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Scouting in Hospitals is back. Meet the new lead.

After a successful pilot at Edinburgh’s children’s hospital, Scouting in Hospitals is returning this term. Eilidh Mather, a Scout volunteer of more than a decade who also works at the hospital, will lead what comes next.

Last year we told you we were trying something new at Edinburgh’s children’s hospital: taking Scouting somewhere it hadn’t been before.

We’re very glad to tell you it worked.

For around 12 weeks, Scout volunteers worked alongside hospital staff to bring Scouting into the Royal Hospital for Children and Young People. The idea was never to recreate a normal Scout night on a hospital ward. It needed to work around the young people who were there, how they were feeling and what was happening around them.There was no pressure to take part. Scouting was simply there if they wanted it.

For young people and families dealing with hospital stays, appointments and treatment, that could offer something refreshingly ordinary in a place where life can feel anything but.

The pilot was well received by families and the hospital, so sessions are returning this term. And this time, there’s someone taking the lead.

Meet Eilidh

There aren’t many Scout roles where knowing your way around both an Explorer meeting and a children’s hospital is quite so useful.

Fortunately, Eilidh knows both.

She has been a Scout volunteer for more than a decade, with roles in Clackmannanshire, Paisley & District and Perth and Kinross. Over the years she has worked with Beavers, Scouts, Explorers and Young Leaders, and she is currently an Explorer Leader in Edinburgh North East.

She also loves going to Blair Atholl, which feels important to mention.

Away from Scouting, she works with children and young people in the eye clinic at the Royal Hospital for Children and Young People. So she already understands the hospital, the people who work there and, importantly, that what works for one young person might not work for another.

Eilidh Mather
New Hospitals Lead at Blair Atholl 2026

Making Scouting as inclusive as possible has mattered to her throughout her time as a volunteer. This role gives her the chance to put that into practice somewhere Scouting has only just begun to find its feet.

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When we first tried Scouting in Hospitals last year, we genuinely didn’t know how it would work. What mattered was turning up, working alongside the hospital team and giving young people the chance to take part if they wanted to. The response showed us it was absolutely worth doing again.

Eilidh understands both Scouting and the hospital in a way very few people could, and I’m delighted she’s taking the lead. I’m really excited to see where she and the team take it next.

Martin Elliot

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A Scout Group, just not quite as you know it 

Behind the scenes, we’re treating Scouting in Hospitals as a Scout Group. In practice, though, it will look rather different from most.

There won’t necessarily be several sections gathering in the same hall at the same time every week. A young person might join in for a whole activity, spend ten minutes with the team, or decide they’re not feeling it that day. All of those are perfectly good outcomes.

Eilidh’s job is to give the Group the structure it needs while keeping that flexibility. She’ll lead the team, help shape the activities and work with South East Scotland Scouts and Edinburgh Children’s Hospital Charity as the project develops.Sessions are due to start again in the next few weeks and will run during term time. We’ll share more once they’re under way.

For now, though, this one is worth celebrating.

Last year we tried taking Scouting somewhere new. It worked. Now we get to see where it goes next.

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