My time in Scouting
I started Scouting 12 years ago. I had no previous experience in Scouts as no girls were allowed back in my day so I was a Girl Guide instead!! I started scouting when a plea went out for parents to take up running the group’s Beaver Colony which was in danger of folding if no-one took over.  Along with 2 other parents and a grandparent I volunteered to jointly run the section as I knew how much my son and others in the colony got out of attending. With no scouting experience between us it was a daunting prospect but we soon got in to the swing of it with the support of the Cub and Scout Leaders in the Group.  I eventually took on the Beaver Scout Leader (BSL) role and carried on doing Beavers for 5 years until the Cub Scout Leader (CSL) role came up and I felt ready for a change. I have been in this role since and am lucky to be part of a great team of Leaders and Young Leaders with a variety of skills which allows us to offer the Cubs a really varied programme.

What do you enjoy when volunteering with Scouts?
I enjoy the camps most as it is a great opportunity to really get to know the children and young people well and to offer them a bit more adventure than can be done in weekly meetings. It’s incredibly rewarding to get to the end of a successful camp and see them head home exhausted but happy, hopefully with new skills and increased confidence in their abilities. Spending 10 days away with nearly 40,000 Cubs, Scouts and Explorers at a Jamboree in Sonderborg, Denmark is the stand out camp for me. However, every one I have been on has been great fun in different ways, from a night in a scout hall with Beavers on their first night away from home or wild camping in the Lairig Ghru with experienced Explorers.

Have you learnt anything as a Scout volunteer?
As well as having had lots of fun I have learned a huge amount since taking up the role and scouting has enhanced my life in lots of ways. Not least, the practical skills gained have given me the confidence to push myself further and embrace many different outdoor activities that I otherwise wouldn’t have contemplated. I have also met many really inspiring people and made some great friends along the way.

Would you encourage anyone to volunteer with Scouts?
I’d say to anyone thinking of volunteering that they have nothing to lose but lots to gain, as do the young people that their contribution would help.  There is a role to suit everyone and they should be able to do whatever fits in around the rest of their life.  They shouldn’t be put off if they have no experience because there will be people available to advise and help until they find their feet. 

I can honestly say my life has been the better for saying yes to the request for help and can’t imagine not being involved in some capacity going forward.