Annual Report 2008

The safest investment ....

When Volvo asked the World Scout Foundation to come on board as its civil - society partner for this year’s round the world Volvo Ocean Race, the first thing they had in mind was the possibilities it opened up for Scouting to use this race as a fundraising platform. This has worked, and worked well. However, the partnership has had a much more important impact.
 
Two themes about which His Majesty is passionate are leadership development and environmental action. The Foundation and Swedish Scouting have helped Scout associations along the race route to inspire thousands of young Scouts into action! Scouting is one of the world’s original environmental action movements, and its track record in leadership development is widely recognised. 
 
Skipper Ian Walker of the Irish/Chinese team, the Green Dragon, says: “In my time as a Scout in Kent, England, I came to understand our dependence on the fragile environment. When I was camping and sailing with the Scouts it was clear we lived in nature, and depended on it for our very lives.”