Parents Did You Know?

Scouting at 8th Ashford simply would not exist without the skills and enthusiasm of its adult helpers.

Whether you can spare two hours a week or a day a month, we need parent representatives, section helpers, and many other roles for people who share our aim of making life better for young people.

You don’t need to know everything about Scouting - we’ll provide full training, induction and ongoing support. What matters is that you are committed, have a sense of humour and a huge amount of common sense.

Adults in Scouting are from all walks of life. Yet the one thing they share is the enjoyment of helping young people reach their potential. You may not be aware of the following facts:

None of our Leaders are paid – they are all volunteers.

The majority of our Leaders have full time jobs and a family.

Leaders get involved because they want to have fun and make new friends themselves.

Leaders are not ‘superheroes’ who know everything. We are given training on the job and learn new skills as we go along.

The one thing that unites our Leaders is the energy and enthusiasm they have for giving young people the adventure of Scouting. Whilst all our volunteers are passionate about what they do, many help out on a flexible basis due to other commitments. Some may help out once a week or fortnight whereas others help on activity days or at camp. Many of our volunteers help out in Scouting as they are a parent of a current Member. Many of us were not Scouts when they were young but have learnt new skills and made new friends through Scouting.

Not all volunteers wear a uniform

Many of our adult volunteers say they are more confident in their everyday lives as a result of their involvement with Scouting. Not all adults who volunteer for Scouting work with young people.

There are a variety of other jobs that need to be done on a regular basis such as gardening and general DIY, help with organising events. This means that adult Leaders who do work directly with young people do not have to spend all their time doing paperwork.

All our Leaders are covered by a comprehensive insurance policy while taking part in Scouting.

New Leaders in Scouting go through a criminal records check to ensure they are fit to work with young people.

Everyone has something to give

You may feel that you have no skills to offer Scouting - but everyone has something to give. Doing things such as making squash and organising games means the Leader has more time to spend with the young people.

Do you have any hobbies or interests you could share?

For example, are you a qualified First Aider who could run an interactive session or do you have an interest in nature and could take a Group on a fun walk through the local woods?

If you don’t have time in the evenings when the Section meet could you use your work skills to help out a few hours a month to suit you?

Are you a gardener, an accountant or work in Public Relations for example or could you take a Group to your place of work such as a police station or garden centre?

What you can get out of volunteering

Volunteering in Scouting is fun and rewarding. You will have the chance to learn new skills, rediscover adventure, make new friends, spend more time with your child if they are a Scout and give something back to your community. Whether you are a Network Member, parent of a child in Scouting, or someone who is totally new to Scouting you’ve come to the right place. One of the biggest myths about Scouting is that Groups are closing down due to a lack of young people wanting to become Members. Nothing could be further from the truth; Scouting in the UK is a growing Movement and we currently have 30,000 young people on our waiting lists simply because we do not have enough adults to help out.

Why help?

There are many reasons why adults choose to volunteer for Scouting. Here are some that existing volunteers have given:

To give something back to the community:

‘I believe the kids get such a lot out of it; I just put a bit back for what the kids take out.’

To support the Leaders: ‘They give so much, you’ve got to give some of that back.’

Because volunteering is a ‘good thing’: ‘I just personally believe that you should always do some kind of voluntary work…otherwise nothing would get done in this world.’

As an enabler, so the Leader can do more: ‘If I can help Sam, our Leader, out by doing the little things, then it means she has got more time to give the kids and then they get more out of it.’

To spend more quality time with your child: ‘David used to go on his PlayStation2 while I read the paper after school and work – now we get a chance to do activities together.’

To develop your own skills: ‘I hadn’t used a compass since I was a Scout. After I learned how to use one again, I take one out on family walks. We get lost less than we used to!’

To enjoy and rediscover adventure for yourself: ‘We had a water fight at Beavers the other week, it was great!’