We had a super chilled SOSCAs evening at Gladstone this year instead of the usual glitzy awards ceremony – but that didn’t mean the recognition we gave wasn’t as heart-felt. Here are this years exceptional stars and their wonderful stories…
Heart of Gold Award
For the member whose kindness and compassion make them the heart and soul of their group.
Rory
1st Connahs Quay Scout Group
Rory lives with verbal dyspraxia, which makes speech and communication a daily challenge, but it has never held him back. He faces every obstacle with determination and a smile, giving his very best in everything he does. Even after moving to a new Beaver group this year, he has continued to shine, showing courage, kindness and real enthusiasm for Scouting. His resilience and positive attitude make him an inspiration to everyone around him.
MacGyver Award
For the member who can fix, build or solve just about anything, whatever the problem.
Daniel
Blaze Explorers
Dan has an incredible ability to fix and solve just about anything. Whatever the challenge, he finds a creative, practical solution, seeing possibilities others might miss. Those skills have been shaped through his years in Scouting, where he has learned to be resourceful, adaptable and always prepared. As a Young Leader, he puts those values into practice every week, setting a great example for others — and yes, he has clearly inherited his dad’s ‘there’s always a way’ attitude. Resourceful, dependable and endlessly inventive, Dan is a very deserving MacGyver.
Smooth Operator Award
For the member who keeps things running smoothly, handling tricky moments with calm and confidence.
Rob Harman
1st Denbigh Scout Group
When 1st Denbigh’s Group Lead Volunteer stepped down last October, Rob stepped up without hesitation. He has led and steered the group through a real period of change, kept it running, and helped it grow. Without his leadership, the group would very likely have closed. In six months he has recruited over six new volunteers and supported every one of them through onboarding. Calm, capable and quietly indispensable — that’s Rob.
Seeds of Success Award
For the parent or carer whose encouragement and care have helped their young person or group thrive.
Claire Henrys
Penyffordd Scout Group
Claire joined Scouting as a proud parent of two Scouts, supporting her children as they began their own adventures — and, as so often happens, she never left. She took the brave step of starting and running Penyffordd’s Squirrels section from scratch, creating a welcoming and exciting first experience of Scouting for the group’s youngest members. She keeps the whole leadership team fuelled with coffee and emergency snacks, and has helped build an environment where young people grow in confidence and try new things. Claire can’t be with us this evening, but her group wanted tonight to include her all the same.
Don’t Kiss the Chef Award
For the member who keeps everyone fuelled and happy, always first to the stove on camp.
Neil Curtis
Clwyd Area
Neil fed nearly 100 adults, Explorers, Cubs and Beavers at the District Beaver and Cub camp — single-handedly, while dancing to his own tunes and smiling the whole way through, and catering for every dietary need declared on the day. He also found time to support a homesick Beaver who’d never stayed away from home before, lending him his flat cap and picking up a new dance move in return. He is booked to return by popular demand for the Scout and Explorer camp in September.
Zen Master Award
For the member who stays calm under pressure, bringing patience and positivity to every situation.
Maisie
Blaze Explorers
Maisie brings a sense of calm, patience and positivity to everything she does. As an Explorer and Young Leader, she has a natural instinct for knowing exactly when someone — young person or adult — needs a bit of extra help or a little encouragement. She takes on any job, big or small, with enthusiasm, and is especially good at spotting a Squirrel or Beaver who is struggling and stepping in with patience and reassurance. Maisie brings balance wherever she goes.
Enamel Camel Award
For the member who has carried a lot this year, stepping up and keeping going when things got tough.
David Jones
1st Hope Scout Group
David has worked tirelessly this year to rebuild 1st Hope Scouts, a group that struggled post-Covid with too few trustees, leaders and young people. He did this while grieving the sudden loss of his mother Barbara, the group’s Chairperson, last Christmas — and while building his own business as a driving instructor. He has reached out to the local community, rallied volunteers, and stood firmly by his vision of restoring 1st Hope to the thriving group it once was. Determination doesn’t come much more genuine than this.
Camp Crusader Award
For the member who throws themselves into camp life, trying new things and living their best Scouting adventure.
Eli
Penyffordd Scout Group
Eli’s Scouting journey shows just how much can happen when you throw yourself into every adventure. His very first camp as a Squirrel left his kit spread across the tent floor — by his most recent camp, not only was everything packed away neatly, nothing went missing either. He gets involved in everything with enthusiasm, tackles every challenge with determination, and at Coxwood conquered the climbing wall right to the top. Eli can’t be here this evening, but his progress and adventurous spirit absolutely deserve tonight’s recognition.
Sapling Award
New for 2026. For the Young Leader who has grown in confidence, skill and leadership, showing real potential for the future.
