Scouts launches campaign to address volunteer exodus

The Scouts has launched a recruitment campaign called #GoodForYou to tackle a drop in volunteer number amid the Covid-19 pandemic.

The campaign will involve locally based recruitment over six months. This will target new adult volunteers, as well as young people, to urge them to join the movement.

It also aims to target those who have left the charity during the pandemic.

Key messages include promoting the benefits of wellbeing, supporting community and enhancing career prospects by volunteering.

According to the charity the number of adult volunteers fell from 155,907 in 2020 to 140,810 this year. This period also saw a 24.5 per cent drop in youth membership, falling from 480,083 to 362,752.

Scouts says that remote schooling pressure and disrupted family lives have contributed to the fall in young people taking part in its activities.

In addition, Scouts is creating 66 development officer jobs for young adults through the government’s Kickstarter employment programme.

“Young people have lost out on so much in the past year and our membership numbers show how many were unable to continue with Scouts due to lockdown,” said Scouts chief executive Matt Hyde.

“The good news is they are coming back in droves, so we need more people to help us make sure young people can once again meet friends, have fun and fulfil their potential by learning skills for life. That’s why today we’re calling on people to volunteer for Scouts.”

Volunteering at Scouts isn’t just about changing young people’s lives. It’s about doing something that’s #GoodForYou too. Good for your health and happiness, good for developing skills, and good for making friends. Find your local volunteering opportunity: https://t.co/2kh1qiUxK4 pic.twitter.com/dUZnb4LKB5
— Scouts (@scouts) May 27, 2021

The charity’s chief scout Bear Grylls added: “The past year has been so tough for so many. And it’s also shown just how important it is for us to work together to help those in need.

“Scouts plays a fundamental role in the lives of thousands of young people and our goal is to build back our membership by welcoming thousands of new volunteers across the movement.

Earlier this month Scouts and Girlguiding were handed £2m from grant giver Pears Foundation to improve their recruitment of volunteers. This involves using technology to review and improve the experience of volunteering.