Overview of Scouting
We are the UK’s biggest mixed youth organisation. We change lives by offering 6 to 25 year olds fun and challenging activities, unique experiences, everyday adventure and the chance to help others so that we make a positive impact in communities.
Scouts helps children and young adults reach their full potential. Our members gain valuable skills for life including teamwork, time management, leadership, initiative, planning, communication, self-motivation, cultural awareness and commitment. We help young people to get jobs, save lives and even change the world.
What do Scouts do?
Scouts take part in a wide range of activities as diverse as kayaking, abseiling, expeditions overseas, photography, climbing and zorbing. As a Scout you can learn survival skills, first aid, computer programming or even how to fly a plane. There’s something for everyone. It’s a great way to have fun, make friends, get outdoors, express your creativity and experience the wider world.
What do volunteers do?
This everyday adventure is only possible thanks to our team of adult volunteers, who support Scouts in a wide range of roles from working directly with young people, to helping manage a local community based Group, to being a charity Trustee. We help volunteers get the most out of their experiences at Scouts by providing opportunities for adventure, training, fun and friendship.
Our award winning training scheme for volunteers means that adults get as much from Scouts as young people. Our approach focuses on what you want to get out of volunteering with Scouts, while respecting how much time you can offer. Over 90% of Scout volunteers say that their skills and experiences have been useful in their work or personal life.
Key facts and figures
The Scout Association is a UK charity founded in 1907 and now boasts a membership of over 620,000 young people and adult leaders. We are the largest mixed youth movement in the UK. Scouting activity is delivered through 7,000-plus community based Scout Groups nationwide.
Scouting is widely recognised and is one of the most trusted charities in the UK, giving it a significant level of influence and responsibility. Scouting’s greatest strength lies in its grass roots. It is locally that Scouting is best able to identify and work directly with young people most in need.
We believe that through the everyday adventure of Scouting, young people and adult volunteers regularly experience new challenges that enrich and change their lives.
The current focus for the Trustees and those in Scouting in the UK is delivering our strategic vision.
Our strategy
A new strategic plan for Scouting across the UK is currently nearing completion to secure a strategic direction through to 2023 and to grow on the success of the current plan. Team UK (the team of commissioners that leads Scouting across the UK) will play a key part in leading the delivery of this strategy. More details on the work towards our new plan are available at www.scouts.org.uk/ourplan
Youth Shaped Scouting
The more young people are involved in shaping their Scouting experiences the more they will get out of it, and the more likely they are to stay, do well and achieve their top awards.
Our new strategy; Skills for Life lays out a plan for the next five years to 2023 so that we can support even more adults and young people as we develop Scouting’s future together. With this plan we’re building on the successes of our last plan Scouting for all, by continuing to focus on growth, inclusion, youth shaped Scouting and community impact.
Involving young people in decision making is essential for our governance structures to stay informed and responsive to the fast-paced changes facing young people in the 21st Century. By encouraging a mixture of experiences and ages on our executive committees and District/County teams, we are more likely to encourage healthy debate and make better decisions which are relevant to the lives of young people in today’s society.
There are four themes of youth shaped Scouting:
• Programme
• Leadership (Including transition at 18 years)
• Management
• Governance
Luca Buratti, the District Youth Commissioner for Stratford-upon-Avon District Scouts is committed to providing support to its young people and leaders, working in partnership with the Scout Groups and Explorer Units.
If you have any questions please email
Scout Active Support
Scout Active Support allows you to give your time and skills to Scouting on a flexible basis. You can still be involved in Scouting without the bigger commitment of taking on a more substantial role.
Members of the Scout Active Support team provides a resource for managers of local Scouting including Group Scout Leaders, District Commissioners and the County Commissioner and you can be involved in whichever activities and projects take your fancy.
Why not apply now or contact us to find out how you can get involved?
