The launch of the Staged IT Activity Badges took place on a sunny 17th September on the terrace and Dining Room A of the House of Commons. In the presence of His Royal Highness the Duke of Kent, the launch was to celebrate the sponsorship of the badges by the British Computer Society (BCS).
The three-year deal includes BCS creating resources to help members achieve each stage of the badge. At the launch, stages 1 and 2 were showcased and were met with much enthusiasm by the six Scouts from 2nd Swindon (Penhill) who were lucky enough to attend the event. Jamie Ballard, one of the Scouts said: "These resources look great. I am looking forward to being able to use them to help me get stages 2-5 of the badge as I have really enjoyed achieving Stage 1."
The launch was attended by around 30 MPs from all Party's who mingled with the Chief Scout: George Purdy, the President of BCS: John Ivinson and other BCS and TSA staff over tea and coffee and lovely cakes! This was followed by several speeches including the host MP of the event, Richard Allen; the Duke of Kent; Chief Executive of BCS; David Clarke and George Purdy. To round off the event, and mark the beginning of a successful partnership with BCS, a large cake in the design of the IT badge was shared amongst all the attendees.
Natalie Spencer, Head of Fundraising and Sponsorship at The Scout Association said: "The launch was a tremendous success and the resources so far have received the thumbs up from both our young members and Leaders. Both BCS and TSA are looking forward to a large percentage of the membership completing their IT badges and gaining the skills needed to keep apace with the technological advancements of the 21st century."
