The Scouts are the UK's biggest mixed youth organisation; Richmond upon Thames District has a membership of over 2,380 young people, supported by almost 600 adult volunteers.
As Scouts, we believe in preparing young people with skills for life. We encourage our young people to do more, learn more and be more.
#skillsforlife
Each week, we give over 460,000 young people across the UK the opportunity to enjoy fun and adventure while developing the skills they need to succeed, now and in the future. We’re talking about teamwork, leadership and resilience – skills that have helped Scouts become everything from teachers and social workers to astronauts and Olympians.
We believe in bringing people together. We celebrate diversity and stand against intolerance, always. We’re part of a worldwide movement, creating stronger communities and inspiring positive futures.
We aim that by 2025 are are preparing more young people with skills for life, supported by amazing leaders delivering an inspiring programme. We are growing, inclusive and shaped by young people who are making a bigger impact in our communities.
We are proud to say we are a values-based movement. Our Scout values of integrity, respect, care, belief and cooperation guide everything we do.
What Scouts do
Young people in the Scouts take part in an exciting programme of activities from kayaking to coding. They develop character skills like resilience, initiative and tenacity; employable skills such as leadership, teamwork and problem solving; and practical skills like cooking and first aid.
Through the adventure of Scouting, young people get to take appropriate risks in a safe environment. Our programme provides young people with the opportunities to learn new skills such as camp cooking and photography. Rock climbing, potholing, computer science, geocaching, local and national citizenship, team challenges, personal growth and international experiences are just some of the things they also get up to. We encourage our young people to feel the buzz of the challenge and then reflect on what that means. Did they have fun? Do they feel more confident? Would they do it again?
Scouting exists to actively engage and support young people, empowering them to make a positive contribution to society. The fun of Scouting challenges young people to embark on exciting, new adventures.
Adventure does not have to be extravagant or expensive – there are adventures to be had everywhere. For a Beaver it is an adventure to wake up after their first ever night away on a residential experience, for a Cub the sense of achievement after helping on a community project or for an Explorer the camaraderie of spending the weekend hill walking with fellow Explorers.
HM King Charles III has been confirmed as our new Patron, a great honour for UK Scouts.
The King continues a long tradition of the monarch giving their Patronage, dating back to 1912. This was when Scouts was granted its Royal Charter and HM George V became our first Patron.
