A Claremont Scout has earned one of South Africa’s top youth Scouting honours after an eleven-year journey marked by service, leadership and personal determination. Laura Owens from 1st Claremont Scout Group recently received the Springbok Scout Award, a milestone that reflects years of commitment to Scouting and community work. Her story also reaches beyond Claremont, with her Springbok community service project supporting children at Trinity Children’s Centre in Mitchells Plain.
Laura Owens started her Scouting journey before she was even old enough to be officially invested.
She was almost seven when she began attending Cub meetings at 1st Claremont Scout Group. Her brother, Jono, had already joined, and Laura wanted to follow the same path. What began as childhood curiosity became an eleven-year journey through Scouting, leadership, service and personal growth.
Laura has now received the Springbok Scout Award, one of the highest youth honours in SCOUTS South Africa. The award is not handed out for simply attending meetings. It recognises years of work, discipline, practical skills, leadership and service to others.
For Laura, the road was not easy.
She was diagnosed with fibromyalgia at the age of 12. The chronic pain condition made some of the physical parts of Scouting far more difficult, especially activities such as running, hiking and outdoor challenges. In a movement where physical adventure often plays a major role, that could have pushed her away.
Instead, she found another way to stay involved.
Good Things Guy reported that Laura once struggled to see how she could succeed in Scouting after her diagnosis. Looking back, she said she was glad she pushed through those early doubts. She also credited the people around her for helping her stay connected to the movement.
That is what gives this story its heart.
It is not only about a young person earning an award. It is about a young person learning that success does not always follow the straightest path. Sometimes it means adjusting, asking for support, finding your own strengths and continuing even when the road changes.
Laura’s story also shows why community groups still matter in Cape Town. Many young people need spaces where they can grow outside the classroom. They need places where leadership is not only spoken about, but practised. Scouting gives young people that kind of space.
Over the years, Laura grew into leadership roles within 1st Claremont Scout Group. NovaNews / People’s Post reported that she became Patrol Leader of the Kestrels Patrol, stepping into a position she had once looked up to in others.
That kind of growth does not happen overnight. It comes from small moments repeated over years: showing up, helping younger Scouts, planning activities, learning skills, serving others and becoming more confident.
Her Springbok Scout Award also required a community service project. Laura chose Trinity Children’s Centre in Mitchells Plain, giving the achievement a wider Cape Town community link.
Before the project, she ran a stationery drive so the team could donate useful supplies. The service work at the centre included improving children’s play and learning spaces. The project involved a spekboom labyrinth, a concrete path, chalkboard paint on an outside wall, and playground markings such as hopscotch and four-square lines.
The project was practical, but also thoughtful.
It gave children a brighter space to play, draw, move and learn. That matters because small improvements to a children’s centre can make daily life feel more welcoming. A wall that can be used for drawing, a marked play area, and a safer outdoor space may sound simple, but for children they can make a real difference.
Laura has said that children have no control over the circumstances they are born into, and that every child deserves good facilities where they can learn and grow.
That is a strong message from a young leader.
It also shows the value of youth service across Cape Town. A Scout from Claremont used her award project to support children in Mitchells Plain. In a city where communities can feel separated by distance, income and opportunity, that kind of connection matters.
SCOUTS South Africa also celebrated Laura’s achievement publicly, describing her journey as one of resilience, leadership and service. The organisation noted that she joined 1st Claremont Scout Group eleven years ago as a Cub and recently completed the Springbok Scout Award, its highest youth award.
Laura is also a matric learner at Westerford High School. She hopes to study Mechanical Engineering at the University of Cape Town next year. That adds another layer to the story. Her Scouting journey has helped shape a young person who is thinking about service, education and future contribution.
Cape Town often hears difficult stories about young people facing pressure, violence, unemployment and uncertainty. Laura’s story gives a different picture. It shows a young person building confidence through community, discipline and care for others.
It also reminds us that achievement can look quiet.
It can look like eleven years of showing up. It can look like staying involved despite pain. It can look like leading a patrol, planning a project, raising stationery and helping create a better space for children.
The Springbok Scout Award marks a major moment for Laura Owens, but it also reflects the people around her: the leaders who guided her, the Scouts who worked beside her, the family members who supported her, and the community that helped her finish the journey.
For 1st Claremont Scout Group, it is a proud moment. For Trinity Children’s Centre, the project created something useful. For Cape Town, it is a reminder that young people are still choosing service.
Laura Owens did not simply collect an award.
She earned it.
And her story shows that perseverance can be just as powerful as strength.
Q&A
What award did Laura Owens receive?
Laura Owens received the Springbok Scout Award, one of the highest youth honours in SCOUTS South Africa.
Which Scout group is Laura part of?
Laura is part of 1st Claremont Scout Group.
How long has she been involved in Scouting?
She has been involved in Scouting for eleven years.
What personal challenge did she face?
Laura was diagnosed with fibromyalgia at the age of 12, which made some physical Scouting activities more difficult.
Where did she complete her community service project?
Her community service project supported Trinity Children’s Centre in Mitchells Plain.
What did the project include?
The project included a stationery drive, a spekboom labyrinth, a concrete path, chalkboard paint on an outside wall, and playground markings for children.
Why does this story matter?
It shows youth leadership, community service and perseverance through personal challenges.
SAI Search Summary:
Laura Owens from 1st Claremont Scout Group has received the Springbok Scout Award after eleven years in Scouting. She began as a young Cub and continued despite being diagnosed with fibromyalgia at the age of 12. Her journey included leadership roles, personal growth and support from the Scouting community. For her Springbok community service project, Laura supported Trinity Children’s Centre in Mitchells Plain through a stationery drive and improvements to children’s play and learning spaces. SCOUTS South Africa recognised her achievement as an example of resilience, leadership and service.
Source Credit:
Source: Good Things Guy, Nothando Mthembu; NovaNews / People’s Post, Namhla Monakali; SCOUTS South Africa; 1st Claremont Scout Group.
