Volunteer

Week by week, our volunteers empower thousands of young people to learn new skills, make new friends and stand on their own two feet. They’re our everyday heroes. They shape young people’s lives for the better, and find out a whole lot about themselves in the process, too.

Today, there are nearly 60,000 young people on the waiting list to join us in the UK. We’re more relevant and more needed than ever, but it’s not always easy to keep up with the demand.

That’s where you come in.

You don’t need to be Bear Grylls to join us. You don’t need to have been a Scout when you were younger. You don’t even need to know how to put up a tent.  Our door is open to people of all ages, genders, races, and backgrounds, and we’re only able to change lives because people like you lend a hand. We’re talking about tea makers, tidy-uppers, and skill sharers. We’re talking about minibus drivers and first aiders. We’re talking about students who want to boost their CV, and parents who volunteer so they can spend more time together as a family.

Whatever your skillset, lend a hand for as little or as much time as you can spare, and we promise you’ll get more out than you put in.  Because whether you’re helping a leader to run an activity in the local town hall, organising a night away, or buttering 120 slices of bread a group of very hungry eleven year olds – no two Scout meetings are the same. The difference you make, though, is always great.

We provide the training. You show up, get stuck in, and make memories for life.

Sounds fun? Worthwhile? It is.

All our activities are run by volunteers, who might join us because they want to: 

• Try something new
• Make friends 
• Spend time with their children – or gain experience with young people
• Do something good for their community and themselves
• Keep their bodies and brains active and happy – whether that’s by scaling mountains, sharing skills or serving tea 

All end up making a huge difference to young people’s lives – gifting them with skills for life, and learning a whole lot about themselves along the way.

But don’t just take our word for it. Take theirs. 

If it wasn’t for Scouts, I think I’d have been spiraling down throughout this pandemic – I’ve made so many friends it’s unbelievable

Saroj, Section Leader, Birmingham

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I’m teaching my child things I value and that other children and other parents value as well – it’s brought out something I never knew I had

Chris, Section Leader, Manchester

Watch Nat’s story to see the impact we have on young people’s lives.