Here’s why 18–25 year olds should join the UK Rep Pool

For 18–25-year-olds, the UK Rep Pool is a brilliant opportunity to represent Scouts internationally.

Whether it’s a government reception at Downing Street, a Council of Europe event hosted in Batumi, Georgia, or the World Scout Conference in Azerbaijan, they share the brilliant experiences and practices we have as Scouts and bring their international learnings back to the UK.

To find out what the team get up to, we asked Luke and Shannon to tell us about their experiences.

Hi, Luke and Shannon. Why did you want to join the Rep Pool and how did you hear about it?

Luke: I didn't know the Rep Pool existed until it popped up on Facebook that we were recruiting for new members! I immediately knew I wanted to join the team.

I’d been on an international trip as an Explorer Scout and this ignited a passion in me to get to know Scouts from around the world. There’s something so special about walking into a room or a campsite at the start of event not knowing anyone, and leaving with friends from around the world.

With 57 million worldwide Scouts, we're all united by shared values, visions, and beliefs of what our world should be like. When I joined Scouts, made my first Scout Promise, and read the Scout Law, I never truly understood the law that 'A Scout belongs to the worldwide family of Scouts.' But I do now! 

Shannon: I took part in a Derbyshire leadership training course called iMoveIt, which focused on youth shaped leadership and developing your own style as a leader.

After this, my District Lead Volunteer forwarded the sign-up for the UK Rep Pool to me, and recommended it as a good opportunity for me. I rarely say no to anything, so I thought applying was always worthwhile.

The opportunities it offered looked amazing, and I was super excited to experience Scouts internationally. At the time I joined, I'd only been in Scouts for around 8 months.

I was very nervous when I first got accepted onto the team as it was a huge step in a short time, but I’m so grateful to be part of it.

What do you love about being part of the Rep Pool?

Luke: I’ve loved getting to know the team members from across the UK, and then representing Scouts together on an international level.

I work in politics and policy, so being able to combine my professional experience with my Scouts skills to represent an organisation I love is really fulfilling.

Of course, I love the international events! I was fortunate to attend Kandersteg for the first time, a special place for all Scouts – our permanent mini-Jamboree in the Alps. 

Shannon: The Rep Pool members are just amazing. The event meet ups, such as Reunion and the Thanksgiving event, are great fun.

It's really interesting learn how our roles in Scouts differ and find out what brought them into the Rep Pool. 

The opportunity to travel with Scouts and get to know Scouts from other countries is so fun and really informative. It’s definitely shaped the way I think about UK Scouts in my section.

What’s been your favourite/the most interesting event you’ve attended?

Luke: Another event I attended was a conference in Poland, hosted by World Scouting and UNICEF. It was about how Scouts play a pivotal role in youth humanitarian action.

I left Poland inspired by the work of young people across Europe, but I was also able to share what we’ve been doing in the UK, and I loved the peer learning throughout the event. Scouts from over 30 countries were there, and it was truly amazing to see the work they’d done.

We heard about Chilean Scouts adapting Scouts traditions to make them welcoming for newcomer families, Scouts from the Dominican Republic being first responders after a devastating Tsunami, and Romanian Scouts supporting the mental health of refugees from Ukraine.

The combined humanitarian effort of Scouts around the world inspired me to work to further our humanitarian work in Scouts at home. 

Shannon: I went to The Academy in Germany for 5 days in November 2023, which focused on workshops and toolkits around facilitating change, sustainability, youth lead Scouts and what that all looks like in other National Scout Organisations/Associations.

The host country was so helpful and all the Scouts were kind and easy to talk to.

What would you say to someone thinking of joining the UK Rep Pool?

Luke: Go for it! The UK Rep Pool has enabled me to give back to Scouts, learn new skills and grow as a person. There's no specific set of skills and experiences we’re looking for.

As long as you’re passionate about Scouts, willing to learn and want to make the most of the opportunity, then apply. Take the leap – you won’t regret it!