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Volunteering can be a brilliant way to boost your mental wellbeing. It’s a great feeling knowing you’re helping young people get skills for life, and you might even learn a lot about yourself along the way.
Scouts can make you feel good in other ways too. We’ll guide you to an opportunity where you’ll:
Scouts can make you feel good in other ways too. We’ll guide you to an opportunity where you’ll:
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Volunteering Opportunities
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Section Team Leader
At the beating heart of our programme, we need Volunteers to be our Team Leaders. Team Leaders lead our Team Members to break the mould and create bold environments for their Sections to grow, play and explore. Join our welcoming teams and you will find that The Scouts can make it happen for our young people.
We promise you’ll feel energised, excited, and enthusiastic (OK, and maybe slightly worn out at times), but one thing’s for sure, you’ll be back for more. You’ll create lifelong memories for our young people. And when they’re ready, you’ll send them off to become courageous, and eager to reach new heights on their journey with The Scouts. Never been a Scout before? Neither have the Squirrel Scouts or some of our older Section young people! Trust us, it’s never too late to get involved in the fun! You might be giving skills for life to future technicians, musicians, or even politicians. |
Section Team Member
At the beating heart of our programme, we need Volunteers to be our Team Members. Members break the mould and create bold environments for their Sections to grow, play and explore. Join our welcoming teams and you will find that The Scouts can make it happen for our young people.
We promise you’ll feel energised, excited, and enthusiastic (OK, and maybe slightly worn out at times), but one thing’s for sure, you’ll be back for more. You’ll create lifelong memories for our young people. And when they’re ready, you’ll send them off to become courageous, and eager to reach new heights on their journey with The Scouts. Never been a Scout before? Neither have the Squirrel Scouts or some of our older Section young people! Trust us, it’s never too late to get involved in the fun! You might be giving skills for life to future technicians, musicians, or even politicians. |
Trustee Member
As a Trustee, you’ll be part of a dynamic team working together to make our Scout Group operate like a well-oiled machine. Responsible for the governance matters, you’ll make sure everything is set up properly, so that young people have the best experience in Scouts.
Our Trustees see the big picture, make decisions and work together. As a team, you’ll ensure that everything’s being done safely and legally, as well as connecting Scouts with our local Hampton community. Not been a Trustee before - that’s fine. We're all about providing new experiences and we’ll support you, making sure you learn everything you need to know, as you go. Our Board of Trustees meets quarterly, usually on a weekday evening for between 1 and 2 hours. The meeting days and dates are decided to be suitable to all or most of the Trustees. We prefer face to face but can do online when needed. |
Our Sections
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As Scouts we prepare young people with skills for life. Each year we help over 460,000 girls and boys national enjoy fun and adventure while developing skills to succeed. If you choose to volunteer, you can work directly with young people or in a support role as a team or individual. Prior experience or a connection with Scouting is not necessary and we welcome people from different backgrounds. Remember, you can decide how much or little time you give to Scouting.
Volunteer Joining Journey
When new volunteers first join Scouts, their Team Leader or Lead Volunteer will be in touch regularly in the first few weeks. They’ll explain how Scouts works, discuss the time the new volunteer has available, agree on tasks, share the safe scouting cards, and outline the learning they’ll need to complete. All new volunteers also have to complete key vetting and safeguarding checks.
Our digital tools support volunteers, tracking their progress and showing the steps to be completed.
Read on for more information on the steps to become a full member.
Our digital tools support volunteers, tracking their progress and showing the steps to be completed.
Read on for more information on the steps to become a full member.
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Criminal Record Checks The criminal record check (where required) must be started within 30 days of joining. We use a mobile friendly self-service criminal record check process through Atlantic Data.
Please note, we don’t use the Disclosure Update Service. This means new volunteers will have to complete a criminal record check even if they’ve already completed one for another organisation. |
Welcome Conversation In the first six weeks of joining Scouts, the volunteer will attend a Welcome Conversation with their Team Leader and a volunteer who has the Welcome Conversation Volunteer accreditation.
It’s an opportunity for new volunteers to introduce themselves and their interests, and for current volunteers to make sure they understand and commit to our values, and how we keep young people safe. |
Internal Checks Scouts UK Headquarters (UKHQ) automatically check new volunteers against our internal records to make sure there’s nothing that would prevent them from becoming full members.
This process is quick, and both new volunteers and Team Leaders can view any restrictions applied to someone’s membership by UKHQ on our digital system. |
Declarations When volunteers join, or take on a new role, they'll be asked to accept a declaration relevant to their role, committing them to uphold Scout values, follow Scout policies and complete the required learning.
Charity trustees in the UK must also complete an eligibility declaration form saying they're eligible to be a Trustee. |
References References are used to keep young people safe and check all volunteers are right for Scouts. References must be requested within 6 weeks of joining. Referees should ideally know about the volunteer’s work or contact with young people, and be able to comment on their character and relationships with others. Referees must not be relatives. At least one referee must have known the volunteer for at least five years. One referee must not be from the Scouts.
