Two inspiring mums set up an Explorer unit

Based in the village of Barcombe, England, both Teresa’s and Emma’s children have grown up in Scouts. But, their Scouts journey was about to be cut short, since there was nothing available for young people aged 14+ in their community.

They took matters into their own hands and set up their own Explorer Unit, while navigating the COVID-19 lockdown.

Three years on, ‘Allegiance Explorers’ has grown from strength to strength. They’re led by young people (who chose their vibrant hot pink and black uniform colours), making efforts to encourage girls to join, and making a huge impact in their community.

We chatted to Teresa and Emma to hear their story.

Hi, Teresa and Emma. How do you both know each other?

Emma: We know each other from the school run, as we’ve got kids in the same year. We’ve been good friends for a long time.

Were you in Scouts before setting up your Explorer Unit?

Emma: I was in Guides, but I’d never been in Scouts. 

Teresa: I’ve never been in Scouts, either. But I think neither of us having a background in Scouts means we’re not tied to traditional rituals and can bring a fresh perspective.

Why did you decide to set up an Explorer Unit?

Teresa: Our kids have gone the whole way through Scouts, so we didn’t want them to miss out on the opportunity to finish their journey.

We both have families and we’re very active. We were already doing a lot of the activities Explorers do, such as sailing and camping, so we were keen to run activities with older Scouts. There was also a need in our village for more activities for young people aged 14 and above.

Emma: Our kids have done lots of activities as well as Scouts, but Scouts was the only thing they always wanted to go to. They’ve always enjoyed it and this really motivated us to start the section!

If I didn’t need to earn money, I’d do it full time. I get so much out of it! I’ve always got time to do anything that helps run Explorers, no matter the time of day or night. It’s brilliant for me to have all this motivation and it’s really rewarding.

Emma: It was difficult at first as we had no experience of setting up an Explorer Unit. It didn’t help that we started the process as we were coming out of the COVID-19 lockdown. We’re incredibly grateful to a Cub Team Leader, who offered to help and gave us brilliant advice. Luckily, there were so many people in Scouts who wanted to help.

Teresa: We found the money by submitting for trusts and very quickly designed a programme that brought in a lot of interest. We started with just four members in 2021, and now we have 32 and a waitlist of three. Our Explorer Unit will have 40 members soon.

It was challenging initially, but we’re so pleased it’s been a success. Also, it’s been great having a partner. There’s been lots of emotions over the course of setting up and we wouldn’t have got this far without each other. I’ve valued Emma’s friendship and the guidance we’ve had from local Scouts.

Emma: One time, we took the Explorers to play squash and they loved it. A few of them even decided to take it as part of their GCSEs and that came from Scouts. We try and give the Explorers experiences (not always costly ones, either) they wouldn’t normally have.

What’s it like to lead teenagers?

Teresa: Hilarious and frustrating – in equal measure!

Emma: Vocal and loud – as the room is filled with lots of voices! They’re great fun and brilliant to be around. 

Have you seen changes in them?

Both: Without a doubt.

Teresa: We’ve definitely seen them grow and their confidence rising. We’ve seen introverts coming out of their shell. At this age, they don’t want to wear a formal uniform and they don’t like being told what to do.

They’re at the age of starting to break away, but we think Scouts trying to modernise and be more flexible (by changing rituals and maybe uniform in the future) is definitely helping. We’re a youth movement, and we’re active about that language. 

Emma: We’re running a Young Leader scheme to anyone in the group who’d like to take part, and it’s a great opportunity for those who didn’t get the chance to do the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award (DofE).

The confidence of those who’ve taken part is so visible and they might not have come across it in other extracurricular activities.

Teresa: We’re very ambitious when it comes to our programme. We try and run all the activities the Explorers suggest and that everyone will enjoy.

Have you done anything in particular to try and welcome everyone to the Group? 

Teresa: Last year, we decided to put out adverts to say we have spaces for girls. We have a page on our website that has girls’ imagery at the heart to represent our female members and show we welcome them here. The biggest difference is changing traditional Scouts and moving forwards from this.

Emma: The perception is that Scouts is still quite male dominated, and we definitely need more images of girls in Scouts. It’s a slow change, but it’s definitely happening, and we need to keep going with it.

Teresa: Also, we need more images of the girls doing adventurous activities, rather than sitting round a campfire in a traditional Scouts scene. There’s a brilliant image of a girl on a raft with a beaming smile – that’s what we want to see. Let’s show girls doing activities outside, which are fun, adventurous, and new.