Why we're looking at what we wear

One of the key aims of the Perception Team is to focus on what people outside our organisation think and feel about our Scouts. 

For example, do they feel Scouts are relevant to society today? And, crucially, do they think we’re inclusive?

What we wear is an important part of how people see us. It’s part of our Scouts brand and can influence someone’s decision to volunteer. What we wear is, of course, important to all members too. Therefore, it’s vital that what we wear at Scouts is fit for purpose and everyone wearing it feels comfortable and proud of it.

I’m Nisha Patel and I’m the UK Commissioner for Perception. I’m immensely proud to be a Scout volunteer. I’d love all young people to have the same opportunity to join our fantastic movement, and I’m certain you all feel the same. So it was quite a disappointment to learn that around 42% of 13–17 year olds outside the movement surveyed recently are put off Scouts because of our uniform.

It’s been a long time since we reviewed what we wear, and times have changed a lot. One of the strategic goals of our Skills for Life strategy is to make sure Scouts is understood, trusted, respected and widely seen as playing a key role in society today. We know that what we wear is a key part of this.

So, what are our plans for what we wear? 

No immediate changes

While changes to the uniform are on the way after 2025, they won’t happen overnight. There’ll be a long phasing-in period to allow young people, their parents and carers, volunteers and Scout Groups to make the changes at an appropriate time for them.

Listening to members and the public

From the start, we based our work on what a total of 26,000 people, from both inside and outside Scouts, told us. This data collection started before the COVID-19 pandemic in 2019.

So far, we’ve learned that our current uniform, from our Scouts section upwards, is not seen as suitable for what we do by young people in the movement:

• 40% of Scouts (10½ to 14 years) found the uniform uncomfortable.
• 42% of 13-17 year olds outside Scouts said they were put off joining because of what it looked like.

The research also showed that adult volunteers often wear personalised informal wear to their weekly sessions. They save their full smart uniform for formal occasions, such as St George’s Day or Remembrance Sunday.

We’re seeing a similar picture among Scouts, Explorers and Network members. Many are swapping their shirts for casual wear after flag break and only wearing full uniform to formal events.

Five principles for our new uniform

We’ve compiled all the views from our research, then used these to identify five key principles to follow when designing the new uniform. They are:

• affordability
• simplicity
• durability
• sustainability
• ethical assurance

Take a look at what we wear to find out more about this process.

Ultimately, what we wear must be inclusive for all. This means that what we wear must be appropriate for different people, different shape, different cultures and faiths, as well as other needs.

Keeping Scouts affordable

The increases in cost of living will have a direct impact on Scouts. This'll be a key consideration in any changes.

We’re committed to keeping Scouts open to all, so we want the uniform to be simple and affordable. It needs to last, so not fade or be easily damaged. 

We’re really interested in hearing about innovative ideas that Groups across the country have already adopted. For example, learning from Groups who've introduced a ‘uniform borrowing’ model for formal occasions, or have a second-hand uniform recycling scheme.

This means that every item bought is used and recycled as much as possible, maximising value and minimising environmental impact.

If you’ve an idea, thought or suggestion on this, please join our What We Wear Community of Interest and let us know.

A careful process

We know how important it is for us to take our time and get this right. In order to do this, and make sure that a wide range of views are represented, we’ve lots more consultations planned, as well as due diligence processes in place.

This ranges from a diverse Project Board, to focus groups from inside and outside of Scouts with young people and adult volunteers. We’ll be having even further and wider consultations with people when designs are developed further, too.

Have your say

Finally, we’re keen to continue to hear your views. If you’re able to, we’d love you to join the What We Wear Community of Interest.

This’ll keep you updated during the review and design process, allowing you to share your thoughts and let us know of concerns throughout.