North Hambleton District welcomes new Chair of Trustees

North Hambleton District Scouts is pleased to welcome Katriina Makinen as its new Chair of Trustees, bringing enthusiasm, experience and a fresh perspective to the role.

Katriina steps into the role with valuable experience, having previously served on the District Trustee Board. Her understanding of the District and her passion for supporting young people and volunteers mean she is well placed to lead the Board into the future.

Building on Strong Foundations

The Chair of Trustees plays a key role in making sure the District is well run and able to support volunteers to deliver great Scouting. From governance and finance to long-term planning, the Trustee Board works behind the scenes to keep everything running smoothly.

Katriina’s previous involvement provides continuity, alongside a fresh perspective, helping to build on the strong foundations already in place.

Looking Ahead

Speaking about her new role, we caught up with Katriina and she added:

I’m honoured to have been appointed as Chair of North Hambleton District Scouts, particularly at such an exciting time. The Scout Association launched a new strategy earlier this year, and as a District we’ve already begun exploring what that means for us and how we can bring it to life in a way that’s meaningful and shaped by the whole community. 

Alongside that, I’m focused on continuing building strong foundations in governance, budgeting and risk management to set us up well for the year ahead and beyond. I’m also keen to connect with others across the District and County to learn from what’s working, understand the challenges others have navigated, and bring those lessons back to benefit our own community.

And naturally, none of this can happen in isolation, I’m fortunate to have a Trustee Board who have all agreed to continue for another year and who bring great knowledge, diversity of thought and a shared commitment to the mission of Scouting and not something to take for granted

Welcoming New Trustees

The District is also delighted to welcome new members to the Trustee Board, who will strengthen the team with a range of skills and experiences.

• Alyson Baker is currently a Treasurer for 1st Northallerton, is a retired Maths teacher and County Councillor, and will bring strong financial and community experience.
• Ian Riley is currently Managing Director of Labman Automation and will bring valuable leadership and business expertise, he was also involved in Scouts as a young person.

Thanks to outgoing chair

The District would like to thank the outgoing Chair Simon Hickling for his commitment, leadership and support, Simon will continue to support the District in his new role as Honorary District President.

We caught up with Simon and he added:

It has been my pleasure to undertake the role, firstly as Chair of the District Executive Committee and, latterly, following the transition, as Chair of the Trustee Board.

We have recently welcomed the Hillside and Masham Groups into the District following the closure of Ripon District. I firmly believe that the District is in a strong position, both financially and in terms of adult volunteers and youth membership.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank the Trustee Board for their time, energy and commitment in their support of my role, I wish Katriina every success as she takes things forward. I am very confident that, with her drive and enthusiasm, the District will continue to go from strength to strength.

A shared vision

District Lead Volunteer Mark Turner welcomed Katriina to the role, highlighting the importance of working together to support volunteers and grow Scouting – we caught up with Mark, who shared:

The AGM was a great opportunity to report on all the positive progress we have made as a district in the last 12 months, bringing together representatives from all areas of our local organisation and sharing those stories, as well as recognising some individuals for their service.

It’s great that Katriina put herself forward for the Chair of Trustees role, and she’s an ideal match of skills and enthusiasm to excel in the position.

Thanks too to Simon for steering us through the last few years and guiding us to the solid foundations we have today. The future of North Hambleton District Scouts looks very positive.

Supporting new volunteers and growing opportunities

With Katriina now in post, North Hambleton District Scouts is focused on supporting volunteers and creating more opportunities for young people to get involved.

From learning new skills and enjoying the outdoors to building friendships and developing leadership skills, Scouts helps young people grow in confidence and feel part of something special.

Get Involved

Scouts is open to everyone, with opportunities to get involved in many ways, whether working with young people or supporting behind the scenes.

To start your adventure, visit our Join page today!