G N I G N A H C THE F SCOUTING. O E C FAr impact review Ou
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This is a snapshot look at our work across the UK and highlights some of our key challenges and successes as seen through the eyes of our adults and young people. Each week 400,000 young people and 100,000 adult volunteers take part in Scouting projects and activities at the heart of the UK’s communities. It is our role to ensure that every one of our members has the facilities and support to take part safely in these activities.
We believe that through adventure we challenge individuals so that they learn and experience new things and enrich their lives. Autumn 2010 The Scout Association
S T N E T N CO
OUR ACHIEVEMENTS OUR MEMBERS’ STORIES DIARY OF ADVENTURE VALUING ADVENTURE PREPARED FOR THE FUTURE
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Welcome
‘Wow – where do I begin!’ ‘It’s the end of year one of my time as Chief Scout, and I am more excited than ever about where Scouting is going and the massive surge in membership that we are experiencing. We have grown for the fifth year in a row. ‘The energy and power behind that surge is our volunteers on the ground who are helping 400,000 young Scouts in the UK get the chance to live an adventure. ‘Together, we are reaching parts of the UK that many never believed possible and we are bringing adventure to those who might not ever have normally got the chance. What an achievement. ‘My favourite part of the year was meeting all the Queen’s Scouts and hearing about their amazing achievements.’ ‘Here’s to my next four years’.
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S T N E M E V E I H C A OUR HANGING FOR THE FUTURE C
Campaign recognition It’s been a busy time for Scouting. For the fifth year in a row we are delivering more adventures to more young people. This is a direct result of an improved and more relevant programme for our young people, increased flexible opportunities and training for volunteers and better materials and resources. Here are just a few of our achievements.
A fairer deal for Scout Groups.
Better training Our adult volunteers can now decide when and how they boost their skills with our award-winning training scheme. Scouting volunteers come from all walks of life, and the training that we offer them has to be flexible enough to empower them to lead others. We won a National Training Award for our Adult Training Scheme, reflecting the standard of the materials available, the flexibility the scheme offers volunteers and the excellent quality of management and delivery locally.
Our Stop the Rain Tax campaign was designed to protect Groups in England and Wales from unaffordable rises in water bills, which in many cases threatened some Groups’ very existence. We organised our first ever mass lobby of Parliament, created a campaigns e-team and encouraged local Groups to lobby their MPs. Victory was sealed on 9 April 2010, and the campaign also won the Chartered Institute of Public Affairs Excellence Award.
Our achievements
Speaking up for Scouts We delivered more opportunities for Scouts to become active citizens.
Better facilities for local Groups The doors to adventure reopened for hundreds of Scouts. We launched a pilot scheme to give funds to local Groups to help refurbish their meeting places and support Scouting locally. Seven buildings have now been completed, which means hundreds of Scouts are now benefiting from new and improved facilities.
For the first time we ran a Scout Young Campaigners’ Summer School, where 14-21 year old Scouts learned how to advocate and campaign for causes they believe in. Over one hundred young people are now recognised Scout Young Campaigners.
Delivering more adventures Our new Activity Academy is helping our Scouts become the leaders of the future. In summer 2009 we launched our first ever Activity Academy. Open to all members aged 18-25, it gave the 50 participants the opportunity to develop existing skills, try new activities and progress into leading these. We granted one hundred awards and qualifications.
Making Scouting more visible More people than ever saw and listened to Scouts on TV, radio and in newspapers. We believe in letting Scouts speak about Scouting. And throughout the year The Times, Daily Mail, Daily Mirror, The Guardian and the BBC ran stories of Scouts receiving bravery awards, unveiling our annual birthday honours, launching the new Scouting Skills book and announcing the volunteers selected for the World Scout Jamboree Team. This was made possible with the increased number of local Media Development Managers who promote Scouting at a local level.
