Children on 'waiting lists' to join the Scouts

Scouting may evoke memories of woggles, neckerchiefs and dyb-dyb-dyb (do your best).

But despite being founded more than a century ago, the movement remains popular with the UK's youngsters, with demand for places having risen dramatically since the Covid pandemic.

More than 100,000 are currently on waiting lists to join, The Scout Association says.

Some groups are setting up extra packs - but there is a warning that groups will not be able to expand unless more new leaders come forward too.

It is a far cry from the latest game played on a laptop or tablet.

But the youngsters at a scout hut in Derbyshire are excited at the prospect of the evening that lies ahead.

The 1st Sawley Scout Group has a long-established pack that meets on Friday evenings.

But a second pack on Tuesdays was recently set up to meet demand.

"The appeal is that it's not technology, we're not on Game Boys and we're not on our phones," said scout leader Phil Jackson. "What we're doing is getting back to basics."

Each week the group takes part in an exercise.

At a meeting attended by the BBC, the 10 to 14-year-olds are encouraged to imagine they are refugees and told to build shelters to protect them from the elements. They are given wooden pallets, plastic sheeting and ropes.

Jase was justifiably proud of their creation.

"We've called it 'the [Great] British Bake Off Tent', because it looks so alike. Inside it's got tight knots with lots of sticks, so that when the rain comes, it won't shatter to pieces," the 10-year-old said.

Friend Ashvin is equally proud of their work and said: "You get to experience different things. It's a fun place to come."

The Scout Association says it currently has 450,000 young people aged four to 17 signed up as members, with the waiting list standing at 107,000. It also has 150,000 adult volunteers.

"I'm so, so proud [of 1st Sawley]," said Catherine Halls-Jukes, lead volunteer with Erewash Scouts.

"It's an amazing group. They have two Colonies [aged four to six], two Beavers [aged six to eight], and it's natural they go on to having two Scout troops.

"And it's a testament to the leadership team that they are able to do that."

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