Scouting is for adults too!
One of the things all our volunteers have in common is that they want young people to enjoy fun, challenging and adventurous activities Scouting has to offer!
There are many reasons people volunteer:
- enabling more young people to join – we currently have over 30,000 young people on waiting lists across the UK.
- a chance to spend quality time with your own children
- giving young people something positive to do with their time
- meeting new people and making new friends in the local community.
Your role as an adult
As an adult working with young people in a voluntary capacity, you will have a unique role to play in their lives. Over time you’ll meet young people who will benefit from the fun and adventure they have had whilst in your care. They may not say thank you today, next week or even when they leave!
A mark of success is to meet in the high street the Scout who left at fifteen and who is now thirty-two. They may tell you that they really enjoyed their time in Scouting. They will probably remember their first camp as if it were only yesterday. People remember a good Leader, just as they remember a good teacher at school.
Next steps
We suggest that the first thing you should do is contact us to talk about the ways in which you might help. You might want to become a Leader, or might prefer to help ‘behind the scenes’ as a Group manager, administrator or as a committee member or fund-raiser. You can get in contact with us by filling out our online form, to register your interest. Tell us where you’d like to volunteer and we’ll put you in touch with someone local to you. (Although this website is aimed at people in North London, and the boroughs of Camden, Haringey, Islington and the City of London in particular, we can actually help you to find a volunteering opportunity anywhere in London or even the whole of the UK!)
Once we’ve worked out together what it is you’d like to do, we’ll set the paperwork in motion. Scouting has a strict child protection policy – and we will use the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) and other sources to check your suitability to work with and for young people. If you wish to become a Leader, we’ll ask you to attend a short and informal interview.
Then we’ll introduce you to the other adults with whom you’ll be working, sort out training and induction for you and then support you as you get up and running in your new Scouting role.
Enjoy the ‘game of Scouting’.
Whatever your role in Scouting, you will enjoy it. It’ll be hard work at times. You’ll receive training and support in your role. You never stop learning. Baden-Powell once said, “Scouting is not a science… it is a great game.” Enjoy the game, have fun helping others and thank you for considering becoming a Leader and contributing to the lives of young people.