Volunteer

Our volunteers are our everyday heroes!

Whatever your skillset, lend a hand for as little or as much time as you can spare, and we promise you’ll get more out than you put in. Our volunteering opportunities are as varied as you!

Make a difference, volunteer today

You don’t need to be Bear Grylls to join us. Our door is open to people of all ages, genders, races and backgrounds, and we’re only able to change lives because people like you lend a hand. We’re talking about students who want to boost their CV, and parents who volunteer so they can spend more time together as a family.

We provide the training. You show up, get stuck in, and make memories for life. Sounds fun? Worthwhile? It is…

Get inspired

160,000 volunteers like you, helping more than 460,000 young people each year to build #SkillsForLife

Find opportunities near you

Register interest in volunteering

Volunteering at Scouts is #GoodForYou

When people like you play their part, it changes young people’s lives. But volunteering’s also about doing something that’s good for your health and happiness, good for developing skills, and good for making friends.

Don’t believe us? Check out the statistics below or download the infographic.

1. It’s good for your skills and your future

%

of UK adults believe Scouts helps you develop skills useful in later life (YouGov 2020)

%

of young people in the UK aged 14–18 believe Scouts helps you develop skills useful in later life (YouGov 2020)



Scouts score 18% higher on courage, 15% higher on independence, and are 18% more likely to be better problem solvers (Scout Experience Survey 2020)

2. It’s good for your health and happiness

Enjoyment 93% 93%
Sense of personal achievement 90% 90%
Feeling that they make a difference 90% 90%

The most common benefits volunteers report are enjoyment (93%), a sense of personal achievement (90%), and feeling that they make a difference (90%). (Time Well Spent Survey NCVO 2019)

%

of volunteers agree it improves their mental health and wellbeing (Time Well Spent Survey NCVO 2019)



Scouts spend on average 1.1 more days a week being physically active (Scouts Experience Survey 2020)

3. It’s good for your family, friends, and community



Researchers found that participants aged 16–24 and 55–74 were especially likely to benefit from volunteering, perhaps because of the opportunity to build social connections. (Journal of Happiness 2020)

Feeling less isolated 68% 68%
Feeling less isolated (18–24) 77% 77%
Feeling less isolated (25–34) 76% 76%

Over two-thirds (68%) of volunteers agree it helps them feel less isolated — this is even higher amoung younger voltuneers for those aged 18–24 (76%) and those aged 25–34 (76%). (Time Well Spent Survey NCVO 2019)

Find opportunities near you

Register interest in volunteering

What would I get up to?

Most of our volunteers work directly with young people aged 4-18 through our Squirrel, Beaver, Cub, Scout, and Explorer groups, known as sections – helping young people gain skills for life through activities and adventures.

Working in teams, they might:

Welcome young people and families to sessions and events
Make sure everyone’s safe, supported, included and having fun
Help to plan and lead activities
Get involved with days out, camps and expeditions
Share and learn skills – from coding to cake decorating to canoeing
Celebrate young people’s achievements big and small

No previous experience with young people? No problem. Whether you’d like to help out week-after-week or whenever-you-can, we provide training, learning opportunities and cups of tea – every step of the way.