The UK’s biggest girl Scout troop is created in Preston
Preston Muslim Girls High School is making Scouts part of the curriculum and accessible to all - and in doing so have created the largest all-female Scout group to ever exist in the UK.
As we look at how we can grow Scouts more inclusively, to reach more girls, women, and young people from Black, Asian and, Minority Ethnic communities, we’re incredibly excited to share this story.
On 17 March, Preston Muslim Girls High School in Lancashire celebrated 122 of its Year 7 pupils being formally invested into the schools’ new local Scout group. It's now officially the biggest all-female Scout troop to ever exist in the UK.
It’s truly inspirational to see the largest ever all female Scout troop come to life at Preston Muslim Girls High School! I'm so proud to be a part of a movement where everyone feels welcomed and are embraced with open arms.
Bear Grylls, UK Chief Scout
By incorporating Scouts into our curriculum, we're showing our commitment to providing important lifelong skills to our pupils. Skills, such as team work, confidence, resilience, creativity and so much more. We've been delighted with how quickly the Scouts Group has become established and we're looking forward to watching it go from strength to strength.
Mr Rehan Patel
Preston Muslim Girls’ High school incorporated Scouts into their curriculum this academic year. Now, all Year 7 pupils at the school spend Friday afternoons taking part in an exciting range of activities to help them build skills for life.
So far, to name a few activities, the girls have learned to light fires from scratch, cook on an open fire, carve wood, practiced their archery skills and made s’mores.
They're now already preparing for their next adventure, which'll be a sleepover during the holy month of Ramadan.
Extra-curricular activities are often not feasible for many families across the UK, due to the ongoing cost of living crisis. However, the leaders of Preston Muslim Girls High School have removed the financial pressure on parents and carers by paying for all Year 7 pupils to take part in Scouts.
Stories like this are fantastic because they show that Scouts truly is for everyone.
Sometimes all it takes is initiatives, such as that at Preston Muslim Girls High School, that make sure that every young person has an equal opportunity to join, removing any and all barriers to participation in joining in.
If you've a story of your efforts to reach new communities or become more inclusive, we’d love to hear from you. You can share your story today.