North East Wales Scouts praised for bravery
Three Scouts volunteers from North East Wales have received national awards for their courage and quick-thinking in two separate incidents where they helped save lives.
Andrew Blundell and Dan Reynolds, both from Mynydd Isa, and Kevin Field from Rhyl, were among 20 recipients of the Scouts’ highest national honours for meritorious conduct and gallantry, announced in April.
The awards come as Scouts UK introduce new rules requiring all adult volunteers working with young people to complete approved first response and safety training.
Andrew and Dan were travelling in their Scout minibus when they came across a serious road traffic collision.
They quickly took control of the scene, providing first aid to the injured and liaising with emergency services until paramedics arrived.
Kevin’s incident unfolded aboard a train in April last year.
While travelling with his family, he intervened to break up a fight between passengers, only to find one of them had collapsed.
Kevin performed CPR until professional help arrived – a response that may have prevented a tragedy.
[Kevin Field running a course recently – main photo, Andy and Dan]
Rhian Moore, Chief Volunteer for ScoutsCymru, praised the men for their actions:
“I am immensely proud of Dan, Andy and Kevin who have been recognised with Scout gallantry awards for their extraordinary courage and selflessness.
“Their actions exemplify the very essence of Scouting – being prepared, stepping up in moments of crisis, and living our promise to help other people.”
She added that the life-saving skills developed through Scouts are more than badges on a uniform – “they are tools that empower us to make a real difference.”
As well as the gallantry awards, 15 volunteers received honours for outstanding service to the movement. Among them, Malcolm Seller, aged 94, and Gerry Lister, both from Wrexham, were awarded the Silver Wolf – the highest adult award in Scouting – for decades of dedication.
Kevin Field, who has since taken on a leadership role in expanding first aid training across Clwyd Scouts, said the experience had motivated him to push for wider access:
“The incident on the train catalysed my desire to ensure that every member of Clwyd Scouts has access to free, high quality first response training,” he said.
“So far in 2025, we’ve trained nearly 100 volunteers and 25 young people, and we’re building a first response team to keep the training going.”
Anyone interested in joining the Scouts and gaining life-changing skills can find out more at scouts.org.uk.