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S R E D A MORE LE
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On the eve of their 18th birthday, twins Neil and Ruth explain how our Young Leaders’ Scheme has helped them develop leadership skills for the future. Ruth: ‘In a few months we’re leading an expedition for 12 Scouts to an international camp in Finland. It’s just a few weeks after we turn 18 and we can’t wait. It’s a great opportunity to go out and experience the sort of Scouting that we wouldn’t experience in this country. I am a bit nervous obviously, as it’s my first international camp and my first adult leadership experience, but then again, I am so excited and up for the challenge. I feel ready but you can probably never be fully prepared. I’m really looking forward to using my leadership skills and there will be two more experienced leaders with us who are both amazing and I’m sure will help us out if needed. ‘I am so excited about becoming a leader. In the last 12 years I’ve seen a big difference in Scouting. There are more girls, it’s more diverse, we have more opportunities and there are more adventurous activities. Oh, and the uniform is better too.’
Neil: ‘All the different age ranges in our Group meet on Thursdays, just at different times. This means that as Young Leaders we can help out with the Beavers and Cubs and then go straight into our Explorer Unit meeting. We also do lots of weekend activities as Explorer Scouts and as Young Leaders. As younger adult leaders we are bridging the gap between young people and older leaders. The younger the leader is the more they can relate to the young people. But it works well with leaders of all ages as it’s about sharing ideas, and having fun. We’ve been doing training via e-learning, which is great as you can do it in your own time.’
Our members’ stories
In Scouting we believe that young people develop most when learning by doing. For Ruth and Neil, this is what kept them in Scouting. Whether climbing for the first time or interviewing for a dream job, we equip them with the skills to fulfil their ambitions in a way that suits them. This year more than 100,000 adults volunteered their time to help deliver Scouting to their community’s young people. And we have 2.7 per cent more adults than last year. By attracting these volunteers, we can provide more development opportunities to young people. And while we have a surge of interest in Scouting, there are still 33,000 young people desperate to join. With more volunteers like Ruth and Neil this would be made possible.
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3.6%
more young people and adults are benefiting from Scouting.
With 16,568 more adults and young people in Scouting, this year has seen our biggest growth for 40 years.
E L P O E P G N U O Y MORE Alex, 15, is just one of the thousands of teenagers choosing Scouting. ‘I had a mate at school who was always raving about the Scouts. He invited me along so I thought I’d check it out. I was honestly expecting the normal Scout stereotype – three finger salutes and tying bits of string together. What I got instead was something fun and exciting, something that I genuinely want to do more of. ‘The first time I went was quite daunting, as I only knew my one friend from school but I was surprised at the level of friendliness and acceptance that I got from just being with them a short time. Some of these people I can honestly say will go on to be lifelong friends. Before Scouting I was mostly sitting at home doing absolutely nothing.
‘Now, one week we could be going climbing in a local adventure park and the next week practising our clowning skills. I’m now also a Young Spokesperson, and was quoted in a number of different newspapers, and appeared on BBC News which was great fun. There is no end to the amount of stuff that can be done and I have enjoyed all of it. ‘Scouting has not only introduced me to a wide range of activities, I’ve also learnt skills that I will use throughout my life. Most importantly it has taught me how to accept people for who they are and get on with absolutely anybody, whether on a camp with thousands of other Scouts or just at a normal meeting.’
Our members’ stories
People like Alex are joining because Scouting is more relevant than ever and provides practical and skills-based learning that they can’t find anywhere else. We also recognise that Scouts are at their best when they play an active part in their community. Over the last year we have piloted several initiatives for young people to make a positive impact:
0 0 0 , 0 0 4 6-25 year olds take part in Scouting every week.
Our Scouts Speak Up sessions at three party conferences allowed Scouts to put their views to MPs for the Labour, Liberal Democrat and Conservative parties. Our Active Citizens: Virgin Voters events encouraged first-time voters to participate in the General Election. In just three weeks the website received 7,000 visits. We handed over an issue of our membership magazine, Scouting to a group of Scouts, where they were given the freedom to talk about the issues that concern them. We established a Youth Involvement Group, and now young people have a platform to be involved in decision making of every aspect of Scouting.
