Whether your young person is already part of our group or is thinking about joining, you’ll find everything you need to know right here.
Can my little boy or girl join?
Absolutely! Scouting has been open to all children, regardless of gender, since 1991.
How old does my young person need to be?
Our Group provides sessions for young people between 4 and 14years of age:
- Squirrels for young people between 4 and 6 years of age
- Beavers for young people between 6 and 8 years of age
- Cubs for young people between 8 and 10½ years of age
- Scouts for young people between 10½ and 14 years of age
- Explorers for young people between 14 and 18 years of age
Is there any flexibility in those age ranges?
Most of our sections allow for some flexibility in the age ranges, giving around 6 months either side of the age ranges for young people who need extra time in a section, or who would like to remain within friendship groups when they move up. The only exception to this is in any Explorer Scout Unit, where young people will automatically cease to be a member on their 18th birthday.
Can I join a waiting list if my young person is too young?
Yes. You can add your young person’s details to our online waiting list.
How safe will my young person be?
Extremely. The safety and wellbeing of our youth is our first concern, as part of The Scout Association's Young People First policy. The Yellow Card for adult volunteers and Orange Card for youth volunteers both detail the child protection policy and code of practice, and our policy is to safeguard the welfare of all members by protecting them from neglect and from physical, sexual and emotional harm.
Can I stay with my young person during their session?
We understand that some of our younger members might prefer to have a familiar grown-up around while they try new things, but we find that even the most nervous of our youth members are absolutely fine once their grown-ups have left the building. That said, if you'd like to help by giving some of your time, you can find out about becoming an adult volunteer if you'd like to spend time with your young person at Scouts.
When do you meet?
Our sections all meet on a Tuesday, at different times.
What times do you meet?
Each of our sections meets at a different time, appropriate to the age range of the young people within the section.
- Squirrels meet at 4:45 - 5:30pm
- Beavers meet at 5:30pm - 6:30pm
- Cubs meet at 6:30pm - 7:45pm
- Scouts and Explorers meet at 7:45pm - 9:30pm
Where do you meet?
We meet at our headquarters, at Holy Cross Community Centre in Billesley.
How much does membership cost?
Our membership subscription is charged at the start of each month, and is based on a cost of £20 per young person, payable by Direct debit.
Can I pay based on the number of sessions a young person attends?
No. Our fees are a membership subscription, not an attendance fee, and because our membership subscription helps to cover our programme, rent and other costs, they are payable each month, regardless of the number of sessions your young person attends.
Is there a free trial available?
Yes. To make sure that Scouting is right for your young person, we offer a two week free trial session during which your young person can meet other young people in their section and consider whether they'd like to join or not.
Are there any other payment methods I can use?
If you're really struggling to pay by Direct Debit, please speak to us in confidence and we'll see what we can do.
How long do I have to pay?
Once you've become a full member, your membership subscriptions will become due immediately after your free trial ends.
Do you offer any help for people struggling with finances?
Yes. If you do need assistance, and cannot pay your subs, you can speak to us in full confidence. While we are a charity, we’ll always try to help as much as we can, offering extended payment plans and other financial assistance, if we can, on a case-by-case basis. Please don't be afraid to ask.
How much does the Uniform cost?
Your young person will need their uniform before we can invest them as a full member of our group, and you can purchase your uniform from the Scouts online store. The latest prices are available on the Scouts Store website.
How do I pay?
Our preferred payment method varies depending on what you're paying for. For membership-related payments, our preferred payment method is bank transfer by standing order. For camps, events and other adventurous activities, you'll pay using Direct Debit, through our Online Scout Manager Parent Portal.
Is using Direct Debit safe?
Absolutely, and unlike the Direct Debits you probably know about, ours works in a similar to the way PayPal works. You can either choose to be in total control and authorise every single payment, or you can set up an automatic payment schedule. In both cases, no money comes out of your bank account without you first authorising it. Our Parent Portal will simply tell you that there is a payment to make, and you need to press a button to authorise the payment to be made.
Are there any other payment methods I can use?
Not at this time, no. If you're really struggling to use the payment methods outlined above, please speak to us and we'll see what we can do.
How long do I have to pay?
Once you've become a full member, your membership subscriptions will become due after your free trial ends. Our system will send you an invoice with all the details you need. After that, your monthly membership subscription invoice will be sent to you on the first of the month, and it will become due on the 28th. We reserve the right to terminate the group membership of any youth member where membership subs remain unpaid for a period of four weeks or more.
Do you offer any help for people struggling with finances?
Yes. If you do need assistance, and cannot pay your subs, please speak to a member of the senior leadership team in confidence as soon as possible to avoid the suspension of your young people’s membership. While we are a charity, we’ll always try to help as much as we can, offering extended payment plans and other financial assistance, if we can, on a case-by-case basis.
Does my young person have to wear a uniform?
Yes. The Scout Association is a uniformed organisation, and we make sure that all our members wear their uniform with pride.
When do we need to have uniform for our young person?
We ask that all members have their uniform within six weeks of joining. Young people will not be invested into their section without the official uniform.
