YouShape Award
At Scouts, young people learn how to share their ideas and take the lead. That’s what our YouShape Award is all about.
Our YouShape Award makes it even easier to for you to have a youth shaped programme, where what you do each week is decided on and led by young people’s ideas.
At the same time, the YouShape Award also helps young people work with volunteers to learn valuable skills for life, such as communication, teamwork and leadership.
The journey so far
By 2025, our goal is that 250,000 young people each year will have had the opportunity to shape their Scouts experience. The YouShape award helps us to achieve this. This is because award makes it simpler and easier for volunteers to provide opportunities for young people to speak up and take the lead about what they do in Scouts.
If you’re a Youth Lead, take a look at our information for Youth Leads for some hints and tips on supporting other volunteers in delivering the YouShape award.
To watch in full screen, double click the video
Meet the badges
Your questions answered
We’re launching the award for Squirrels, Beavers, Cubs, Scouts, and Explorers.
The programme for Scout Network is planned and delivered in a different way, so we’re not introducing a YouShape Award for this section.
The badges can be awarded by volunteers, just like with other badges and awards in the programme. However, you may want to invite your local Youth Lead along to award the first few badges!
You can buy all the YouShape badges from Scout Store. You’ll be able to buy each segment separately, so you can award each section as it’s completed.
Yes, Young Leaders can take part in the YouShape award. They can do so by participating in the programme and working towards the YouShape at their Explorer meetings.
If young people have already achieved some of the requirements before the award launches, then it’s OK to count those parts as completed. However, you may want to do them again in another way to make it more fun.
Some of the criteria in the YouShape Award may also count towards other badges and awards too. The activities that young people do can be counted towards more than one badge or award at the same time.
The YouShape Award is just for young people in Squirrels, Beavers, Cubs, Scouts or Explorers. However, adult volunteers are crucial to supporting this Award and programme, making sure everyone’s ideas are involved, everyone stays safe and, most importantly, everyone has fun.
Share #YouShape on social media
We want to see your progress on social media. Tag us, tweet us, and share your pictures using the hashtag #YouShape. Find us on:
Find resources to help get the word out online in the Scout brand centre.