New head at the helm of leading youth organisation
Graeme Luke has been appointed as Scouts Scotland new chief executive.
Luke has worked at Scouts Scotland for over 20 years, most recently as deputy chief executive, a role which he had held since 2015.
He said: “I am beyond thrilled to be appointed as Scouts Scotland chief executive. I owe so much of who I am and where I am to Scouts, and I am so incredibly passionate about what we do and the difference we make in communities across the length and breadth of Scotland.
“The pandemic has been so hard on all of us, but most of all our young people. My focus will be working with our staff and volunteer teams on recovery and re-growth, and making sure that our amazing volunteers have what they need to support our members.
“I am committed to rebuilding our Scout Adventure Centres and providing exciting opportunities for access to quality outdoor learning for all young people.
“Thanks to Scouts I have developed skills and achieved in ways I never could have imagined. I am committed to making sure that as many young people as possible can access the amazing opportunities that I’ve had through Scouts.”
Luke joined the charity as a Cub Scout when he was eight-years-old, became a young leader at 16, and an adult leader when he turned 18.
He has held volunteer roles at every level of scouting in Scotland.
Gordon Robertson, chair of Scouts Scotland said: “ We ran an incredibly robust recruitment process and were so impressed with the candidates that we interviewed. Graeme’s experience, skills, values and vision shone throughout the process, and I know that he will be an absolutely fantastic leader for Scouts Scotland.”
Andrew Sharkey, chief commissioner of Scotland added: “Graeme has been a fantastic leader within Scouts Scotland for many years; I know that he will be a dedicated and passionate Chief Executive Officer. I am really looking forward to working with him as we continue to recover from the pandemic, support our volunteers and our young people, and take Scouts Scotland from strength to strength.”
Previous chief executive Katie Docherty, who had been in post since 2016, left the organisation last month to become chief executive of the Chartered Institute of Fundraising.
Luke takes up the role with immediate effect.
