Explorer Dwayne Fields named as chief scout

Born in Jamaica, Mr Fields came to the UK aged six and grew up in inner-city London.

He first attended a scouts meeting in Palmers Green, north London, when he was seven, and has said: “I never thought I belonged anywhere until the moment I walked into that hut.”

In 2010, he made his expedition to the North Pole, and has since presented programmes for Channel 5, Disney+ and National Geographic.

“To be given this role as chief scout, to me it’s pride of place, really,” he said.

“There are a lot of groups and communities who still think that maybe scouting isn’t for them and I’m hoping that they’ll look at me and say, ‘Well, actually, I have something in common with that guy – he grew up where I grew up, he looks like me. If scouting is for him, it’s for me as well.'”

Writing for the BBC in 2012, Mr Fields said wanted to encourage inner-city teenagers to venture into the countryside as a way of “opening their worlds” and “unlocking their potential”.

“The countryside opens you up to a different way of living,” he said.

“You’re away from trouble, away from your peers and the pressures of others. Living out in the wilderness you cannot survive on your own, you have to work as a team.

“It’s these kind of skills – and others – that would have such a profound impact on teenagers’ outlook on life.”