Join the Adventure
Young People
Try over 200 activities
From archery and acting to street sports and zorbing, being a Scout gives you the chance to get stuck into loads of activities you wouldn’t normally get to do.
Make new friends
Chief Scout Bear Grylls says life is about grabbing opportunities! We agree! Above everything else, Scouting is all about enjoying yourself, whatever you're doing – and there'll always be plenty to do!
Get outdoors
As a Scout, you get to explore the big outdoors and travel to new places and try new things. Sounds better than being stuck in the house with nothing to do, right?
Learn exciting things
Not many people know about the stars at night, how to sail a dinghy or make a sausage stew on a campfire, but you soon will! Scouting helps you learn lots of new and amazing skills – and you get to earn badges and rewards along the way.
Parents
What age can my child join Scouting?
The minimum age for Beavers is 6 years old, for Cubs it's 8, Scouts is 10½ and for Explorers it's 14. Group Scout Leaders have a degree of flexibility with these ages, they can usually be lowered by around ½ a year if there is reason to do so (e.g. to keep a friendship group or siblings together).
Because of the more flexible nature of Scout Network, it's run very differently to the other sections. The minimum age to join is 18 and there isn't any flexibility in this due to safeguarding regulations.
How much does membership cost?
Our subscription fees (subs for short) are around £40 per school term, but this will vary slightly between groups. Subs might be paid weekly, monthly or termly and some groups use direct debits. Subs pay for:
- Membership of The Scout Association
- Insurance for all Scout related activities in the UK
- All badges (you may be charged a small fee for replacements)
- A necker (you may be charged a small fee for replacements)
- Section night activities. The only exception is if we do an outside activity but advance notice will be given if any extra is needed
- Most importantly, lots of opportunities and fun
More information about fees can be found here
How will my child benefit from joining Scouts?
Parents tell us their children benefit hugely from the adventures, fun and friendships they experience. It can help develop your child’s social skills and independence, and give them access to some amazing and memorable opportunities.
Waiting Lists
Due to high demand, a lot of our groups operate waiting lists.
These are handled on a first-come-first-served basis however priority will be given to people who are
already in the movement and are 'moving up' a section.
How to join:
The first step to joining Scouting is to find your nearest Group in our groups section. To get started, reach out to a local leader to see if spaces are available and find out more about where and when the group meets.
Scouting is open to all, and we can usually tweak things to make sure everyone can join in the fun. If
you have any questions about accessibility, chat with your local leader as soon as possible. By being
upfront from the start, parents/carers can work in partnership with local leaders to make sure their
young person has the best opportunities.
More
information on specific adjustments can be found here .
Apply Online
Simply fill in a form and it'll get sent to the right people who will get in touch with you
OR
Contact us directly
Get in touch with our leaders and groups directly
(contact details can be found in our
Groups section)