WORLD renowned adventurer Bear Grylls has praised a scout after she set up the country's first secondary school Scout Group in Highbridge.

Nearly 100 young people are now packing into the 1st King Alfred School at The King Alfred School, an Academy each week to learn life skills and confidence.

The group is run by the school's English teacher, Lizzie Harvey, who gained the Queen’s Scout Award as a young person, and nine volunteers and is being being run as part of the school day.

Speaking about the group, Bear Grylls, said: “This is absolutely brilliant news.

"The Scouts is quite simply one of the best organisations on the planet to inspire girls and boys from all communities to help them develop the skills they need for an active and inspiring life.”

The new scout group was launched at a ceremony with the Somerset High Sheriff the Scout Group earlier this year and the group's first project is to renovate the school's Forest School area.

Lizzie Harvey, who spearheaded the project said: “The Scouts have taught me so many valuable life skills and offered me fantastic life changing opportunities; I am so excited and thrilled to see we launch this Scout Group in a state school during the school day. Incredibly, nearly 100 students are already part of it.

“Now hundreds more children will get the chance to learn the amazing life skills that generations have benefitted from. Scouts already meet in school venues but this is the first offering Scouting as an official part of an extra-curricular package or even part of the curriculum in a Secondary provision.”

Scouting started in the United Kingdom in 1907. It is now a worldwide Movement found in over 216 countries and territories across the world with a worldwide Membership of over 50 million young people and adult volunteers.

In the UK the Association has continued to grow over the last 10 years with a national membership of 636,000 with nearly 60,000 girls and boys waiting to join.

Nathan Jenkins, principal of The King Alfred School, praised Ms Harvey for her work in setting up the group and said he thinks it will be of benefit to students.

He said: “This new Scouting part of our school will be the latest part of us wanting to provide all the skills, confidence and attributes required for a student to be thoroughly prepared for a lifetime of success.”