SCOUT LEADER
Who is Chief Scout Dwayne Fields? Meet the adventurer and TV host taking over from Bear Grylls
Plus what he does as Chief Scout
DWAYNE Fields has been named as the new Chief Scout after taking over from Bear Grylls.
He will be in the role for the next at least the next five years. Here's everything we know about Dwayne.
1
Who is Dwayne Fields?
Dwayne Fields is a British polar explorer, television presenter, and speaker.
After being born in Jamaica, Dwayne came to the UK at the age of six and grew up in London.
He joined the scouts as a child and his love for the outdoors grew from there.
Fields survived a stabbing and attempted shooting while growing up in London, and credited the Scouts with teaching him the skills to avoid falling "on the wrong side of the tracks".
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He told BBC Today: "I walked through the doors of a Scout hut in north London when I was seven years old - scared, new to the country, anxious, really shy, and it gave me a place to belong.
"Scouting gave me someone to believe in me and allowed me to believe in myself."
He was the first black British person to reach the Magnetic North Pole.
What TV shows has Dwayne Fields been on?
Dwayne has appeared on several TV programmes as a result of his successful career.
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He has appeared on channels such as the BBC, Channel 5, Disney+ and National Geographic.
He recreated the Antarctica journeys of Captain Robert Falcon Scott, Sir Ernest Shackleton, and Roald Amundsen with Ben Fogle.
Dwayne's series Endurance: Race to the Pole was nominated for a Bafta which he said was an "absolute honour".
He has also been on The One Show.
What does Dwayne Fields do as Chief Scout?
Dwayne took over the Chief Scout position from Bear Grylls, who has served in the role since 2009.
Chief Scouts are appointed for a five year period but can continue for longer.
Dwayne is the 11th person to hold the title.
The Chief Scout of the UK Scouts is the head of the organisation's youth programs and is the public face of Scouting.
He will have a number of roles in his new job, including:
- Being the public face of Scouting and taking responsibility for ensuring that Scouting reaches as many people as possible.
- The Chief Scout is the head of the Scout Association's youth programs.
- Being the ceremonial figurehead.
- The Chief Scout provides leadership to the Scouts.
Kate Middleton congratulated Dwayne and said she is "looking forward" to working with him.
Writing from The Prince and Princess of Wales' shared social media accounts, Kate wrote: "Delighted to welcome @DwayneFields as the new UK Chief Scout.
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"The Scouts is such an incredible organisation, teaching #SkillsForLife and making a huge difference to young people across the country.
"Looking forward to working with you!"
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