Hi everybody

I can’t believe how quickly the last couple of weeks have flown by and that we find ourselves now approaching the end of July and with it the end of my term as County Commissioner for Birmingham.

I’ve reflected over recent weeks on some of the changes we’ve seen while I’ve been in role, some of the common threads being around how we’ve seen Scouting develop in new communities within the city, how we’re now much better supported by technology than we were 10 years ago, the fantastic events that we’ve seen organised across the County, the introduction of Squirrels, and the increased clarity we have around governance and our responsibilities as trustees…not forgetting the small challenges we’ve also had to contend with including the recent pandemic!

What shines through in all of this is the professionalism, commitment and dedication of our volunteers across the whole County, without whom we wouldn’t have been able to achieve any of the successes we’ve seen and I want to take the opportunity to thank all of you for your support, your encouragement and your kindness while I’ve been County Commissioner.

I’d like to also thank everybody who has supported me within our County team during my term, I’ve been blessed by a great team who have worked together to help open new sections and groups, to deliver phenomenal programmes and high quality training, to steer our trustees through the labyrinth of governance requirements and so much more – it would be impossible to list everybody here but my sincere thanks go to all of you.

As I pass the baton now to Steve Thomas, I know that the County is in the best of hands for the future. I’ve had the pleasure of working closely with Steve in a number of roles throughout my time as County Commissioner and am delighted that he’s been appointed to succeed me. Steve’s enthusiasm for Scouting, his passion for opening up adventurous opportunities to both adults and young people, and his vision are infectious, and I look forward to the future with optimism and confidence that Steve and his team will take Birmingham from strength to strength.

I do hope to stay close to the County and look forward to seeing you all at events and activities in the future.

Best wishes

Andrew