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Wear their necker

Wear their necker is a fun, exciting and empowering project to celebrate youth shaped scouting. The aim of the activity is for sections, groups and units to give their young people the opportunity to take over adult volunteer roles. It puts young people into decision-making positions, and encourages adults to hear their views.

wear their necker logo

WHEN SHOULD I RUN WEAR THEIR NECKER?
Run it whenever you can. We want this project to be a springboard, to embed the views of young people into the everyday decision-making that takes place in scout groups.

WHO CAN TAKE PART?
Youth members from any section, and adults at group, district and county levels can participate.

WHAT DO YOUNG PEOPLE GET OUT OF IT?

  • a fun chance to be included in decision-making
  • have their voices heard
  • experience a leadership or volunteering role
  • develop new skills
  • share ideas about how to make scouting better in their area

WHAT DO LEADERS GET OUT OF IT?

  • gain a fresh perspective on your work within scouting
  • address existing challenges and perhaps find new solutions
  • inspire your young people and offer them the chance to develop skills
  • develop relationships with the local community

HOW CAN MY SECTION GET INVOLVED?

  1. Agree to take part. The young people, group scout leader, section leaders, section assistants and other helpers should all be on board, along with the adult volunteers who are willing to share their role. These could be people within or outside the group.
  2. Pick a role. Your young people should think about the role, section or activity they would like to take over and lead. They could work together in teams to share a role, if they have similar ideas. Leaders should make sure the young people understand the different roles available, including district and county roles, if these adults have agreed to participate.
  3. Decide on your timescale. Will the takeover be for a week, a meeting or just one activity? This may depend on the planned activities and the size of the sections, but, with a little planning, it will be possible. 
  4. Plan the experience. If your young people are really keen to have a particular experience, make sure you know in advance if it will be possible. Preparing in advance will mean that both adults and young people get the most out of it.
  5. After the experience, follow up some of the decisions they made to demonstrate how their voices were listened to. Use Wear Their Necker as a chance to make the Group more Youth Shaped, as see if there any other challenges you could set.

IMPORTANT THINGS TO REMEMBER
In this activity, as with all youth shaped scouting, communication is key. Your young people should be fully aware of what the project is about before they agree to participate. Ensure your section is fully youth shaped by working on the following:

  • listening to the voices of young people
  • acting upon the ideas young people come up with
  • partnering with young people to develop ideas and run activities
  • empowering young people to develop new skills
  • recognising the achievements of young people
  • ensure your section has carried out an appropriate risk assessment in advance of Wear Their Necker, to identify and minimize any potential hazards. Adult volunteers should still be present during takeover sessions, to maintain the correct ratios and to take overall responsibility for the session, including addressing any safeguarding concerns.