Leadership Through Adventure Fund

$1 Million Donation to Scouts Australia

We are extremely pleased to announce that the Dick and Pip Smith Foundation have donated $1 Million to establish the Leadership Through Adventure Fund for Scouts Australia. This new fund will be established to support young people in the development of leadership skills, and responsible risk-taking adventures.

Dick Smith with Scouts in Front of Helicopter at Leadership Through Adventure Fund Launch

With an extensive history in Scouting, Dick Smith understands more than many the difference that Scouting can make to the lives of young people and the tremendous positive influence it can be on the adults they become. While preparing his new autobiography, My Adventurous Life, Dick had time to reflect on his time in Scouting and, in consultation with his wife Pip, wanted to do something special to assist Scouts to realise their dreams.

The Fund will achieve its stated goals by encouraging youth members (as individuals and in Patrols) to discover adventure, create the pathway, explore the unknown, look wide, and seek new challenges beyond the horizon. By setting and achieving significant goals, youth members will develop higher levels of self-confidence, resilience, and leadership capabilities which they otherwise would not have attained without the existence of The Dick & Pip Smith Leadership Through Adventure Fund.

The Fund will provide grants to individuals and small groups (Patrols) of youth members to undertake activity skills and leadership training, adventurous journeys, expeditions, and community development projects in Australia and overseas. The donation provided will be disbursed over the next 5 to 6 years by an independent Management Committee, with new submissions funded each year.

While the specific processes are still being defined and documented for release early in 2022, the Fund will have the following objectives:

to enable the highest level of leadership development and responsible risk-taking skills at the local Scout Group level, and
to attract the highest possible number of participants at the local Scout Group level in all 8 Branches, including regional, rural, and remote communities.

The cheque was accepted on behalf of Scouts Australia by Linda Mitchell, a former Rover Scout and previous recipient of the Tony Balthasar Achievement Award. This Award allowed Linda to lead a 400km hiking trek through the Scottish Highlands so she has a strong appreciation of the difference that this donation will make to lives of many Scouts in coming years.

Please join us in extending our heartfelt thanks and a huge Scouting BRAVO to Dick and Pip Smith for this tremendous donation and stay tuned for further details to follow on this exciting new opportunity.