Our purpose and method

Scouts actively engages and supports young people in their personal development, empowering them to make a positive contribution to society. 

In partnership with adults, young people take part in fun indoor and outdoor activities. They learn by doing, by sharing in spiritual reflection and by taking responsibility. They make choices, undertake new and challenging activities, and they live their Scout Promise. 

Scouts’ Trustees have a duty to report on our public benefit in this Annual Report. We’ve assessed our aims, activities and charitable objectives, which are to contribute to the development of young people in achieving their full potential as individuals, as responsible citizens, nd as members of their local, national and international communities. We believe that we’ve met the Charity Commission’s public benefit criteria for both the advancement of education, and the advancement of citizenship and community development. Scouts follows two key principles set by the Commission with regard to public benefit: 

1. Identifiable benefit 

The way in which we help young people in their personal development and empowers them to make a positive contribution to society. This benefit is directly linked to the purpose of Scouts. 

2. Public benefit

Scouts is a national movement, open to young people aged 4–25 and adults who are willing to make the Scout Promise. People in areas of deprivation are able to benefit from our programme; while we charge a subscription to our members, access to our benefits aren’t constrained by a member’s ability to pay. Locally, there are arrangements to waive subscriptions and other costs for those who face financial hardship. Nationally, there are funds available for uniform and the cost of activities so that young people aren’t excluded from Scouts on purely financial grounds. 

The benefits of Scouts are further demonstrated throughout this report.