Keeping the Spirit of Adventure Alive

Tonight marked a very special occasion at King Alfred District Scout HQ, where we gathered to celebrate the achievements of this year’s challengers in the Stuart Rae Challenge. It was a wonderful evening of warmth and community, complete with excellent tea and cake, and it was particularly good to see Iain Cameron, the Mayor of Wantage, looking so well after his recent hip operation — clearly back on fine form and full of good humour.

My warmest congratulations go to Leo, Lewis, Jodie, Elizabeth, Zosia and Cora, who, under the steady leadership of Joshua Wright, have spent the past year training for and completing a self-supported expedition in the Elan Valley of Wales. Their achievement represents months of preparation, skill and determination. They faced poor weather, navigated their own route, and supported one another through the highs and lows of an experience that demanded true teamwork. These are not just Scouting skills; they are life skills — the kind that stay with you long after the tents are packed away.

The Stuart Rae Challenge commemorates the life and spirit of Captain Stuart Rae, a former King Alfred Scout who embodied courage, curiosity and a boundless love of adventure. After his time in Scouting, Stuart joined the Royal Marines, serving on expeditions across jungles, deserts and mountain ranges around the world. In 1971, at the age of just twenty-four, he was killed in action while serving in the Arabian Desert. The challenge that bears his name was created soon after his death, to honour that same sense of adventure and purpose, and to give young people the opportunity to discover it for themselves.

For more than fifty years, the Stuart Rae Challenge has stood as a proud tradition within the King Alfred District, offering young people the chance to test their endurance, leadership and perseverance while learning to rely on one another. Each year, new names are added to a Roll of Honour — a living record of those who have risen to the challenge and carried Stuart’s spirit forward.

In a world where young people are often judged by exams or digital performance, experiences like this are invaluable. They offer the chance to learn by doing, to lead and to follow, to problem-solve when things go wrong, and to persevere when conditions are difficult. Out on the hills, with rain on their faces and mud on their boots, these young people have found confidence not through comfort, but through courage.

Tonight’s celebration reminded us all that Scouting continues to give young people something the world needs more of — resilience, kindness, and the confidence to serve others. My heartfelt congratulations once again to Leo, Lewis, Jodie, Elizabeth, Zosia and Cora, to Joshua Wright, and to everyone who supports this remarkable tradition. You have done yourselves, your leaders and your community proud, and you have kept alive the adventurous spirit that Captain Stuart Rae embodied so completely.