Deputy County Commissioner (Management and Development Support)

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Name

Karla Forrest

Biography

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 on 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.”