Head teacher Andrew is named the country’s Scout chief commissioner
Andrew Sharkey, the headteacher of St Kentigern’s Academy in Blackburn, has been appointed chief commissioner for Scouts Scotland, effectively making him the leader of the country’s 50,000 scouts.
Councillor George Paul raised a motion at this month’s meeting of West Lothian Council and supported a letter of congratulations to Andrew saying his “appointment recognises his sterling contribution to young people.”
Andrew joined Scouting as a Cub and moved up through the sections until leaving the Venture Scouts to become a Scout leader with his Scout group.
He then moved on to become a Venture Scout leader in his district and assistant district commissioner (Ventures) before becoming Scottish Headquarters commissioner for Venture Scouts. He was part of the UK team that planned and led the transition to Explorer Scouts and Scout Network and became the first Scottish HQ Explorer commissioner.
Andrew said:“I’m so proud to be part of Scouting and genuinely excited about working with our team of volunteers to further develop our movement, ensuring that more young people are able to access the great adventures and opportunities that we offer. Scouting in Scotland has gone from strength to strength over many years, under the strong leadership of previous Chief Commissioners.
“It is my ambition to continue this development and growth and whilst doing so, widen the diversity of our membership and consistency of our programme delivery.
“Good quality Scouting should be accessible to everyone and we need to break down misconceptions, reduce barriers, and continue to celebrate our fantastic achievements.”