Nikki Parr
County Team Lead – Programme
Hello I’m Nikki, I am excited to share with your our newly appointed programme sub team leaders. I am looking forward to the support we will be developing and offering to our adult volunteers across Merseyside, as well as introducing new county events to support you in delivering our programme.
The programme teams motivation is about, how we can help and support our volunteers to provide exciting, quality programmes and adventure to our young people. Ensuring all our young people have the opportunity to achieve their top awards and develop skills for life, which they will be able to use in everyday life to help them become active citizens.
As a programme team, we are looking forward to supporting all our volunteers and to understand how we can help you. Therefore, we need you to tell us, what support you need. The way you can do this is by completing the survey we will be sending out shortly. It is important that you fill this in, for us to shape the right support for our volunteers.
We are also looking at building each of our sub teams, so if your passionate about increasing quality programmes, support our young people to achieve Top Awards and Skills for life please complete the link below:
Barbara Hughes
Sub-Team Lead – 4-8 Team (Squirrels and Beavers)
Hello I’m Barbara. I’ve been involved in Scouting since I joined Venture Scouts at 14yrs and soon after I started helping out at our newly formed Beaver Colony as part of my award work. Since then, I’ve held a variety of roles at Group, District and County level with the Beaver section, as well as in manager and supporter roles. I was really excited for the launch of Squirrels and to see our Scouting adventure extended to a younger age range, so at Group level and with support from new and existing volunteers we set up our Squirrel Drey and have been running this for just over 18 months.
I’m looking forward to supporting our volunteers working with our 4 – 8 year olds and giving them the help, resources, training and events they need to ensure all of our young people can achieve their section’s top award, Chief Scout’s Acorn and Bronze Awards.
Kate Barwise
Sub-Team Lead – 8-14 Team (Cubs)
Hello I am Kate, I have been involved in scouting since I joined explorers at 14. Before that I was a rainbow , brownie and a guide. I started my scouting volunteer journey as a young leader at the 7th Wallasey, as my service requirement for my D of E and I have never left. I went on to be an assistant cub leader for 10 years and I am now sharing the role of cub leader.
Scouting has been a massive part of my life providing me with skills and experiences that have shaped the person that I am today. I am passionate about providing our young people with opportunities to access exciting and innovative quality programs that enable them to achieve their chief scouts sliver award.
My favourite part about supporting the cubs program is finding ways to make the programme youth shaped and helping other cub leaders to bring their cubs program ideas to life.
Gary Allwood
Sub-Team Lead – 8-14 (Scouts)
Hello I am Gary, a Dad to Henry (Scout) and husband to Laura (BSL). Professionally I am an Ecologist. I joined Cubs in 1989 at 1st Lydiate (then 5th Sefton East), progressing through the sections before taking on an Assistant Scout Leader role in 1999. I took charge as Scout Leader in 2006, and Assistant District Commissioner for Scouts for Altside in 2016.
I thoroughly enjoy providing opportunities and events for our Scouts. Through delivering events such as SPLAT, PL camp, Great Escape I have worked with many fantastic volunteers. Supporting our adult volunteers to give the best opportunities to our young people is what we are here for.
Scott Ideson
Sub-Team Lead – 14-24 (Explorers and Network)
Hello I’m Scott, I have been involved in Scouting since being a Beaver at the age of six, and have gone on to have some awesome experiences. I attended the World Scout Jamboree in Sweden, completed a community project in Uganda, achieved my Queen’s Scout Award and volunteered full time instructing and helping to manage a Scout Adventures centre. My most recent Scouting role was as an Explorer Leader on Tyneside up in beautiful Northumberland. I’m a paediatric critical care nurse by profession and have recently relocated to Liverpool. I’m looking forward to getting out, exploring Merseyside and meeting you all!
Iain Parr
Sub-Team Lead – Young Leaders
Hello, I am Iain and I have been involved in scouting since I joined as a Cub in 1989. I progressed through the sections as a young person, before becoming a sectional leader mainly in Scouts and Explorers.
Since gaining my Queen Scout Award I have wanted to support other young people in gaining their top awards. My passion is supporting the next generation of leaders, I have taken on this role to support our young people to achieve their Young Leaders award. As well as supporting our volunteers to understand YL scheme, so they can help and support the young people to develop their leadership skills.
Lee Allwood
Sub-Team Lead – Top Awards
Hello I’m Lee, A little about me; I joined Cubs in 1989 (with brother Gary) at 1st Lydiate and have been involved ever since!
At Group Level I’ve held roles as an Assistant Scout Leader, Cub Leader, and Explorer Scout Leader, I’ve supported Altside District as District Explorer Scout Commissioner and been part of the County Leadership Team in a variety of roles since 2005 as a County Cub Scouter, County Scout Network Commissioner, ACC Explorers, and Deputy County Commissioner.
After stepping down as Deputy County Commissioner in 2020 due to the demand of having a young daughter, I took on my current role of ACC – Programme Achievement, which also included becoming the County Kings Scout Award Co-ordinator. One of my proudest moments in life to date is gaining my Queen Scout Award and attending the Windsor Parade. I am passionate about giving all our members the opportunity to achieve their own Top Award.
A couple of personal highlights so far is developing our Pathway to Top Awards resource that is available to all Groups in the County aswell as re-establishing our County Young People Awards Event last November at Aintree Racecourse where my daughter Harriet received her Chief Scout Acorn.
