We are delighted to announce that Tim Kidd and Mark Tarry have been appointed to lead Scouting in England with their appointments as Chief Commissioner of England and Deputy Chief Commissioner of England with effect from 1 March 2010.

Announcing the appointments, Wayne Bulpitt, UK Chief Commissioner said ‘I am delighted that we have been able to bring together two very complementary skill sets in Tim and Mark to ensure that Scouting in England is properly supported with a good benefit of management and leadership skills that it has proved difficult to find in one person. By thinking differently and being more flexible we have achieved a great balance’

Tim’s primary responsibility will be to undertake speaking engagements and to represent Scouting internally and externally, whilst Mark will directly manage the team of Regional Commissioner in England. Both will support the strategic management and development of the Movement as equal members of the UK Chief Commissioner’s team of lead volunteers.

More about Tim

Tim lives in Oxfordshire and has been in Scouting since becoming a Cub Scout at the age of eight. He started his adult service in the Scout section (as a Scout Leader then Assistant District Commissioner and then Assistant County Commissioner). Subsequently Tim has been a District Commissioner and County Commissioner before taking the appointment of UK Commissioner for Adult Support in 2006. 

Tim remains involved locally as a member of the local campsite service team, a member of the County training team and also a Training Adviser.

More about Mark

Also a Member since the age of 8, Mark has been Regional Commissioner of North East England since February 2007.  Prior to this, he spent six years as Head of the Centenary Celebrations on Brownsea Island as part of the 2007 festivities. 

An active member of each section, Mark started his adult service as an Assistant Scout Leader at the age of 18. At 21 years of age, he was quickly made a leader of the 10th Romsey Venture Scout Unit and took on the role of CESC in Hampshire and a DESC role in the Chandlers Ford District until 2003 when work took Mark to North Yorkshire.

Professionally, Mark has held a number of positions in the Railway industry and is currently one of Network Rail’s General Managers responsible for running the front line operations within the Midlands Area.  

Mark and his partner Alison have four children, aged 4-11.  They are active members of the local Scout Group in Pickering.