As a volunteer and leader for over 30 years, I can honestly say having introduced the scheme to my department in Hackney the structure, challenges and excitement generated was immense.

Using the local park and graveyard for navigation soon progressed to joining the Caribbean Award scheme, with us being the only British contingent in Guyana in 1999 which was of course incredibly challenging, a real privilege and changed the lives of the participants beyond recognition - one parent commented that her daughter, " left as a teenager and returned as a young woman."

This was of course before the days of mobiles !Being supported by the Guyanese army through the rain forest to climb Kaiteur falls was truly amazing.