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Created: Thursday, 14 February 2013 13:05
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Written by Matt Blades
Kate Reid is the new Regional Development Officer (RDO) for Burnley. As she is a new face to Scouting in the area, Matt from the county media team caught up with Kate to ask her a few questions.
Matt Blades (MB): Kate, with you being a new face in the local Scouting community, would you care to give us an insight as to what you did before becoming the RDO for Burnley?
Kate Reid (KR): I am originally from the Bristol area but moved to East Lancashire nine years ago and settled in Clayton-le-Moors. However, I have been working in and around Burnley ever since predominantly with the NHS. Initially, I was managing a Healthy Living Centre called the Chai Centre in Daneshouse, and following this I moved onto a number of health improvement and health promotion projects which has allowed me to work very closely with a number of communities in the area. This has also allowed me to work very closely with volunteers and to get involved in recruiting, supporting and training volunteers to deliver activities.
MB: It sounds like you certainly have the skills needed for the job! Has Scouting had much of a background in your life as well?
KR: It definitely has. I was brought up in a Scouting family with my Mum as the Group Scout Leader at our local group. Unfortunately for me at the time, the Scouting Movement hadn’t been opened up to girls but I became a member of both Brownies and Guides to get involved with some of the Scouting activities which crossed over. However, I spent all of my school holidays on Cub and Scout camp with my Mum, Dad and 2 brothers. Once I had left guides I became a Venture Scout and had the opportunity to attend a number of Jamborees and Moots which I thoroughly enjoyed!
MB: So it seems that you got the best of both worlds whilst growing up then. With such a wide and varied set of experiences and skills, what are you looking to bring to the district with the new RDO role?
KR: Well, I have a focused project brief and associated targets to deliver which will mean that I open up new sections in Burnley and recruit new adult volunteers to run these. My project is specifically designed to develop Scouting in Burnley to try and attract individuals living in deprived areas or those with an ethnic minority background. It’s also about trying to provide creative and flexible forms of Scouting to attract more people into the movement. This should also benefit existing provision due to the promotional work I will be doing in the area based on Scouting principles in general.
MB: And finally, if there's one thing in particular you're looking forward to in the next 18 months, what is it?
KR: The challenge and being associated with fantastic volunteers who run a brilliant movement! Clearly this project is going to require commitment, motivation, enthusiasm and creativity but I do love a challenge and I hope that those who are currently involved in the District and County will get involved and embrace the successes!
We wish Kate every success in her new role and that she can achieve everything she is planning!
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