RECORD NUMBER OF VOLUNTEERS BUT WAITING LISTS ALL TIME HIGH
Scouting in Nottinghamshire smashes the 10,000 members mark for the first time in decades
There are now over 10,300 members, including over 2,500 adults
Yet waiting lists for young people at an all-time high of 553
Scouts in Nottinghamshire have reported the highest number of adult volunteers on record in its latest annual membership figures
Scouting now has over 2597 volunteers locally, more than at any point in its history. With the nature of volunteering in the UK changing and more adults offering their time flexibly, more people are needed to run Scouting than ever before. This includes youth workers, as well as charity trustees and skills instructors. This year is the first time that The Scout Association has fully incorporated trustees into their total number of volunteers.
Despite such high numbers of volunteers, the waiting list for young people who want to join the Scouts in Nottinghamshire has sky-rocketed to 553, the highest figure in the County’s history. Scouting continues to grow among young people, with around 100 joining in the 12 months up to 31 January 2017.
In total, there are now 7707 young people involved in Scouting in Nottinghamshire. Including adult volunteers, total membership today is up by 8.5% at 10,300. Scouting continues to be the largest co-educational youth movement in the UK with twelve consecutive years of growth in its youth membership.
County Commissioner, Matt Rooney said:
“Our adult volunteers today seek much more flexible volunteering arrangements than in the past, so that they can fit it around their busy lives. Many adults who are signing up with the Scouts have a limited amount of time to donate to us, and so we need more volunteers as a whole in order to accommodate the continued demand for Scouting among young people.”
“We are also seeing a huge increase in the number of parents/carers (of our youth members) volunteering with us, as they want to share the valuable experiences that Scouting provides with their children.”
“I’m therefore calling on adults who want to make a difference to the lives of young people in their communities to give Scouting a go. We know that not having enough time is the main barrier to volunteering among adults, which is why we want to make it easier by offering flexibility in a range of roles from Scout Group leaders to administrative and trustee positions.”
Paige Lowe an Explorer Scout aged 17 from Gotham, said:
“My Scout Leaders are heroes! Every week they provide me with new skills that help me develop as an individual and help me to create a better society. None of this would be possible without the amazing support of volunteers in Scouting.”
Chief Scout Bear Grylls said:
“I’m super proud that we have so many adult volunteers helping young people develop the skills they need to succeed in life. Our challenge is to keep recruiting even more adults as we’ve got 51,000 young people wanting to join and benefit from what Scouting offers. Volunteering changes us all for the better. Please join me.”
Last month five new celebrities signed up to be ambassadors for The Scout Association to promote the vital skills that its members develop through Scouting. The celebrities are Paralympic and Olympic gold medallists Ellie Simmonds and Helen Glover along with Anita Rani, Steve Backshall and Megan Hine.
Scout Ambassador Helen Glover said:
“Adult volunteers are the life-blood of our movement. As a volunteer myself in my capacity as a Scout Ambassador, I recognise the vital importance of helping young people develop skills for life. I call on anyone with a little time and enthusiasm to help us. Whatever your skill, big or small, come and share it and help inspire the next generation.”
Scouting is shaped by young people in partnership with adults and we are always looking for new Volunteers so if you want to help young people gain skills for life join the adventure at www.scouts.org.uk/join
NEW FUND FOR NOTTS SCOUTS
Full details & Brochure/Application forms + Youth Shaped Activity Inspirations booklet
#YouShape Month
February saw groups from across Nottinghamshire diving head first into #YouShape month, a month where we celebrate our commitment to Youth Shaped Scouting. Through the support of our leaders, we had young people choosing the games they play, taking part in forums, and signing the #YouShape pledge to show their ongoing commitment to Youth Shaped Scouting.
There was great participation across the county, with some great feedback from leaders as to how their young people had been inspired and empowered to take on the responsibility of shaping their Scouting experience. But remember it’s more than just a month, we should be adopting this approach all year around as the pledge outlines.
Many thanks to everyone who got involved over February – and best of luck for your future #YouShape endeavors!
Jordan Phillips
County Youth Commissioner
Apply for your #YouShape Bronze Award
Requirements for sections to achieve Silver and Gold #YouShape status
SEARCH SITE
SAYING THANK YOU
Don't forget you can now nominate an adult for an award
Click here to make your suggestion to the Awards Board for a Scout Association Award.
Tweets by @NottsScoutsAlso find us on Facebook at 'Nottinghamshire Scouts'.
LINKS
Hover mouse over link for details
Hire of County Resource Centre Facilities
NOTTINGHAMSHIRE SCOUTS JOIN TEXT GIVING
TextGiving function makes it easier for people to donate small amounts of money instantly to support the work of our charity. People can choose to donate £1/£2/£3/£5 or £10 via their mobile by texting the code TBSW12 followed by the amount to 70070. For example 'TBSW £5' to 70070.