3rd Prestatyn Young Leaders
Vale of Clwyd District
This award recognises the whole team of Young Leaders at 3rd Prestatyn for the contribution they make every week. Two years ago they were standing in the corner; now they are planning and running full sessions. Examples include how James has helped Scouts raise £250 for charity and organise a foodbank collection, Vova and Matthew run games and badge work with more knowledge than some of the leaders, and wrote a genuinely thorough risk assessment for a recent trip. Evie, the newest of the group, turns up every week with a notebook full of ideas. Gareth for his input at group camp (the group loved his campfire songs and wide games and the newest young leader Elias who joined us in April and has rapidly become a valuable member of the beaver team showing initiative and support. A wonderful example of Young Leaders in action.
Compass & Anchor Award
For the trustee who has been a steady hand through challenges, offering calm leadership and support.
Neil Grant
Montgomeryshire District
It has been a difficult year for Montgomeryshire, deciding to merge with Clwyd and then putting that decision into action. Neil has guided the Monty trustee board through the whole process, working with Clwyd’s Lead Volunteers and making sure every trustee had the information they needed to make informed decisions. Neil can’t join us this evening, but his steady hand through a genuinely tough transition earns him tonight’s Compass and Anchor Award.
Entertainer Award
For the member who keeps everyone smiling, lifting spirits and brightening every meeting or camp.
Angela Hughes
Buckley St Matthews Scout Group
Angela brings fun, laughter and energy to everything and everyone she touches. Ask anyone across the district who they’d want running an event, and Angela’s name comes up again and again. She is entirely selfless — she’ll help any member of Scouting without a moment’s hesitation, and jumps into every corner of the movement with outstanding enthusiasm. Scouting in this district would be a quieter place without her.
Outstanding Achievement in Scouting
For the volunteer or member who truly lives our values, going above and beyond.
Ian & Sharon Henshall
2nd Rhuthun Scout Group
Ian and Sharon recently opened a brand new Scout group in Ruthin – 2nd Rhuthun – from nothing. They have renovated a building, recruited an entirely new team of volunteers, and opened every section at once. What they have built is already a genuine success story, and it continues to grow. They hold the group together while both working full time, and are on hand to answer any question, any time. Ian and Sharon can’t be with us this evening, but 2nd Rhuthun exists because of them, and that is exactly what this award is for.
Ignite Award
New for 2026. For the adult volunteer who has sparked a passion for Youth Shaped Scouting, empowering young people to lead.
Emma King
Penyffordd Scout Group
Emma has a gift for creating space where young people feel confident to speak up and take the lead — and for making even the wildest ideas sound like a brilliant plan. Through her support and belief in what young people can achieve, she has turned good ideas into great adventures. She is also a huge asset to the Young Leaders team, offering just the right mix of guidance and encouragement to help them thrive. Emma has helped ignite confidence and leadership in the young people around her, and that impact will be felt for years to come.
Needle and Thread Award
For the member who holds everyone together, the heartbeat of their team.
Sheila Dawson
Penyffordd Scout Group
Sheila is one of the people who holds Penyffordd’s Squirrels and Beavers teams together, bringing wisdom, humour and unwavering commitment to everything she does. She throws herself into every adventure with the enthusiasm of someone half her age — whether that’s the climbing wall or the next challenge, she doesn’t hesitate. Her Scouting record runs to page after page of roles and responsibilities, but to her team she is simply their fearless Beaver and Squirrels leader, always first with a solution and always ready to give something a go.
Spark Award
For the member who brings extra energy and enthusiasm to everything they do.
Skye
Blaze Explorers
Skye has a natural ability to bring fun, creativity and excitement wherever she goes, with a talent for turning simple plans into memorable adventures. At a Harry Potter themed sleepover she discovered her hidden talent as a master potion maker, helping create an experience that felt straight out of Hogwarts. She has a wonderful way of encouraging others to try something new and see the possibilities in everything around them — and, of course, a well known love of frogs that has added its own unique charm to her Scouting journey.
Outstanding Achievement in Scouting
For the volunteer or member who truly lives our values, going above and beyond.
Poppy
1st Overton on Dee Scout Group
At just 13, Poppy has already shown a level of dedication to Scouting that is genuinely exceptional. She regularly gives up her own time to help at camps and sessions for the younger sections — she even chose to spend her own birthday helping at a Beaver camp. Her enthusiasm is infectious, encouraging the leadership team to offer more opportunities because she is always the first to volunteer for more herself. She has also played a key role in encouraging the reopening of a rural District Explorer Unit. Poppy isn’t just one of our Scouts — she is the future of Overton Scout Group, and we have no doubt she’ll go on to become an outstanding Scout Leader.