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Safe Scouting Cards
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Yellow Card
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Purple Card
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Green Card
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Safety Checklist Card
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Useful resources
To help support new volunteers, we’ve also created some new tools:
To help support new volunteers, we’ve also created some new tools:
- A handy welcome pack to give to new volunteers, containing all the basic information they’ll need about Scouts and our general expectations of them as a volunteer. There is also a low ink version of the welcome pack.
- New volunteers have the option to receive support from a buddy, in a non-formal way.
Volunteer Learning
A more engaging learning experience
Learning is divided into Growing Roots learning and Branching Out learning. Growing Roots learning, is the mandatory learning that all volunteers need to complete and Branching Out learning, is optional and allows you to continue your learning and complete your Wood Badge.
Growing Roots
Growing Roots learning is designed to ensure that everyone that is volunteering with Scouts has the skills and knowledge they need to carry out their role effectively. It supports adults and provides them with the information they need to help deliver, or support the delivery of, high quality, safe, sound and exciting scouting to young people. It covers the basics of Scouts, safety, data protection and creating an inclusive environment.
All Growing Roots learning is completed online using our learning system. The system tracks progress and automatically updates the learner’s membership record to show that each piece of learning has been completed.
Growing Roots learning appropriate to the role, as specified in the teams table, has two deadlines to meet. Safeguarding and Safety learning must be completed within 30 days of the start of the provisional role. The other elements for Growing Roots must be completed within 180 days of the applicant’s personal details being entered into the membership system.
Volunteers starting a new type of role that requires additional learning, have 180 days to complete their Growing Roots learning.
Growing Roots is the learning that all volunteers need to complete within their first six months as a new volunteer.
All Growing Roots learning is completed online using our learning system. The system tracks progress and automatically updates the learner’s membership record to show that each piece of learning has been completed.
Growing Roots learning appropriate to the role, as specified in the teams table, has two deadlines to meet. Safeguarding and Safety learning must be completed within 30 days of the start of the provisional role. The other elements for Growing Roots must be completed within 180 days of the applicant’s personal details being entered into the membership system.
Volunteers starting a new type of role that requires additional learning, have 180 days to complete their Growing Roots learning.
Growing Roots is the learning that all volunteers need to complete within their first six months as a new volunteer.
Safety
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Safeguarding
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Creating Inclusion
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Data Protection in Scouts
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Who we are and what we do
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The learning that some people need to complete:
This is role specific learning that all new volunteers will need to complete within their first six months. Most people will only need to complete one of these learning units. But some will be required to complete two, or all three.
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First Response
Although not technically a part of Growing Roots learning, First Response must be completed by some people within 12 months of starting a role. This means that First Aid, to a minimum of First Response, and that covers the Scouts First Response syllabus is needed for these roles:
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Branching Out Learning
Branching out, Wood Badge, learning will be structured as a programme of learning personalised to you -by you. It will be focused on being engaging, relevant and something you’ll want to do. Branching out and continuing your learning to gain your Wood Badge is open to everyone that has a role in Scouts.
The learning and development opportunities available range from skills-based training such as first aid, risk assessment, safeguarding and public relations through to experience in leadership, management, communication, organisation, safeguarding, executive training and experience of working with young people.
Branching Out learning currently consists of two parts:
The learning and development opportunities available range from skills-based training such as first aid, risk assessment, safeguarding and public relations through to experience in leadership, management, communication, organisation, safeguarding, executive training and experience of working with young people.
Branching Out learning currently consists of two parts:
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Learning
Learning is any activity that helps you to gain skills, knowledge or values. The most beneficial learning, as far as the scouts is concerned, is that which helps you to fulfil your scouting role more easily and with increasing success |
Validation (Demonstration)
Validation is the process of finding out if you are able to put the learning covered by a module into practice in your role in scouts. All learning for your role requires validating regardless of whether you have gained the skills from previous experience or by taking part in planned learning. Some learning is validated automatically by our learning system and some learning will need to be carried out by the District Volunteer Development Team |
Volunteer Useful Documents
DBS Application Form
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Personal Expense Claim Form
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Section Finance Form
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Event Finance Form
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Scouting Brand Colours
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Adult Volunteer AwardsAt the Scouts we want to thank all our volunteers for their contribution to Scouting - it's an important way to make sure people stay with us and to recognise their achievements.
Awards are a wonderful way to celebrate the achievements of members and recognised volunteers in your team. You can use an award to recognise gallantry and meritorious conduct, outstanding and excellent service and long service |
Group Volunteer Awards Recipients
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Good Service Awards
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Lead Volunteer's Commendation
In recognition of a persons contribution to Scouting
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Chief Scout’s Commendation
In recognition of at least five years good service, which stands out
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Award of
Merit In recognition of outstanding service, of at least 12 years
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Bar to the
Award of Merit For at least five years of further outstanding service to the Award of Merit
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Silver
Acorn Specially distinguished and appreciably better than outstanding service of at least 20 years
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Bar to the
Silver Acorn In recognition of at least a further five years of specially distinguished service to the Silver Acorn
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Silver
Wolf In recognition of services to Scouting of the most exceptional nature,
Scouting's Highest Award 
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Long Service Awards
Length of service awards are available to Members and Associate Members of the Association with an adult appointment, uniformed or not (with the exception of occasional helpers).
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