A RESILIENT scout from Leamington has received an unsung hero award.
Drew was one of 20 scouts from across the country to receive the accolade at chief scout Bear Gryll’s third unsung heroes awards ceremony.
The event is held at The Bear Grylls Adventure Centre in Birmingham and recognises young people aged four to 25 who have gone above and beyond – whether that be their efforts in raising cash for charity, saving lives, or being a pillar for those around them in adversity.
The winners are all UK scouts who’ve shown scout values, courage, kindness and the ‘never give up’ spirit which is a term coined by the chief scout himself. Once Bear personally presented them their award, each young person then received £500 to spend how they would like.
Twenty-year-old Drew was first diagnosed with cancer at the age of eight. He had to have many operations during the early part of his life.
At the age of 18 he was diagnosed again with a different kind, and after another series of operations he recovered only to have a recurrence with it again in 2022.
He has since completed treatment but is being checked up on by doctors regularly. Drew has kept up with his training and leadership roles through all this, and has since joined teams leading international trips and the Warwickshire team as Youth Lead.
Drew said: “Scouting and my family have taught me to be resilient in all aspects of life. Life can sometimes get overwhelming but having a strong network around you can keep you grounded. Getting this award today was a great feeling.”
Bear added: “I can’t believe this is now our third annual awards ceremony. Each year I am blown away by the sheer courage, strength and of course the ‘never give up attitude’ each young person showcases. You are what makes scouting, you are real-life representations of what Scouting is and you are our true hero’s.”
