Community Award October 2021
We are delighted to announce that winner Jonathan Powney Group Leader 1st Portland Scouts has won our award and has received a cheque for £150 for his nominated charity
Rotary Community Award winner 2021
Jon has volunteered for many years as a section leader for 1st Portland Scouts, running the Scout and Explorer groups, supporting 100's of local young people to gain confidence and new skills by organising activities, trips and camps that develop leadership, teamwork, creativity and problem solving. Around the time that COVID hit, the troops Group Leader stepped down due to her own health problems which led Jon to take on even more responsibility. As parents we are incredibly grateful for this, at a time when the scouting movement nationally has lost approx. 25,000 volunteers, our group is hanging in there, thanks to the wonderful team of volunteers, particularly Jon who's role continues to grow and grow.
Jon regularly goes above and beyond for the children and young people of Portland, using his own time, annual leave, money and boundless energy and enthusiasm to run parties, take kids away camping or even abroad, fundraising, fixing the building, clearing and building resources for the outside space, completing training in everything from safeguarding to archery, cooking breakfasts and bbqs, researching best deals for resources and completing endless paperwork - all in his own time, often at the detriment to his own business and family time.
He is a truly generous, fun and much-loved individual, by many of the hardest group to please....teenagers! The support and flexibility he offered my daughter, (who has a disability,) to ensure that not only were sessions, trips etc inclusive, but in fact that she was able to thrive, giving her the confidence to be the only young person from the island that applied to the last World Scout Jamboree, was awe inspiring.
As his role has expanded, I'd appreciate this opportunity to say 'Thank you so much' to a true Community Legend.
