Volunteering with Scouts – The Feel Good Factor 

Yes, it’s very rewarding helping young people to face new challenges and learn to overcome them. Seeing them grow in confidence will put a smile on your face. As a Scouting volunteer you’ll get plenty out of it too. You’ll: 

• *Enjoy new experiences 
• *Try different activities 
• *Visit new places 
• *Learn and share skills 
• *Meet new people and give back to your local community 
• *Have the chance to gain externally recognized qualifications 
• *Trekking across the hills (or not if you prefer a ‘behind the scenes’ role) 
• *Support young people, as they see new things and do things they’ve never done before  

*The role of a Scout volunteer is also good for your CV, as it suggests that you’re someone who joins in, takes the lead, is supportive and can build successful relationships. All of these qualities are prized and sought after by employers. 

Improve your Career Opportunities 

As a volunteer, you’ll develop skills that will be useful in your life and work. You’ll get so much out of working with young people, such as: 

• *Improving your leadership and teamwork skills 
• *Learning to support and manage 
• *Discovering hidden talents like fundraising, media relations and event management 
• *Developing administrative skills as a Scouting Secretary or Treasurer 
• *Getting active and outdoors and having lots of fun too! 

*There’s nothing like the buzz of adventure, exploring possibilities and doing surprising new things with the young people. 

Volunteer today. 

South East Scotland Scouts is full of ordinary people making an extraordinary difference to young people’s lives and learning a whole lot along the way.

Read their stories and find the perfect volunteer role for yourself. Whether you want to work with young people directly or help behind the scenes, there’s something for everyone at Scouts.

• Meet Aileen Hesketh – District Explorer Scout Administrator – DESA – (and District Badge Secretary) 
• Meet Bill Ramsay – Deputy District Commissioner
• Meet Jack Caldwell – Cub Leader
• Meet Kirstin Worsley – Beaver Leader
• Meet Gayle Foulner – Cub Leader 
• Meet Ross Cootes – Scout Leader
• Meet Jacqui Phillips – Cub Leader
• Meet Derek Brown – Chairman of Borders District Scout Council Executive Committee
• Meet Sarah Gilbert – Executive Committee Member
• Meet Norrie Allan – Borders District Appointments Secretary
• Meet Scott Goddard – Regional Executive Committee
• Meet John Cannon – Regional Chair
• Meet Malcolm Leckie – Active Support Manager, Longcraig Scout Water Centre

Volunteer to help Scouting and help your community

Put your skills to use, learn new ones and play an active role in your local community.

Scouting in South East Scotland Scouts is run completely by volunteers to ensure that young people can enjoy as much fun and adventure as possible. However we still have many young people on waiting lists who want to join Scouting, but can’t because we don’t have enough volunteers to allow all the extra young people to join.

We don’t just need people to volunteer to help run weekly meetings. There are also plenty of support roles working behind the scenes. You could help with maintenance, assist with finances or record keeping, help with a badge of specific activity, provide training support or help with social media.

There are a variety of roles in Scouting to work with a range of different age groups, meaning that there is an opportunity for everyone to get involved, regardless of how much time you can commit:

• Section Leaders: Organise and lead the meetings. It sounds like a big job, but as a team its manageable. We have a number of our members running sections and have helped to put on some of the best events and activities in the Region.
• Assistant Section Leaders: This is the role most members pick. It provides the opportunity to run games and activities, but with slightly less involvement than a full leader. An assistant leader attends (almost) every week to help with whatever the group is doing.
• Section Assistants/Occasional Helpers: Don’t want to commit to a weekly basis but to help? Occasional helpers still run games and activities, but less frequently. It could be anything from once a term to a couple of times a month. This is perfect for the busy yet helpful adult/carer/parent. It’s also a great stepping stone for anybody not quite sure about Scouting!
• Other: There are plenty of other opportunities in Scouting, we can basically accommodate anything. Maybe you have a specific skill or particular interest to share with the young people, or you would rather just offer a bit of time to help with the upkeep of our district campsite. For example:

• Young Leaders (aged 14-18) to support our young people and volunteers at regular meetings
• Managers to lead and support teams of adults to deliver Scouting
• Trustees to make sure property and resources are properly administered
• Instructors to run a huge range of adventurous activities
• Media and communications people to promote Scouting and improve our communication
• Administrators to maintain finances, records and ensure policies and procedures are followed correctly
• Training Managers to co-ordinate our comprehensive adult training programme

And more!

Volunteering is easier than you think. With full support and training, you can volunteer on a flexible basis.

Give young people the skills they need to succeed in life and discover how being part of the Scouting family can be as rewarding for you as it is for them.

