We're Scouts and everyone's welcome here. Every week we give almost half a million people across the UK aged 4-25 the skills they need for school, college, university, the job interview, the important speech, the tricky challenge and the big dreams: the skills they need for life.
Scouts is needed today more than ever:
-At a time when communities are becoming more divided, we bring people together.
-When many young people are looking for connection, Scouts helps them make friends, and build confidence and a sense of belonging.
-We inspire positive futures and help young people find their place in the world by developing the character and practical skills they need to succeed.
Scouts exist to actively engage and support young people aged 6-25 in their personal development, empowering them to make a positive contribution to society. Each week, young people take part in sessions and residential experiences, enjoying a wide variety of activities as diverse as camping, coding, kayaking and community action.
And evidence shows it works. Scouts spend on average more days a week being physically active, are more likely to value the outdoors, more likely to try new things and more likely to have the courage and try challenging activities. Compared to other young people, Scouts score higher on problem solving skills, are more likely to show leadership by taking initiative, and feel warmer towards people from different cultures and religions.
We have more girls and young women than ever. Since 2014 we've opened 1,280 sections in areas of deprivation, with 20,480 more young people from the most deprived communities. We've also launched a brand new section for 4 and 5 year-olds called Squirrels.
Scouts are thriving, but we want to do more. We want to ensure that every young person, whatever their background, has the chance to experience the fun, friendship and skills that Scouting offers. We need to raise funds to launch more groups and grow the ones we have by recruiting more volunteers. Join our Scouts Lottery today and help us reach more young people.