I am delighted to announce that I have appointed a further two Deputy County Commissioners (DCCs).  Their new roles are crucial to achieving our vision for significantly growing outstanding Scouting.  They join Steve Smith who is the DCC for Operations, already working very closely alongside me.  Please join me in warmly welcoming them to their new roles and in being supportive as they get to grips with them.

The Deputy County Commissioner for Marketing and Communications is Jools Granville. In this new role she will help us to provide high quality marketing and communications. Following feedback from many of you, this will place emphasis on improving our internal communications.  She will ensure effective management and leadership of the marketing and communications strategy, and the team as it grows and develops, as well as ensuring that we improve the information, advice and guidance to help Districts and Groups with their communication.

The Deputy County Commissioner for Management and Development Support is Karla Forrest who will be well known to some of you because she has served for some time on the County Executive Committee as a Trustee.  In this new role she will lead on the management and support processes that will help us to steer the County through a time of change and development. This will include co-ordinating our detailed plans and monitoring progress against them, supporting the development of the County Team, including administration and support arrangements for team meetings and ensuring effective management for a range of practical projects focused on helping to grow and develop Scouting in Avon.

It is great to have been able to appoint two such talented people who bring a wealth of relevant skills, experience and insights from their wider lives.  For your interest, I have attached a short profile about each of them. 

During the autumn I hope to be able to share more information about our plans for the coming months and years, building on our vision and aims. I continue to welcome your communication to me and/or team members. There are a variety of ways you can get in touch, including by commenting on my blog, by This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it , through your District Commissioner or in writing via the County Office.

Best wishes,

Dan

Profiles

Jools Granville – Deputy County Commissioner for Marketing and Communications

Jools Granville is a proactive and passionate marketing and management professional who has, for over 15 years, specialised in creating compelling campaigns for the not-for-profit and charity sectors.  Jools says, “I work for organisations and people that really interest me, so I am in the lucky position of loving my work. It’s important to me that I also use my skills as a volunteer for those organisations I believe in who need expert help and advice.”  Jools has previously offered her free time to such diverse organisations as the Alzheimers Society, addictions charities and human rights groups.  Her current professional role often sees her travelling around the UK which gives her an indirect benefit of being a Radio 4 addict thus have the edge at pub quizzes, until the sport round occurs! 

Originally hailing from the Northumberland coast, she currently lives in Totterdown with her husband and their cat, Mr Herbertson.  She most misses her family, the sea and the lilting north east accent but insists that this is in many ways counterbalanced by the South West’s balmy temperatures, regular family visits, fabulous people… and pieminster pies.

Jools’ early CV includes both undergraduate and postgraduate education in her beloved Newcastle and she spends some free time each year swatting up for continuous professional development courses.  She spends a much larger proportion inducing in her passions: reading “any novel I can get my hands on… as long as it is not too sad!”, travel theatre, history, food, long walks, wine and friends.

Jools is entirely new to Scouting and is looking forward to meeting a diverse group of people.

Karla Forrest – Deputy County Commissioner for Management and Development Support

Karla is passionate about Scouting and believes it can provide excellent opportunities to young people to develop transferable life skills and build self confidence and to benefit both themselves and the community in which they live.  Karla says: “I had those opportunities albeit later on in my life than many following joining Scouting at university, organsising the international cooking competition and helping with Unicorn, an overnight hiking competition, and more formally as a Network Member with the Thirst for Life project where we designed, organised and implemented a youth exchange and community action project with our Swaziland counterparts. It showed that young people can achieve ambitious projects when inspired, committed and supported by Scouting.”

Motivated by the Thirst for Life experience, Karla wanted to remain in Scouting but it needed to be flexible because it was at a time when a weekly meeting would just not fit with work commitments as a Medical Doctor. Becoming a County Executive Committee member (trustee) and participating in the development of the Association’s national sexual health guidance and launching it with the media allowed her to do that. She says that she “…feels privileged to have been involved in both these roles, voicing to the public that Scouting is a dynamic youth organisation, relevant to our young people and one which empowers them.”  Looking to her new DCC role she says “…in the great scouting ethos I am prepared to learn by doing and I am looking forward to starting this new adventure.”