Places

Our aim: To provide amazing scout groups and explorer scout units with appropriately sized (but aiming for maximum sized), sections run by larger teams of adults.

All our scout groups have a proactive executive committee in place. Executive members understand their role and know where to go for support. Our explorer scout units are governed efficiently within the district.

This means:

Where numbers are consistently low, we will subjectively review our provision of scouting to enable us to support the growth of our membership (both young people and adults), and the provision of vibrant, modern, successful scout groups, explorer scout units and scout networks within our local communities, that people want to be part of.

As part of this process we will reform our governance and provide support for our trustees.

_________________________________________________________________________________________________

We all know that great programmes that are well delivered attract and retain more young people. If we recruit young members and adults and our programme doesn't meet their expectations, they will leave. If an exciting and balanced programme is created people will come, but it will take much longer to build numbers than if growth driven by quality is also supported by recruitment.

To deliver our goal of more young people and adult volunteers joining and enjoying scouting we need to develop a coordinated approach that looks at both our programme quality and approach to recruitment.

Recruitment should not be something we do when youth numbers fall or leaders are needed: the best reason to recruit should be because numbers are naturally rising - this is a signal that the right approach is in place.

We also know that to help us grow we need to ensure that all our scout groups are complete, with no missing sections and are also partnered to a local explorer scout unit, to retain young people as they grow.

Independent research suggests that the earlier a young person accesses non-formal education, the more positive the impact on their prospects. We also believe that the earlier a young person starts their scouting experience the longer they will stay a member. We also know that young people (14 to 18 years), that become young leaders are more likely to stay on to become a leader.

To help us grow we need to continue to:

take a coordinated approach to link quality programmes and recruitment
open missing sections in groups and districts
open new sections where there are large waiting lists or no provision
have discussions with groups where their sections have less than 5 young people
support and grow sections that have fewer than 5 but less than 12 young people

and:

Where numbers are consistently low, we will subjectively review and have positive conversations about our provision of scouting to enable us to sustain and support the growth of our membership (both young people and adults), and the provision of vibrant, modern, successful scout groups and explorer scout units within our local communities that people want to be part of.