User:Theitkid

Peter Marcus is a journalist, charity trustee and Scout from Portsmouth, UK.

Family and early life
Marcus was born in Portsmouth, Hampshire, in 1997 to Danish-born mother Kirstine McDowell. McDowell got a divorce from Marcus's biological father when he was six and the pair moved into women's refuges, first in Portsmouth and then in Cheltenham, Gloucestershire.

McDowell married Paul Impey, Marcus's step-father, on HMS Warrior in Portsmouth's Historic Dockyard in May 2005.

Later that year, Marcus's younger brother Andrew Dane was born. Andrew would later go on to gain fame as the autistic boy on a mission to visit every fire station in the UK (dubbed his One Lad's Challenge).

Education
Marcus attended Shadwell Playbox Nursery as a child before starting at St Jude's Church of England School in Portsmouth. He moved primary school three times; first to Gloucester Road, Cheltenham, then to St Mary's Catholic Primary School, Bristol, and finally Medina Road Primary School, Portsmouth. He did well in his SATS (end of primary school tests), scoring above both the local and national average in all three subjects.

Marcus started at the independent Mayville High School, Southsea in remove (year 7) as the recipient of a 50% academic scholarship, and stayed there throughout secondary school. He sat 10.5 GCSEs at Mayville.

After Mayville, Marcus attended Barton Peveril Sixth Form College, a state college in Eastleigh, where he studied for two years. He then enrolled at Highbury College where he completed the NCTJ Diploma in Journalism alongside undertaking work experience at The News, Portsmouth.

Youth Voice
Marcus became involved in youth voice and youth engagement when he joined Portsmouth Youth Parliament in 2009. Within a few years he was elected as the group's secretary, a role he stayed in until the group's closure. Marcus led on several initiatives while with the group, including their proposal for a youth travel and id card (known as 3i-D), an increased level of engagement with Portsmouth City Council and the local media, and rebranding of the group to Portsmouth Youth Voice. Marcus started volunteering with the group in a management capacity upon turning 18 and continued to do so until the council closed the group in March 2017.

Scouting
Peter began Scouting in the United Kingdom as an Explorer Scout in the City of Portsmouth district. He has been a member of the Hampshire Scout Youth Council and has held a number of roles at various levels of the organisation.

Scouting as a Young Person

 * Explorer Scout; Sharks Explorer Scout Unit, City of Portsmouth
 * Young Leader (Scouts); 61st Portsmouth Scouts, City of Portsmouth

Scouting as an Adult

 * County Youth Commissioner; Hampshire Scouts (June 2019 - Present)
 * Scout Leader; 48th Portsmouth Scouts, City of Portsmouth (November 2016 - August 2019)
 * Assistant Scout Leader; 61st Portsmouth Scouts, City of Portsmouth (July 2015 - November 2016)
 * Trustee; Hampshire County Scout Council (July 2015 - Present)
 * Trustee; City of Portsmouth Scout Council (June 2016 - Present)
 * Scout Leader; 48th Portsmouth Scouts, City of Portsmouth (November 2016 - Present)
 * Group Occasional Helper, 3rd Portchester Sea Scouts, Fareham East (April 2018 - April 2019)
 * Participant; The Future Leaders Programme, The Scout Association (January 2017 - December 2017)

Civic Award
Marcus was awarded the City of Portsmouth Civic Award in 2016 for services to young people. The award was presented by then Lord Mayor of Portsmouth Cllr. David Fuller on behalf of the city.

The award citation specifically mentioned The Scout Association, Portsmouth Youth Voice, and Beat.

Charity
Marcus has always been a keen supporter of charities. He has fundraised and volunteered for a number of charities, as well as being a charity trustee.

Trusteeships

 * Hampshire County Scout Council (July 2015 - Present)
 * City of Portsmouth Scout Council (June 2016 - Present)
 * Don't Hate Donate (October 2017 - Present)

Charity of the Year
Marcus selects a charity each year to be his charity of the year. He fundraises, promotes and supports the charity throughout the year.


 * 2015 - Beat
 * 2016 - Beat
 * 2017 - The National Association for People Abused in Childhood (NAPAC)
 * 2018 - Acting for Others

Local Elections 2018
In June 2017, Marcus officially declared his intention to stand in the 2018 Local Elections for the Cosham ward of Portsmouth City Council as an independent candidate. He made the announcement the day after the Conservatives, led by Theresa May, announced their intention to form a minority government after the 2017 General Election.

He stood using the slogan A Strong, Independent Voice for Cosham, Highbury and Wymering, receiving 110 votes.