4th April 2002
Venture Scouts and Queen's Scouts are coming together in London today (Thursday 4 April) ready to start official duties in the Palace of Westminster on Friday in connection with the Lying in State of Her Majesty The Queen Mother. The 60 young men and women will be assisting members of the public waiting to sign the Books of Condolence and receiving flowers at Victoria Tower Gardens. Working in three shifts, they will be on duty for four days until the eve of the Funeral Service.
Venture Scouts and Queen's Scouts are aged between 15 and 25 years old. Queen's Scouts are those young men and women who have demonstrated the highest standards of self-discipline and personal achievement in community service, activities and interest. They are frequently called upon to support State events but this is the largest commitment placed on them for many years.
The Scouts have been drawn from all round the Greater London area as well as the counties of Essex, Buckinghamshire, Kent, Surrey, Hertfordshire and East and West Sussex.
During the period of duty, they will be accommodated at three Scout Centres in the London area and will be supported by a team of people looking after everything, from meals and accommodation to laundry and welfare needs. A spokesman for The Scout Association commented, " The Scouts on duty are representing the Scout Movement in the United Kingdom and we are proud to have been asked to make a small contribution to this sad event. Many of the young people taking part will find it quite stressful but we know that they will rise to the challenge just as Members of the Movement have done many times before."
The Scout Association is the only youth organisation asked to play a formal role in the proceedings having been first approached in 1998 and invited to become part team drawing up plans for this important state event.
The Scout Association Member's Website (http://www.scoutbase.org.uk/) has created special pages to mark the passing of HM The Queen Mother, including an on-line Book of Condolence which is already receiving messages from some of the 28 million Scouts across the world.
For further information contact: Public Relations Department (public.relations@scout.org.uk) or look at: http://www.scoutbase.org.uk/hrh/
