Children’s Commissioner for England joins Scouts for walk and talk to shape The Big Future
The Children’s Commissioner for England, Dame Rachel de Souza, teamed up with Cumbrian Scouts on Thursday 14 May for a hike along Hadrian’s Wall as part of The Big Future survey.
Dame Rachel, an avid supporter of Scouts invited Scouts to make their voices heard in a major survey: The Big Future.
She wanted to hear their thoughts and ideas directly to make children’s lives better in the future. They hiked to Housesteads Roman Fort along Hadrian’s Wall, going past the Sycamore Gap memorial and Crag Lough.
As well as finding out about the challenges they face, she wanted to hear their views about engaging with the democratic process – ahead of some major changes. For the first time, hundreds of thousands of young people will be eligible to vote in the next general election at age 16.
‘I am determined to hear from children across England,’ she said, ‘and to ensure their voices are front and centre at a moment that will shape a generation.’
Encouraging more outdoor adventures
She hopes that hundreds of thousands young people will respond to the survey, including the Cumbrian Scouts. Her visit also celebrates getting more young people outdoors and exploring their local environments. Like Scouts, she feels it’s more important than ever that we encourage our young people to get outdoors, engage with their community and learn new skills.
‘We’re honoured by this visit by Dame Rachel,’ said Eddie Ward, County Lead Volunteer for Cumbria. ‘It’s such a valuable opportunity for young people to have their say in this important survey. We’re even more pleased to be hiking with her in the great outdoors with Cumbria Explorer Scouts, along one of the UK’s most iconic landmarks.’
Listening to young people across the UK
This is just one of a series of visits around the country as part of Dame Rachel’s nationwide survey. She is travelling around the country to hear directly from children in a variety of groups and settings. She will present young people’s ideas to politicians and policy makers about how to make their lives better in the future.
Encouraging more young people to have their say
The Big Future survey is open until Friday 23 October 2026. It takes about five minutes for young people complete the survey, depending on how quickly they read, and how much they want to write. Some children may take longer and need more help. Please encourage them to take part if you can.
‘It means a lot that Dame Rachel wants to listen to young people properly,’ said Ellie Hodgson, 15, of Mission Explorer Scout Unit, ‘not just talk at us. Scouts has helped me grow in confidence and speak up about things I care about, so this feels like a really important opportunity.’
Dame Rachel, who started her role in March 2021, has already completed the two largest-ever surveys of children The Big Ask in 2021 with over half-a-million responses and The Big Ambition in 2024.
