YouShape across your District
A youth shaped District is one where young people do more than attend what adults have organised — they help plan it, influence it, lead it and improve what happens next.
At District level, YouShape should influence events, programme, facilities, communications, spending and the future direction of local Scouting. The question to keep asking is simple: If this decision affects young people, where are young people in the decision?
Start with your District Youth Lead
Every District should have a District Youth Lead working alongside the District Lead Volunteer and wider District team.
Their job is not to speak for every young person. It is to make sure lots of different young people are heard and that their views reach the people who can act on them.
They might:
- visit sections and run youth forums
- gather views from across Groups
- involve young people in District projects and events
- bring youth voice to the District Leadership Team and Trustee Board
- support young people into leadership opportunities
- report back on what has changed.
Do young people in your District know who their Youth Lead is?
Listen throughout the year
YouShape should not depend on one annual youth forum.
Use section visits, District events, Explorer forums, Young Leader conversations, Network meetings, surveys and discussions about specific decisions.
Ask questions about things the District can genuinely influence:
- What activities are missing locally?
- What would make District events better?
- What should we improve at our campsite?
- How should we communicate opportunities?
- What should the District invest in?
Specific questions create answers you can actually use.
Give young people real decisions
Youth shaped Scouting works when young people are trusted with decisions that matter.
That could include:
Programme — what activities and opportunities should we offer?
Events — what should our next District event look like?
Facilities — what would make our campsite or headquarters better?
Communications — how should we tell young people about opportunities?
Budget — where should we invest?
Strategy — what should the District prioritise?
Give young people the real constraints too. If there is a £1,000 budget, tell them. If something cannot happen because of safety, staffing or cost, explain why.
Put young people on the team
Do not wait until a project is finished and then ask young people whether they like it.
Bring them in while decisions are still being made.
Young people could help with:
- District events
- programme projects
- campsite development
- communications
- community projects
- international opportunities
- Young Leader support
- Explorer and Network provision.
Give them a meaningful role and the same information as everyone else.
YouShape at District events
Large District events are one of the best opportunities to involve lots of young people.
Before
Put young people on the planning team and involve them in decisions about activities, food, entertainment, free time, social spaces and communications.
During
Talk directly to the young people experiencing it.
Ask:
What is working?
What should we change?
What should we definitely do again?
Use sticker votes, ideas walls, short conversations or Keep, Change, Add boards.
After
Bring youth feedback into the event review and carry it into planning for the next one.
The first question should be:
“What did young people tell us last time?”
Shape the programme
District teams can use youth voice to understand what sections cannot easily provide themselves.
Ask what young people want more of — adventurous activities, international opportunities, skills, community projects, Top Awards support or opportunities to meet Scouts from elsewhere.
The District should add value to their weekly programme, not simply repeat it.
Shape places and communications
If the District owns a campsite, headquarters or activity centre, ask the young people who actually use it what would make it better.
They might influence activities, accessibility, social spaces, equipment or facilities.
Do the same with communications. Ask young people how they actually hear about things and involve them in creating social media, websites, posters, videos and event promotion.
If something is aimed at young people, young people should help shape it.
Young trustees
Young adults can bring valuable perspectives to District Trustee Boards.
A young trustee is not there as a token youth representative — they are a trustee, with the same responsibility as everybody else.
A District Youth Lead and a young trustee are different roles.
The Youth Lead helps young people's voices reach decision makers.
The Trustee Board makes governance, financial and strategic decisions.
The strongest Districts connect the two so youth feedback becomes evidence used when decisions are made.
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Explorers, Network and Young Leaders
Older sections should have genuine opportunities to shape the District.
Explorers might chair forums, plan events or lead projects.
Network members might organise projects, become Youth Leads, sit on Trustee Boards or support District programmes.
Young Leaders should be asked whether the support and training they receive actually works for them.
But remember: being older does not mean every Scouting opportunity should become volunteering. Explorers and Network members still need their own programme and experiences too.
Close the loop
Asking young people what they think is only half the job.
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Make the impact visible.
You asked for more adventurous activities — so we've added them.
You said our campsite needed somewhere to socialise — so we've created one.
You told us emails were not reaching you — so we've changed how we communicate.
Young people should be able to point to things in their District and say: “We helped make that happen.”
A simple District YouShape cycle
Listen — hear directly from young people.
Involve — bring them into the conversations and teams that matter.
Decide together — give them real choices and real information.
Act — turn ideas into change.
Report back — show what happened.
Then do it again.
What good looks like
Ask yourself:
- Do we have an active and visible District Youth Lead?
- Do we hear from young people throughout the year?
- Are young people involved in District projects and events?
- Can we name decisions they have influenced?
- Does youth feedback influence programme, facilities and spending?
- Are Explorers and Network members given real leadership opportunities?
- Are younger adults encouraged into trustee roles?
- Does the Leadership Team regularly hear youth voice?
- Do we tell young people what changed because of what they said?
YouShape at District level is not about creating more consultation.
It is about making listening to young people, involving them and acting on what they say part of how the District works.
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