Where can I buy uniform from?
Your young person will need their uniform before we can invest them as a full member of our group, and you can purchase your uniform from the Scouts online store. The latest prices are available on the Scouts Store website.
Where do badges go?
You can view our where to sew badges page for more information.
Our programme changes throughout the year and includes everything from outdoor adventure and camping to cooking, games, creative activities, community projects, challenges and badge work. We also provide opportunities for young people to try activities they may never have experienced before.
Do you go camping?
Yes! Camps and residential experiences are an important part of Scouting and give young people the opportunity to develop independence, teamwork and practical skills in a different environment.
Does my young person have to go camping?
No. We encourage young people to get involved in as much of the programme as they can, but we understand that not every activity will be suitable for every young person.
Will I be told about activities and camps in advance?
Yes. We’ll provide parents and carers with the relevant information before activities and events, including dates, timings, locations, costs, what to bring and any other important details.
There are a wide range of activity and challenge badges available across the different sections. These cover everything from hobbies and practical skills to teamwork, personal development and adventure.
Do they have to complete every badge?
No. Badges are there to encourage young people to try new things and recognise their achievements. Young people can work towards them at their own pace, with different opportunities available throughout their time in Scouts.
What are the top awards?
Each section has its own top award, giving young people a bigger challenge to work towards. As they progress through Scouting, there are also opportunities to work towards major awards such as the Chief Scout's Awards, Duke of Edinburgh's Awards, Explorer Belt and King's Scout Award.
We’ll share important information with parents and carers through the communication channels used by your section. You can also find general information, news and updates on our website.
Can parents and carers get involved?
Absolutely. There are lots of ways to support the group, from helping at an occasional event to becoming a regular volunteer. You don’t need to be an experienced Scout - there are roles to suit different interests, skills and amounts of time.
Who do I contact if I have a question?
If you can’t find the answer on our website, please get in touch with us through our Contact Us page. If your question relates specifically to your young person or their section, contacting their section leader is usually the best place to start.
Do you have an attendance policy?
Yes. Within reason, and where possible, all young people are expected to attend every session. If your young person is unable to attend a session, you should contact the group as soon as possible to let us know.
What happens if my young person can't attend?
If your young person has an illness which means they'll be away from Scouting for a while, just let us know and we'll look forward to welcoming them back when they're able to return.
What happens if we don't get in touch with the Scout group?
If your young person fails to attend three sessions in a row and we have not heard from you, we reserve the right to terminate their membership of the Group. Before we terminate your young person's membership, we will try one last time to get in touch with you. Our full Attendance Policy explains how we manage attendance and absences, including what happens when we haven't heard from you. You can read the full policy here.
My child has been ill. Can they come to Scouts?
If your young person is suffering from an infectious disease, or an illness involving diarrhoea or vomiting, they should not attend until two full clear days after the last occurrence. For a regular weekly Tuesday session, this would mean that if your young person was unwell at any point on a Sunday, they should not attend and you should let us know.
What happens if my young person becomes ill during a session or an event?
If your young person is feeling unwell, becomes ill or is injured during a session or whilst with us at an event, we will contact you and ask you to come and collect them as soon as possible. If we are unable to contact the primary contacts on our records, we will attempt to contact the emergency contact listed.
Are all leaders and helpers trained and vetted?
Simply put, yes. All our adult volunteers that regularly give their time to help young people thrive will be interviewed, asked to provide references, undergo mandatory training to help them be the best they can be, and undergo an enhanced disclosure check through the Disclosure and Barring Service. In addition to this, special additional training is provided for our leaders who take young people away on residential events like camps and sleepovers.
What rules do volunteers follow?
All volunteers are bound by and are expected to follow a simple and clear code of behaviour, which we call The Yellow Card. It's gvien to all adults that interact with young people, whether they're an occasional helper, section assistant, leader, supporter or manager, and is included in the training each adult volunteer receives. Every adult volunteer is also given their own Yellow Card to refer back to, which has contact details for The Scouts safeguarding team. You can see a larger version of the Yellow Card at our meeting place on our notice board.
What policies does the Group follow?
Every Scout Group and individual involved in Scouts is bound by the Scouts' Policy, Organisation and Rules. Two of the key policies in POR are child protection and safety. You can see the full policies in the Policy, Organisation and Rules section of the Scouts website.
What are the arrangements for events, camps, activities and nights away?
We will always give you notice, ask for your permission and provide you with a way of contacting the group while your young person is away with us. We will always have at least two adult volunteers present at any residential activities, such as camps and sleepovers, unless the young people involved are participating in an expedition or an event where adults are not expected to attend at all. We’ll always tell you if there is to be no adult presence for a particular activity, and we’ll never ask to take individual young people away on their own.
Can I find out more about The Scouts' policy on safeguarding and safety?
Yes. We've only included the key points of the safety and safeguarding policies here, as we keep up to date with Scouts POR at all times. You can find out more by visiting the Stay Safe: Safety and Safeguarding Policy page on the Scouts website.