and continues to chair the West Lancashire trustee team.

His strong track record of growing membership and leadership in Scouts builds on his professional strengths forged in commercial banking with Natwest. Carl also serves as Deputy Lieutenant for Lancashire and is a Trustee of the Skelton Trust, a charity designed to support voluntary organisations in the North West of England.

Carl Hankinson said:

The pandemic has hit some communities really hard and so many Scouts volunteers have gone above and beyond to support young people through a very difficult time. As we rebuild in the coming years we have a real opportunity to help more young people, from all backgrounds, especially in those communities worst affected by the pandemic.”

Chief Executive of The Scout Association, Matt Hyde said:

“Everyone in Scouts is looking forward to welcoming Jennie as our new Chair and Carl as our new UK Chief Commissioner. They will build on the extraordinary contribution of the current Chair, Ann Limb and the current UK Chief Commissioner, Tim Kidd. Both have made a remarkable impact on the organisation during their times in the role. Carl and Jennie are joining The Scouts at a pivotal time when we need to rebuild after the Covid pandemic. I am confident their experience and knowledge will help us meet this challenge.”