Our Team

Uniformed Leaders

Group Leaders

Rob Cannell heads up the team of uniformed leaders as our Group Scout Leader (GSL).  Rob was previously our Scout Leader and regularly assists at both Scouts and Cubs sections.  Rob was awarded the Chief Scout’s Commendation for Good Service in 2020.

Carole Needham is our Assistant Group Scout Leader (AGSL) and Training Coordinator.  Carole was previously an Assistant Leader in our Cubs section.  In 2019, Carole received the Award for Merit, which is given for keen, conscientious, imaginative and dedicated service to scouting over a sustained period, of at least 12 years duration.

Beavers Leaders

Nicola Chetwynd-Stapylton, known to the Beavers as Wilber, is our Beaver Scout Leader (BSL).

She is assisted by Otter (Matthew Paget), Fox (Felix Jackson), Puffin (Jennifer Williams), Badger (Neil Beardmore) and Kingfisher (Mary Redington, who formerly led our Beaver colony).

Cubs Leaders

Jack Plumbridge, known to the Cubs as Akela (and previously as Baloo) and Kirstie Wood (Bagheera) together run our Cubs section as Assistant Cub Scout Leaders (ACSL).  Both are relatively new to scouting and took on the challenge of running a section for the first time in the middle of the Covid-19 restrictions, having to plan first online meetings, then the return to face to face scouting.

They are assisted by Ophelia Dodds (Hathi) and Debbie DiBiase (Chil).  Rob Cannell, our GSL, is also helping regularly at Cubs.  Two of our Explorer section members also help at Cubs as part of the Explorer Scouts Young Leaders training programme.

Scouts Leaders

Nick Fisk is our Scout Leader (SL).  He recently became our Scout Leader for the second time, having spent several years as Assistant Scout Leader.  He holds a Chief Scout’s Commendation for Good Service, awarded in 2012.

He is assisted by Rob Cannell (who is also our GSL), Mark Cody, Richard Darby-Dowman and Rob Williams.

Explorers Leaders

Paul Collyer (pictured) and Dave Spencer are the adult uniformed leaders of our Explorer Unit.  The Explorer Scouts themselves are largely responsible for planning their own meetings and events.

Dinos Alexopoulos is our Duke of Edinburgh Award Scheme co-ordinator.

Executive Committee

Nigel Harris is our group chairman.

Chad Newton is our group vice-chairman, having previously served as chairman for several years.

Andy Panayides is our group treasurer.

Fiona Wood is our group secretary.

Shona Rollo is a charity trustee and parent representative for the Beavers section.

Emma Harris is a charity trustee and parent representative for the Cubs section.

Susie Evans is a charity trustee and parent representative for the Scouts and Explorers sections.

Also on the executive committee are Rob Cannell (our GSL) and Carole Needham (our AGSL).

Other Adult Volunteers

The group is extremely grateful to have several parents and other adult volunteers who kindly offer their time to help with administrative tasks such as maintaining our waiting list, badge record keeping, activity planning and camp organisation, looking after our equipment and vehicles.  Other parents help by managing communication between parents, keeping everyone informed and arranging car sharing etc. through WhatsApp groups, or by compiling news reports for our website.

We’re always looking for more help, so if you want to help the group maximise its hugely positive impact on its young members, let us know.