You just need to believe in a more positive future and the difference we can make together.

Volunteer today and help us prepare more young people with Skills for Life.

Do I really have the Skills you need?

You don’t have to be an adventurer like Bear Grylls to get involved with Scouting. Do you have first aid knowledge? Are you good with numbers? Handy in the kitchen? Or are you a DIY whizz? We all have useful skills and you can volunteer and help in many ways.

What if I don’t have much spare time?

Volunteering with us is easy, fun and flexible – how much time you give is completely up to you. Whether you help out once a fortnight, month or term or just at special events or camps, there is bound to be a role you can play, and no matter how you get involved, we’ll make sure you’re properly trained and supported.

What will I get out of volunteering?

As well as gaining externally recognised skills and having a brilliant time, Scouting also offers the chance to build on personal skills, like teamwork, confidence and leadership. A study found that over 90% of our volunteers believe that the skills and experiences they have gained through Scouting have been of relevance to their working or personal lives.

My child is in Scouting – is there anything I can do to help?

The short answer is yes. Many of our helpers and leaders are parents of our youth members because they’ve seen first hand how Scouting benefits young people and want to give something back. It’s also a chance to spend more time with your children and learn new skills.

Is there an age limit?

As long as you’re over 18, you can help out as an adult volunteer in Scouting. There is no upper age limit for adult volunteers. If you are aged between 14 to 18, there is the option of becoming a Young Leader.

Anyone who volunteers with Scouts will be part of a great team of leaders and will work with some amazing young people who are keen to try new and positive experiences!

 

Where you can volunteer with South East Scotland Scouts?

There’s always room for another at any youth section or in the behind the scenes teams. All our Districts have particular needs at the moment.

The South East Scotland Scouts Region is made up of seven Districts. The map of South East Region shows the approximate location of Scout Groups (Beavers, Cubs and Scouts), Explorer Units and Centres – Bonaly Scout Centre and Longcraig Scout Centre – across the Region. Across the seven Districts we have 92 Groups. So there is lots of local opportunities to volunteer.

Scout Districts are where the programme is delivered to young people. The Scout Districts manage the Scout Groups, Explorer Scout Units and Scout Network within them.

South East Scotland Scouts at a glance – find out more

If you’re interested in finding out how you could get involved with Scouting, complete the form here or contact our South East Scotland Scouting Support Officer, Kirstie Armsworth today. We will be in touch to chat to you.

Find A Role For You 

We provide flexible volunteering that works around you, your time and your personal life. 

Are you unsure where you could fit into the adventure? Do you want to better understand where your skills could be put to the best use? Not really sure about what you would like to do? 

No problem… send us a few contact details and someone will be in touch to discuss volunteering for South East Scotland Scouts in more detail. 

We will talk you through all of the exciting opportunities available, answer any questions you may have and then leave it to you to decide how you want to get involved.  

Generally, there are a variety of roles in Scouting to work with a range of different age groups, meaning that there is an opportunity for everyone to get involved, regardless of how much time you can commit: 

• Section Leaders: Organise and lead the meetings. It sounds like a big job, but a number of our members are running sections as it plays to their strengths and they really enjoy it. We have helped to put on some of the best events and activities. It’s has a lot of rewards, so is certainly worth considering! 
• Assistant Section Leaders: This is the role most members pick. It provides the opportunity to run games and activities, but with slightly less involvement than a full leader. An assistant leader attends (almost) every week to help with whatever the group is doing but if you are a do-er and give it a go-er please consider the Section Lead role. 
• Section Assistants/Occasional Helpers: Don’t want to commit to a weekly basis but to help? Occasional helpers still run games and activities, but less frequently. It could be anything from once a semester to a couple of times a month. This is perfect for the busy yet helpful amongst you. It’s also a great stepping stone for anybody not quite sure about Scouting! 
• Executive Team: This includes a Chair, Secretary, Treasurer and General Members. Though ‘Executive’ sounds a bit formal, it is actually not like that at all! We are a relaxed team of like-minded individuals! Our Executive Committees are made up of people who shape our decisions, approve our strategy and monitor our performance. Joining our Executive Committee is an exciting way to be part of Scouts in a non-uniformed role, playing a valuable role in making sure we deliver the best experiences to our young people. These roles are ideal for those who do not necessarily wish to work directly with young people, but would like to help to support and develop Scouting a couple of hours or so a month. 
• Other: There are plenty of other opportunities in Scouting, we can basically accommodate anything. Maybe you have a specific skill or particular interest to share with the young people, or you would rather just offer a bit of time to help with the upkeep of our district campsite. Just send me a message and we can sort something out.  
•  

Please volunteer today.