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A record number of teenagers are joining Scouting, recognising the value it can bring to their lives.
S R E E T N U L O V E MOR For adults in Scouting, volunteering can build skills, and create more productive individuals. Volunteer Rachel Haigh’s employer has recognised the value that her volunteering has brought to the company. ‘My day job is a challenging business environment, where I am carrying out detailed analysis, making decisions, or influencing people. As a Product Manager in the steel industry, for Tata, it can mean long hours and travel away from home.
is crucial – just like at work. The key skill is communication – both in Scouts and at work, the issues really start once you stop communicating. Scouting’s values of trust, teamwork and respect are just as valuable in the workplace.
‘Probably the first projects I ran were as a Scout – organising a Student Scout and Guide weekend for 230 people and persuading sponsors to donate goods and money for an international camp in the Netherlands. This developed skills like prioritisation, time management, persuasion, budgeting, all of which I’ve used since. In Scouting we work as part of a team, so getting along with people from different backgrounds, and working together towards a common goal
‘My motivation for both is the same. I like overcoming a challenge. This could be resolving a customer issue, identifying opportunities to make money or teaching a group of 15-year-olds how to navigate for their Silver Duke of Edinburgh award. It’s nice to look at an improvement and be able to say “I did that”. As a manager, I take pride in what I and my team achieve at work, and the way in which we do it, and as a leader I am proud of what my Explorers achieve.’
Our members’ stories
Rachel’s company recognises the value of volunteering and the skills gained, not only for the volunteers themselves but also for business. And with 33,000 young people unable to join Scouting due to a lack of adult volunteers we need to look at ways to make volunteering as easy as possible. We’re making our training scheme more flexible and looking at ways to make it even easier to volunteer with us. We believe that UK business would benefit greatly from directly linking training and volunteering. This is why we supported a new report by The Social Market Foundation: The Benefits of Employee Volunteering for Business and Individuals. We brought together leading voices from politics, business and the voluntary sector to draw attention to the economic benefits of employee volunteering, and are calling on the Government to do more.
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100,000 adults volunteer for Scouting every week.
Adult volunteering in Scouting is increasing at the fastest rate for 23 years, meaning that more young people can benefit.
G N I T U O MORE SC For the second year running, The Big Adventure has helped more parents experience the adventure of Scouting. Dad Alan Dunbar had never been a Scout himself and it was only when his son Sam joined that he became involved. ‘It had been a long time since I’d even thought about Scouting but one of his friends was a Cub and he was really keen to go. I went along for the first evening for a nosey, and was told that there was a Big Adventure Cub camp happening in a few months at a Scout Activity Centre. Sam was keener than me but I thought “it’s only a weekend”. ‘I was probably more nervous than Sam, as there were lots of people I didn’t know but I could see that Sam was really pleased that I was coming with him for his first camp. We read the Parent’s Guide to The Big Adventure,
and it had some really useful tips. I hadn’t camped since I’d gone to Glastonbury in the 90s so the refresher tips of what we’d need to pack and what I could expect were very useful. ‘What fun! Very little sleep but it was an absolute blast. I’m a joiner by trade and work a lot of evenings but I help out when I can now. I went along and built bird boxes with the Cubs the other week. Seemed to go down well. It’s such a different experience from my day job. And I’ve really noticed the difference in Sam. His confidence level has shot up in less than a year.’
Our members’ stories
Sainsbury’s partnered us for The Big Adventure and such partnerships mean we can keep the cost of Scouting low and affordable for every family. We also launched a new partnership with a sixth Scout Activity Centre, Ferny Crofts, further growing the opportunities for Scouts, youth groups and members of the public to experience adventure in a safe environment. And to help local Scout Groups grow we are piloting a number of ways to support them, such as the Development Grants Board. Grants have been awarded for refurbishing local buildings, and supporting Local Development Officers to recruit more leaders and improve opportunities.
