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Volunteering at Scouts is changing to help us reach more young people

Volunteering is changing to help us reach more young people

Volunteering is changing at Scouts. Read more

Discover what this means

Skills for Life

Our plan to deliver better futures

Our vision for 2025

By 2025* we'll have prepared more young people with skills for life, supported by amazing volunteers that deliver an inspiring programme.

We'll be growing, more inclusive, shaped by young people and making a bigger impact in our communities.

*Due to the impact of COVID-19, our Skills for Life strategy has been extended until 2025.

Our mission 

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

Our values

We act with care, respect, integrity, cooperation, exploring our own and others’ beliefs.

To watch in full screen, double click the video

Our goals

Our plan is to build on the success of the previous plan: to continue to grow, become more inclusive, to be shaped by young people and to make a bigger impact in our communities. We have set new goals for 2025. There are specific goals for Scotland.

Growth

As a movement, we have grown for the last 13 years. We want to continue that positive trend, bringing skills for life to more young people across the UK.

Number of young people (6-18) in Scouting Data source: Scouts Annual Census Survey
Number of young people (6-18) in Scouting Data source: Scouts Annual Census Survey

By 2025 we'll have:

  • 547,000 young people in Scouts, made up of 487,000 young people aged 6-18, plus 60,000 Squirrel Scouts
  • 88,000 frontline adult volunteers (Section Leaders and Assistant Section Leaders)
  • 19,500 Young Leaders

Inclusivity

Scouts is open to all. We now have over 102,000 girls and have started 834 sections in areas of deprivation since 2013. We believe it’s a priority to reflect the diversity of the communities we are in.

Number of sections in areas of deprivation Data source: Better Prepared and grant funded projects
Number of sections in areas of deprivation Data source: Better Prepared and grant funded projects

By 2025 we'll have:

  • 500 more sections created in areas of deprivation since 2018
  • 5% of our adult volunteers from Black, Asian or minority ethnic backgrounds 

Youth Shaped

Over the last four years, there has been a growing momentum to ensure young people are shaping their experiences and taking on leadership roles at Scouts. We want to continue to build on this.

Percentage of sections running regular youth forums enabling young people to shape their programme Data Source: Your Programme Your Voice annual volunteer survey

By 2025:

  • 66% of young people (6-18) will be influencing what happens in Scouting locally  
  • 57% of young people (6-18) will be using their skills to run Scouting activities for other young people  
  • 40% of young people 4-14 will be achieving Top Awards 
  • 10% of young people 14+ will be achieving Top Awards 

Community Impact

Since the launch of our social action campaign, A Million Hands, in 2015, over 250,000 young people have had the opportunity to take part in high quality social action on four big issues of our time. The campaign won 'Cross-Sector Partnership of the Year' at the Charity Times Awards in 2016.

Percentage of sections taking part in a community impact project Data Source: Your Programme Your Voice survey 2015/2017 and Strategy survey 2016

By 2025:

  • 42% of young people will be making a positive impact in their community each year 
  • 40% of young people 4-14 will be achieving Top Awards 
  • 10% of young people 14+ will be achieving Top Awards