Area Team - Adult Learning

Irina pioneered BSO’s Online Training Team in the midst of the start of the pandemic in March 2020 alongside her husband, Jos, and fellow Scouters Nilesh and Bob. She looks after the content and delivery of BSO’s interactive online training of the Getting Started and Section Leader modules, Module 10A First Aid and the Support Topics.

Irina is currently also AESL with Sonian Explorers, ASL in 1st Brussels and Training Adviser. She is wood-badged in all 4 sections as a leader and in her other roles and has also previously started a Cub Pack with her husband in Central Brussels.

Professionally, Irina is a Legal Adviser in Data Protection, having also contributed to the information round of the draft legislation which finally led to GDPR. Together, she and Jos have 3 children – the youngest looking forward to becoming a Squirrel!

Besides being Section Leader in Scouts and Explorers, and previously in Beavers and Cubs, as well as volunteering in almost all sections in 3 groups in Belgium, Jos is now also a BSO Trainer and Local Training Manager.

“As a Leader seeing young people grow from Beavers to Cubs to Scouts to Explorers to Young Leaders to Leaders, to be part of that helping others, is simply amazing. The Young People still surprise me every day, every meeting, …”

He is married to Irina Krishnan who is also active in Scouting and together, they have 3 children.

Sitting around a campfire with a good drink and meeting many of you may give us enough time to chat about our scouting lives.   But in short, my scouting life started in 1974 as a cub scout, moving up to scouts then to Venture Scouts, my scouting continued quite seamlessly with my first group appointment in 1982, followed by my first warrant in 1983, and the fun and adventure has not stopped, I have held various roles in groups, districts, counties, HQs, and Jamborees. 

I have been very lucky in my scouting that through the career path I started off with included many international activities, from forming a ships scout crew, meeting scouts around the world, scouting with then Port Commissioners, Jamboree experiences and projects abroad. 

For most part of my adult roles has been with adult training and support roles giving back skills and knowledge that was given to me as a young person  

And now very thankful and humbled to be a part of 6TH EASTCOTE SCOUT GROUP, continuing my passion of supporting adults and within the international arena.

I am AGSL and LTM for Telstar International Scout Group in Luxembourg.

My first appointment was with 7th Hanwell in Ealing and Hanwell District in 1974 as an ACSL. After a short break whilst living in Munich, I have been a Leader at Telstar International Scout Group in Luxembourg since 1984.

I have had a role in every Section at some point in my Scouting career, including GSL,but now mainly concentrate on training and catering Group events.

I joined scouting 12 years ago as a Beaver Leader, moving into Scouts and then Cubs when I moved to the Middle East. I helped restart the Dubai Desert Yetis Explorer Group and became Leader for the Young Leaders. Then it was GSL for 5th Dubai and finally Local Training Manager for the Middle East, my current Role.

Having now moved back to the UK I'm still active as CSL and GSL for 5th Dubai and really enjoy being LTM. The cooler weather back home means I can indulge my passion for gardening and beekeeping as well as look after my small flock of chickens.

Becca's Scouting journey started out in Singapore in 2012 when my son started in Beavers. In what became 1st Singapore, I had many amazing adventures leading the Beavers, then Cubs and eventually Scouts. I love the values that Scouting brings, how it provides a variety of opportunities to serve our community and the freedom for Young People to explore the world in which we live. Passionate to keep Scouting alive at our school, I took on the Training Advisor and Group Scout Leader roles.

Now back in the UK, I still have close links with Singapore and look forward to supporting the ‘Rest of the World’ with their Adult Learning.