200 The number of activities Scouts take part in every week.
Scouting remains one of the most affordable extra curricular activities for young people today.
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more relevant Sultana Khanom was one of a team of adults who introduced Scouting to a largely Muslim community. ‘We’re a new Group in a predominantly Muslim area which had no Scouting two years ago. I could see that it was really missing from the community. ‘It’s inner city London, so as you can imagine, one of the main barriers is lack of space. But we still manage to do lots of water sports, and follow the Scout programme. ‘I would say that about 99 per cent of the children haven’t been outside the city, especially the girls. The girls at the local secondary school can have very isolated backgrounds and rarely have the chance to
go camping, whether due to restrictions at home, finance or lack of time. We took 15 girls to camp for three nights and the school was really surprised. The parents now trust us, we are culturally sensitive. We’ve created a safe environment and built up their trust. This is a big achievement. ‘Scouting really is for everyone. It’s not just for the middle classes. We are the changing face of the Scout Movement, and it’s been like that for a number of years. Our volunteers and young people reflect the really diverse nature of the community in this area.’
Our members’ stories
Scouting is for everyone, regardless of age, gender, colour, race or religion. And every one of our 7,200 Scout Groups strives to reflect its community. We have continued to extend Scouting in different communities, including a growing number of faith and ethnic groups.
60,000 girls in Scouting
We have also introduced a new team of volunteer diversity ambassadors, and established project teams for community cohesion: faiths and beliefs; accessibility; and lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender. All this means we are providing more support and information to Groups across the UK to help make Scouting visible and active in all communities.
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Scouting is becoming more reflective of our local communities.
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Chapter title Diary of adventure
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adventure valuing
e port and accounts se re al nu an ll fu r ou For ct
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Scouting is open to every young person in the UK. This is why we keep the cost of Scouting low and support to our volunteers high.
Where our money comes from (£24.0m) 23%
Our spend on charitable activities (£17.9m)
32%
35% 4% 8%
30%
Charitable activities £5.5m Investment income £1.0m Activities for generating funds £7.3m Donations, legacies and similar income £1.9m National membership subscription £8.3m
16%
31% 21%
Support and services to the Scouting movement Youth programme and activities Adult support and training Development of Scouting
E R U T U F E H T R O F D E R A P PRE We've achieved much success over the last ten years. With new leadership, a revised programme, training and image, we are renewed and re-energised. But there is still work to do in order to stay relevant. Over the last two years we've carried out consultations throughout the UK to develop our Strategic Vision Towards 2018.
Scouting in 2018 will: - make a positive impact in our communities - prepare young people to be active citizens - embrace and contribute to social change. Scouting in 2018 will be: - defined and governed by young people in partnership with adults - enjoyed by more young people and more adult volunteers - as diverse as the communities in which we live.
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Members of Scouting in 2018 will feel: - empowered - valued - proud.
HOW YOU CAN SUPPORT US As an individual
As a company
How we can support you
From volunteering one hour a week at your local Scout Group, becoming a Scout Fellow or leaving us a gift in your will, whatever you choose to give, it will make a difference.
Scouting provides flexible opportunities not only for individuals but also for our corporate partners. From sponsoring a badge or even to using our employee volunteering programme, speak to one of our Corporate Partnership team.
As a volunteer you will develop skills, meet friends and make a difference to the lives of hundreds of young people in your community.
0845 300 1818 k .u g r .o s t u o c .s w ww
As a company you will benefit from working with one of the most trusted organisations in the UK, increased brand awareness and commercial benefits.
Copyright Š 2010 The Scout Association Registered Charity Numbers 306101 (England and Wales) and SC038437 (Scotland)