Perception

Aim: For Scouts to be more visible, trusted, respected, and seen as playing a key role in today’s society.

Goal: Make sure our brand is frequently and positively seen in the public eye, sharing our key skills for life message and building trust.

Progress a year on

Improving our perception

• We’ve worked hard to keep Scouts in the public eye to show young people thriving and learning skills for life. Visibility underpins growth and we generated more than 27,600 pieces of media coverage in the UK, equivalent to each UK adult seeing more than two articles a week.
• Millions saw Scouts serving their communities in May, whether they supported the crowds for the Coronation of HM King Charles III, or volunteered at one of the 100 Scouts volunteering events for The Big Help Out. This included HRH The Princess of Wales’ family helping refresh a meeting place for a community in Slough, while in Brent, Scouts invited new people to take part in an activity day led by Chief Scout, Bear Grylls.
• Summer brought the 25th World Scout Jamboree to South Korea. As we relocated our 4,500-strong UK Contingent to Seoul to keep young people safe, it generated high visibility on socials and in the media. Showing that safety was our top priority meant this decision still benefitted perception, with YouGov research showing public trust remains strong at 70% and improved brand approval scores. Over the year this contributed to improved brand approval scores with YouGov, especially among 28-40 year olds.
• The autumn saw Bear thanking Willesden volunteer Sharmine Chowdhury-Tse on the BBC’s The One Show. The Chief Scout’s book, ‘Do Your Best – How to be a Scout’, also took skills for life into the homes of thousands of readers.
• In December 2023, Scouts appeared on ITV with HRH The Princess of Wales at her Christmas Carol Service, which focused on thanking those supporting young people in their early years.

Supporting young people

• This year, Demos and Scouts launched employability research, which showed 74% of former Scouts feel positive about their career goals, compared to just 47% of those without extracurricular experiences.
• We recruited a team of Youth Advocates, Scouts aged 18–24, to help us share how Scouts gives young people skills for life with decision makers.
• Ahead of the 2024 general election, we worked with our advocates and volunteers to introduce the Scouts’ Manifesto, asking the next government to back young people and the volunteers who support them.

Attracting, recruiting, and retaining volunteers

• To complement our national visibility, part of the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) Uniformed Youth Fund (UYF) grant added support for local communications to help attract new volunteers for 225 new Sections.
• We also supported local groups to access government funding directly, unlocking £17 million from the DCMS Youth Investment Fund to build and improve local meeting places.

Progressing our brand

• Our volunteer celebrity ambassadors help us reach new audiences. Ellie Simmonds and Tim Peake invited millions to volunteer for The Big Help Out while Megan Hine, Dwayne Fields, and Phoebe Smith joined Bear at Windsor to celebrate our first King’s Scouts. Dwayne was also on hand to lift everyone’s spirits in the UK Contingent at the 25th World Scout Jamboree as their jamboree journey moved to Seoul.
• Our social media channels amplified our skills for life story, showing young people and volunteers thriving in Scouts. Our content generated 10% more engagement, with video views up 80% through YouTube and TikTok.
• We continued reviewing clothing for Scouts aged 10 ½ years and older, and adult volunteers. More than 26,000 adults and young people inside and outside of Scouts confirmed the role our uniform plays in bringing us together. They also revealed 40% of Scouts aged 10½–14 years found the uniform uncomfortable. Outside Scouts, 42% of 13–17 year olds were put off joining because of the uniform. In the year ahead, we’ll focus on practical improvements to our current uniform’s comfort and styling, including clarifying the informal uniform options.

What's next

• Launching a refreshed UK Ambassador team by the end of 2024.
• Creating and identifying high profile moments for Scouts to be nationally visible, to increase interest in volunteering for or joining Scouts, supporting growth.
• Supporting local teams to be more visible and recruit volunteers.
• Sharing the story of how we keep young people safe and sharing our learning.