One former scout has recently won a personal injury compensation award of £7,000 on the wake of a shoulder injury he sustained at camp.
West Midlands native Mark Barnes of Castle Bromwich suffered the accident claim whilst playing a Scout Association Handbook game entitled ‘Grab.’ Traditionally the game involves several scouts scrambling to grab a wooden block before they have all been grabbed by other players. As there is always one more scout than there are wooden blocks, every round of the game involves a scout being too slow and becoming ‘out.’
Mr Barnes, now 22 years of age and employed as a transport coordinator, suffered his personal injury claim whilst participating in a variation of the game that involved playing in the dark. Birmingham County Court judges found the risk of playing such a game at without proper lighting as an unacceptable one.
The then 13-year-old Mr Barnes was attempting to grab one of the blocks when he crashed into a bench. He suffered permanent shoulder damage in the incident. The courts ordered Mr Barnes to be paid a total of £7,2322 by the Scout Association. Additionally the Scout Association will by paying the £18,000 in court costs for Mr Barnes as well.
One spokesman for the Scout Association released a statement following the court ruling. The Scout Association announced that they had respect for the decision of the court They also stated they would be closely considering the ruling in detail, as the safety of scouts is one of the top priorities for the organisation.
At the time of the accident Mr Barnes had been a member of the Castle Bromwich 237th Scout Group. Mr Barnes is a keen sportsman and avid rugby player.