Meet George, the gang show superstar

Meet George. George is currently in Scouts, has Down’s Syndrome and is a keen performer. He’s taken part in lots of gang shows and starred in a production of ‘Matilda’ on camp.

Gang shows are a popular type of staged performance, where the cast are all Scouts or Guides. They work together to plan, write, cast, produce, and choreograph the show, which is usually full of a variety of singing, dancing, and sketches. 

We caught up with George and his mum, Carole, to find out all about his latest adventures. He loves healthy eating and boxing, and he’s been learning more about his biggest passion, radio presenting.

Hi George! Can you tell us what you’ve been enjoying in Scouts?

Yes, I go to a mixed Beaver, Cubs and Scouts group. It’s a group for people with disabilities.

We do lots of exciting things. We’ve been on a canal boat, done some litter picking, and we do lots of arts, crafts and cooking. I went on my first camp called Agoonoree with Scouts, too.

What did you do at Agoonoree? 

Me and my sister, Libby, went to Agoonoree. It was my first time, and my first Scout camp. I did radio production for the first time and people, especially my family, were very surprised to hear me on the radio.

The food was great. We had things that I hadn’t tried before, like ham and pea soup, and lots of three-course dinners. I enjoyed the boats and canoeing. That was lots of fun, and we went swimming.

We had a pirate’s day and a movie day. For movie day, we had to recreate a film. My group chose Roald Dahl’s Matilda. We watched the original Matilda film, and did lots of songs from the musical, including ‘School song’, ‘Naughty’ and ‘Grow up’. Me and Libby were in the same group, so got to do it together. I really enjoyed the acting. I was Mr Wormwood and had to pretend my hat was stuck on my head!

Were you nervous about going to camp? 

The camp was for a whole week. I felt quite nervous, but it was lots of fun. I want to go again. I missed friends from home but made new friends in my patrol. We had to pay money to go on the camp, so I fundraised by doing a cake sale at home. We told our neighbours about it and had lots of different cakes for them to buy. We raised all the money!

We can tell you love performing, George. What shows have you seen?

I’ve seen lots of shows. We’ve seen Aladdin, Mamma Mia, Hairspray, Beauty and the Beast and Lion King. Mamma Mia is my favourite. I love all of it. 

George’s mum, Carole, adds that they try to go to relaxed performances, such as at a recent local pantomime. At the relaxed performances, they leave lights on, take the pyrotechnics and loud bangs out, and have lots of extra staff on. They also don’t sell every seat to give people space. It’s been a great, inclusive way to enjoy theatre!

We know you’ve been on the stage too. What do you do in your gang shows?

I’ve been doing gang shows since I was eight years old. My mum produced the show, and I took part. My mum doesn’t produce the show any more, but I still take part, with my sister, Libby. We need to practice a lot and learn lots of songs. I feel ready for it this year.

I used to have a one-on-one on stage to help me, but I don’t need one any more. We get downloads of songs and rehearse at home. We rehearse for three months and then we go into the theatre to practice without the audience.

There’s lots of people coming to see me and lots of staff from school. I’ve signed and given everyone a flyer. This year I’m cueing everyone to come on stage, so I’m very excited.

We’re sure you’ll be giving out even more autographs soon. Can you tell us what you want to do when you’re older?

When I’m older, I want to sing on stage or be a radio producer and make my own radio podcast. I’ve done two lots of work experience with Bucks Scouts Radio and tried radio production at the camp, Agoonoree. 

Recently, there was big Scout walk locally. I helped with Bucks Scouts Radio and Gary, who runs it. With my mum, I thought of a list of questions to ask the people taking part, and I interviewed people when they finished the walk. I also had a lot of songs requested and shout-outs, including from my mum, my family and my friends. I had to ask their favourite song and artist, but I wasn’t allowed to sing live with the songs!

That sounds great, George! How has Scouts helped you with your confidence?

Katie and Gemma, two volunteers, help me get ready for the show. Everyone needs to stay in time, and I can sometimes be a little ahead of everyone else. Katie and Gemma help me to slow down and be at the same time as everyone else.

Sometimes, because I have Downs Syndrome, people don’t always understand what I’m saying. I get excited and I talk faster, so I like to practice. We say practice does make perfect. Me and mum make little films at home and listen back to them. We do voice messages and practice to make them clearer. This has helped my confidence.

So, George, what do you want to do next?

I want to make YouTube videos. I want to make them about healthy eating and gaming. We learned about internet safety at Scouts, so I don’t use my full name. With mum, I make sure videos are safe for me to put out online.

I want a YouTube shop and I want to do shout-outs, produce songs and giveaways. I have a range of water bottles for my YouTube channel that say #BeStrong, #BeBrave and #BeKind on them for fans. I’d like to be a children’s television presenter, like George Webster on CBeebies.

I also want to do more at Buck Scouts Radio and have my own radio show. I listen to Jamie Theakston and Amanda Holden on Heart on my way to school. They have lots of jingles that I like. I want to do more with Buck Scout Radio and go on camp again in summer. I need to get my own jingle!

Carole, how has Scouts supported George?

During the ten years I produced the gang show, George was born and then, as he was coming up for Beaver age, I thought about joining Scouts. We wanted to find a local unit that would embrace George for who he is and, luckily, we found that unit. 

George was in a mainstream Beaver Section and mainstream Cub Section. He was always supported, and Scouts has been inclusive from start. When he made his Promise, he did it with a friend, Theo, in both Beavers and Cubs. We learned it all in Makaton too, as George did some signing. 

As he got older, the gap widened, so we found Scouts a little bit trickier. This was the same as we found in school, so George really benefits from more specialist support. His current group has a more appropriate peer group, and the activities are supervised appropriately for everyone’s needs. We’ve found out the volunteers are always engaged with inclusion, there’s lots of support and people want to help.

Scouts has given lots of opportunities to George. Now, he looks at these things and thinks I can do that, which is fantastic. Until you see people doing those jobs, such as producing radio programmes, you might not believe it could be you. It’s a big hurdle to champion yourself, but Scouts has grown George’s confidence. It’s now a more inclusive world for George, especially seeing people like CBeebies presenter George Webster, who also has Down’s Syndrome. It has helped give him the self-belief that he can achieve anything he wants to.