SES Scout Badge a Winner

SARAH HAMILTON AND SCOUTS WA HAVE BEEN AWARDED THE PRESTIGIOUS NATIONAL RESILIENT AUSTRALIA AWARD 2019 FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE STATE EMERGENCY SERVICES SCOUT BADGE. THE SES BADGE INITIATIVE WAS DEVELOPED BY SARAH, WHO IS ASSISTANT SCOUT LEADER AT HAMPTON PARK SCOUT GROUP AND AN SES VOLUNTEER AT THE BELMONT SES UNIT.

Sarah was also recognised in 2019 by the National SES Volunteers association (NSESVA) as the WA SES Young Emerging Leader and she was sponsored to attend the National Memorial Service in Canberra and participate in associated meetings and activities.

The Australian Institute for Disaster Resilience (AIDR) ‘Resilient Australia Awards’ recognise initiatives that build whole community resilience to disasters and emergencies around Australia. The awards celebrate collaboration and innovation across the EM sector.

The SES scout badge’s purpose is to introduce scouting youth members to the SES and raise awareness of the SES and their role in the community. It is hoped that knowledge and understanding of the SES will encourage scouts to be involved later in an emergency service.

The Scouts Australia website explains the rationale behind the SES badge:

Learning to be prepared for storms can make a huge difference in not only the ability to cope but also in the number ofpeople needing assistance. Understanding what to do if you get lost in the bush could be the difference in the level of danger, injury and time it takes to find you. Gaining basic skills and reinforcing them can bring an elevation in readiness, ability and knowledge when working in and with the community and emergency services, increasing success in the management and response to emergencies.

For details of the SES badge requirements at all scout levels, see: https://scouts.com.au/blog/2019/11/22/ scout-ses-badge/

vicsesva.org.au Sarah Hamilton with the AIDR award.