Our Scouts' Manifesto

Supporting today's young people to build brighter tomorrows.

We’re so pleased to be launching our Scouts' Manifesto. Developed with young people and volunteers, it calls for policies to help young people and support our communities.

By working with the government, attending conferences, and teaming up with other youth organisations, we’re helping young people have a say in their future. 

Our manifesto is not about politicising Scouts or supporting any one party. It’s a tool for influencing the government to create a better tomorrow for our young people and volunteers. And we're taking a cross-party approach to make it happen.

How Scouts is making a difference 

'Scouts has created a healthy, supportive, community where I’ve been empowered to set boundaries and communicate clearly with my peers and adults.' – Freya, Scouts Youth Advocate.

Time is of the essence; childhood is short, and we can’t keep the UK’s young people waiting any longer. The benefits of out-of-school and extra-curricular activities are clear. Across the country, families and young people see the value of Scouts, developing skills for life. With over 100,000 young people waiting to join our groups, the time to act is now.

Supporting volunteers

'At the moment, many volunteers would like to devote more time to Scouts, but can’t due to work commitments. If employers actively encouraged their employees to volunteer, it would attract new volunteers and existing volunteers would be able to provide more of their time to Scouts.' – Scouts Youth Lead, Internal Policy Consultation.

To unlock this untapped potential, we must recruit over 40,000 new volunteers. Doing this will make sure we’re able to continue providing empowering opportunities for young people.

But it’s not just Scouts we’re looking to support. We want brighter tomorrows for all young people, from all backgrounds. Now, more than ever, with young people experiencing the repercussions of the pandemic lockdowns, alongside a cost-of-living crisis, it’s vital the government acts.

A call to build brighter tomorrows for young people 

Our manifesto is a clear statement outlining nine policy requests. It's designed to encourage the next government to take action and support young people and volunteers in building a brighter future.

Only together can we build brighter tomorrows for the young people of the UK, and a stronger society for all.

How the manifesto was developed

We’ve developed this manifesto in partnership with our Youth Advocates, UK Youth Leads, and volunteers. Together, we recognised the need for increased opportunities for young people  who may not have access to extracurricular activities, like Scouts. They also emphasised the importance of empowering young people with skills to drive positive change and build brighter tomorrows.

Recognising volunteers’ contribution  

Let's not forget our incredible volunteers. They’re the backbone of our organisation, and without them, supporting over 430,000 young people wouldn't be possible. That's why we're also calling for support from the government to recognise the invaluable contributions of volunteers in supporting voluntary organisations and civil society. 

Three key asks

To make these asks happen, we need the government's help with: 

• Creating opportunities for all young people to be heard and be active citizens
• Empowering the next generation with skills for life
• Recognising the power of volunteering and importance of building stronger, closer communities.

We have outlined our nine policy asks for the next government in our Scouts' Manifesto.

Opportunities for you to get involved