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.
For more information go to https://scouts.org.uk/home
What do volunteers do?
This everyday adventure is only possible thanks to our team of adult volunteers (many who are parents/guardians), 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. More details on volunteering requirements later.
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 History of Scouting
Baden-Powell returned to England a national hero, after defending the town of Mafeking for seven months from the besieging Boer troops, the first real British triumph in the Boer War. When he returned to England, he discovered that many boys and young men were avidly reading his book Aids to Scouting. This book was intended as a military training manual, teaching soldiers techniques such as observation, tracking, initiative…
In 1910 B-P. retired from the Army to devote his time, effort and money (all his royalties from Scouting for Boys were ploughed back into the movement) into Scouting. This year also saw the first census of Scouts in the UK, indicated over a hundred thousand Scouts in the UK. So, in less than three years, Scouting had a firm footing. After a trip to South America, Scouting started in Chile, and it was already crossing the channel into Europe.
By 1909 younger brothers wanted to join in the fun so the Wolf Cubs were set up in 1916 and in 1909 at the Crystal Palace Rally, B-P. came across a Patrol, who claimed to be Girl Scouts. Initially B-P. was in favour of allowing girls to become Scouts (in separate troops) but had to change his mind due to the pressures of Edwardian society. He established the Girl Guides in 1910, with the help of his sister, Agnes, and wife, Olave. For Scouts over 18 B.P. invented the Senior Scouts (called Rover Scouts).
The Association was modernized in 1967 and is again undergoing major changes. Wolf Cubs became Cub Scouts and Rover Scouts became Venture Scouts for young men and women. Beavers (aged 6-8) were introduced in 1986 and there were new badges for the Cubs and Scouts. Girls were allowed in in the 1990s and most groups are now mixed so that Scouts is for boys and girls.