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Avon County Commissioner

Name

Dan Wood

Biography

Dan has held Group, District, County, national and international Scouting leadership roles. As a youth member Dan was a Beaver Scout, Cub Scout and Scout at 1st Little Stoke and during this time took part in Avon/Bristol Gang Show and attended the World Scout Jamboree in Holland. He later joined Venture Scouts (Fromeside) where he gained his Queen Scout Award took part in a partnership project in Poland and the Avonja project in Uganda. As a Scout Network member he initiated the Thirst for Life project with Scouts in Swaziland.

As an adult volunteer Dan led Scout Troops in Avon and Oxfordshire, and was later an Assistant District Commissioner for Development, County Scouter and Trainer. Nationally, Dan served on the Board of Trustees, most recently as the Chair of its Operations Sub-Committee. As a trustee, Dan led and participated in various national and international delegations and working groups which contributed to Scouting’s strategic development. Dan has attended and advised the World Scout Committee and been involved in supporting the development of adolescent programme and youth involvement internationally. In April 2009 he was recognised with the Award for Merit.

As Chair of the British Youth Council, Dan led an intensive period of transformation, income and membership growth. During this time the charity’s profile raised considerably with UK-wide and international programmes, campaigns, events and partnerships. Dan also chaired the UK’s delegation to the European Youth Forum and served on the Education and Training Advisory Committee of the British Council and the Management Board of Carnegie Youth People’s Initiative. He has served as a School Governor for a Primary School in Bristol, is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts, Manufactures and Commerce (FRSA) and an alumni of several well-known leadership development organisations.

Apart from Scouting, Dan enjoys playing the piano, foreign travel, reading novels and eating out. He did his degree at Oxford Brookes University and subsequently went to Exeter University to join the Fast Track Programme for Leadership and Management in schools. He later began a career at the Sector Skills Council for Health where he continues to work, managing governance and corporate services arrangements. He has a postgraduate qualification in Strategic Management from Bristol University.