Yesterday evening I had the pleasure of visiting WINGS, and I drove home feeling reminded why events like this matter so much.
For those who do not know it, WINGS is one of the UK’s largest international Scout and Guide camps. Every few years it brings together thousands of young people from across Britain and around the world for a week of camping, adventure, friendship and cultural exchange. It is jointly organised by The Scouts and Girlguiding, which is significant in itself: two distinct movements, each with their own traditions and identity, working side by side because they share a belief in what young people can become when they are trusted, challenged and given room to grow.
Mark was with me too. A Scout in his younger days, he has found his way back into the Movement over the past few years and now volunteers in his own right at Oxfordshire events. On this occasion, he was also there as husband, sounding board and official wrangler of Antonio the Bear, whose photographic career has already included royalty, diplomats and world leaders.
The three of us were treated to a tour of the site by golf buggy. Our chauffeur was Nigel, Berkshire Scouting’s Lead Volunteer. Nigel and I first met more than forty years ago when we both served on the National Venture Scout Board, so I feel just about entitled to observe that, while he combined the roles of guide, commentator and driver with great good humour, his enthusiasm occasionally got slightly ahead of the golf buggy’s suspension. It was a wonderfully relaxed way to experience the camp and gave us an appreciation of its extraordinary scale and infectious energy.
By the time we arrived, the formal programme for the day had finished and the camp had shifted into a different rhythm. Young people were back in their individual unit camps, preparing and eating their evening meals, swapping stories from the day’s adventures and getting ready to gather at the main stage for WINGS’ Got Talent. It was less about watching organised activities and more about seeing camp life as it is actually lived: busy, sociable, slightly chaotic and full of anticipation. Across the site, different flags, accents, uniforms and traditions sat comfortably alongside one another, all contributing to an atmosphere of friendship, curiosity and shared purpose.
What struck me most, however, was the quiet leadership on display everywhere.
It was lovely to see Emily, one of my High Sheriff’s Cadets last year, now taking on a leadership role as a young adult in one of the subcamps. She was being supported by Richard and Linda, two fellow Oxfordshire Scouters who had chosen to spend part of their annual leave helping young people enjoy this remarkable experience. There was something rather special about seeing those generations of service together: a young leader growing into responsibility, encouraged by volunteers whose own commitment was measured not in words, but in time freely given.
It was equally good to see James, the Regional Lead Volunteer for The Scouts and a longstanding friend, standing near the main stage in an ordinary crew T-shirt, looking about as unhierarchical as it is possible to be. There was no sense of rank or status, simply someone getting on with whatever needed doing. Steph, who in everyday life is a formidable Oxfordshire headteacher, was meanwhile volunteering with the media team as a photographer.
I was also delighted to catch up again with David, a longstanding Facebook friend, who was camping close to the stage with a small group of Scouts from his own Group and quietly giving them the opportunity to be part of this extraordinary international gathering.
Taken together, Nigel, Emily, Richard, Linda, James, Steph and David offered a powerful reminder that the best leaders are often the least concerned with looking like leaders. In Scouting and Guiding, leadership is not about position or prestige. It is about service, humility and doing whatever is needed to help young people flourish.
It is fashionable these days to be pessimistic about young people. We are told they spend too much time on screens, lack resilience and are somehow less capable than previous generations. WINGS offers a powerful antidote to that narrative. Even in the quieter part of the day, I saw young people organising themselves, cooking together, looking after one another, taking responsibility and preparing to contribute to the life of the whole camp. None of those things happens by accident. They happen because adults are prepared to trust young people with real responsibility and then stand alongside them as they grow.
It was also heartening to see Scouts and Guides together so naturally. Recent social media debates can leave the impression that the two organisations are somehow in competition with one another. The reality could not have felt more different. Here were two movements with their own distinct identities, sharing a campsite, supporting one another and giving young people opportunities they will never forget. Watching them together, it struck me how disconnected some online arguments are from life as it is actually lived.
Having spent nearly sixty years in and around Scouting, I know that much has changed since I first put on a uniform. Programmes have evolved, uniforms have changed and society itself has changed. Yet the things that matter most have remained remarkably constant: adventure, friendship, service, responsibility and belonging.
As we left, I found myself reflecting that the success of WINGS will never really be measured by the number of activities completed or badges earned. Its true legacy will be found in the confidence of a young person who discovered they could do more than they imagined, in friendships that will endure across borders and continents, and in the volunteers who quietly gave up their holidays so that someone else’s child could have an unforgettable week.
I left WINGS feeling deeply encouraged. Not simply because I had seen an exceptionally well-run event, impressive though it was, but because I had been reminded once again that, given trust, encouragement and opportunity, young people almost always exceed our expectations.
That has always been the genius of Scouting and Girlguiding. Yesterday evening, at WINGS, I was privileged to see it in action once again.
