Grantham Scout’s kindness in memory of sister Evelyn Gibson earns national recognition from Chief Scout Dwayne Fields

A young scout has been nationally recognised for his selfless acts of kindness in memory of his late sister.

William Swift, from Grantham, received the Unsung Heroes Award from Chief Scout Dwayne Fields during a ceremony at Gilwell Park, the spiritual home of the Scouts.

The Unsung Heroes Award honours exceptional bravery, compassion and leadership among young people in the scouting community.

William was recognised for helping create Evelyn’s Butterfly Effect, inspired by his sister Evelyn, who died in April 2022.

He was one of 20 chosen from over 100 UK nominations, where scouts total 475,000.

The initiative promotes kindness through activities like hiding positivity stones, baking for neighbours and giving out flowers on ‘Flower Friday’.

These were all things Evelyn used to do, and William has helped carry on her legacy by spreading joy and raising awareness of mental health.

William said: “I feel really happy and proud to win this award — doing kind things to make people smile, just like my sister Evelyn did.

“I hope it helps other people feel happy too, because you never know who might need it.”

Chief Scout Dwayne Fields praised William and the other winners for their courage and compassion, describing their stories as “truly outstanding”.

He added: “Being part of the Scouts provides young people with skills they take with them through life, and the stories of these young people represent the highest form of Scouting values.”

Evelyn’s Butterfly Effect was set up by Jenni Swift and her husband Jack after Evelyn lost her battle with mental illness in 2022 aged 15.

It encourages people to carry out random acts of spreading kindness in her memory.

Posting to the Evelyn’s Butterfly Effect Facebook page, the duo said they were “beyond proud” of their son.

They described the honour as a recognition of his “compassion, dedication, and the countless ways he uplifts others”, and said William’s actions continue to “spread ripples of kindness into the community and keep his sister’s memory shining bright.”

“We were truly blown away by the other award recipients too — young people who have saved lives, raised thousands for charity, and made powerful impacts in their communities.

“So much inspiration in one room!

“We are beyond proud of William and we know Evelyn would be too.

“What a legend.”

Between them, the 20 Unsung Heroes have helped save eight lives, raised more than £56,000 for personal causes, and given up countless hours to help others in need.

They range in age from five to 20 and were chosen by a panel of Scout ambassadors for demonstrating the core values of the Scouts through their actions.

The ceremony on May 9 marked the first presentation of the award.

Guests gathered to celebrate the achievements of young people who have made a profound difference to their communities.