Spread the word and create interest
Spread the word and create interest
Shout about what makes Scouts great by using these attention-grabbing templates and ready-made activities.
Connect locally
Scout Groups can be an integral part of the community. Try these tips and tools to strengthen community ties and tap into local talent.
- Think about who you know, and who your volunteers know in the local community and within their friendship groups.
- Ask the team if they have any links to anyone that would like to join and host a bring-an-adult night using the #GoodForTwo resources
- Use Adult Surveys and Name Generation to tap into local talent.
- Encourage parents, carers, family members and friends to get involved with Group Get-togethers, Family Rotas, or Family Camps.
- Use this ready-made template to send letters to parents and carers, inviting them to give Scouts a go.
- Share vacancies with local volunteers via your nearest Volunteer Centre – search for yours in England, Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland.
- Link up with other volunteer-led organisations and clubs in your area – there may be an overlap of interest, which could lead you to some brilliant new volunteers.
- Reach out to students in your local area.
- Try connecting with local businesses.
- Chat to your local Parish or Town council.
- Talk to your local faith establishments.
Create brilliant adverts
The way we speak about Scouts can make a huge difference – allowing us to reach new audiences and bring brilliant new people onboard as a result.
Use the drop-down boxes below to find out more about what to say and how to say it, using our range of ready-made resources.
You'll have more success if you focus on those tasks that need doing, instead of roles which need to be filled.
This will also allow you to be more flexible with the time required for volunteering.
To grab people's attention from the get-go, your advert could include:
- A catchy title;
- Photos and images which are relevant to the task;
- Friendly, informal language – focussing on the task(s) you need help with;
- A summary of what's involved and expected – including information about when, where and how often your new volunteer will be needed;
- Contact details, so they can get in touch.
For help with what to say, check out 'How we talk' – it's full of tips on making an impact with your words and communicating what Scouts is all about.
- Check out the pages on using social media for recruitment.
- Watch the video about how social media can support recruitment.
- Connect with people looking for volunteer opportunities in your area, using platforms like doit.life, Volunteer Match, or Idealist Volunteer+.
- Promote trustee or skill-based roles on Reach Volunteering and Trustees Unlimited.
- Extend your reach on social media, sharing vacancies on your Scout or personal account on Facebook, Twitter or LinkedIn. Take a look at our social media guidance to optimise your profile(s).
- Highlight the vacancy via your professional network (for example, by posting on LinkedIn or sharing opportunities with work colleagues where appropriate).
- Use local community groups or forums in your area, such as neighbourhood Facebook pages, Nextdoor app and WhatsApp groups.
A vacancy board is a display which tells people about the tasks you need with help with and the people you're looking for.
It's made up of changeable cards which can be alternated or replaced to suit your needs – you’ll find loads of examples on the Brand Centre. You can also edit these cards to suit your need.
Once you've created your board:
- Place it somewhere it can’t be missed. If you don't have your own meeting place, you could use a collapsible board which can be put away after each meeting.
- Keep it looking fresh – making sure someone in the team is responsible for updating the information on the vacancy board regularly, so it doesn’t get forgotten and stays relevant.
- Move it around – changing the order of the cards around for attract people's attention, and look for opportunities to display it within community spaces and local businesses to attract a wider audience.
- Be ready to respond quickly to enquiries – allocate a member of the team to look after this, or agree how you'd like to share the responsibility.
Your Scout website is the perfect place to host your digital vacancy board.
If you don’t have your own, team up with your District or County to host it on a wider scale. Once you've done this, you have a couple of options.
Upload a vacancy card to your website
You can use a vacancy card you download from the Brand Centre.
Now you have a great online vacancy board, it's time to share it.
Think of different places you could spread the word safely.
Useful links
