Bear Grylls calls for more adults to sign up to Scouting

Saturday 15 April 2017

Scouts in Jersey have announced a record number of volunteers but waiting lists are at an all time high and they are calling for even more volunteers to help.

More than 1000 people are involved in scouting in Jersey, including 237 adult volunteers. Yet waiting lists for young people have hit a high of 107.

Scouting in Jersey now has 237 volunteers, more than at any point in its history. However, they still need more Islanders to help. 

Chief Scout Bear Grylls said: “I’m super proud that we have so many adult volunteers who are helping young people develop the skills they need to succeed in life. Our challenge is to keep recruiting even more adults as we’ve got 51,000 young people wanting to join and benefit from what Scouting offers. Volunteering changes us all for the better. Please join me.”

`Despite such high numbers of volunteers, the waiting list for young people who want to join the Scouts in Jersey has sky-rocketed to 107, again, the highest figure in Scouting’s history.

Hayley Dewar, Island Development Officer, said: “Our adult volunteers today seek much more flexible volunteering arrangements than in the past, so that they can fit it around their busy lives.

“Many adults who are signing up with the Scouts have a limited amount of time to donate to us, and so we need more volunteers as a whole in order to accommodate the continued demand for Scouting among young people.”

“I’m therefore calling on adults who want to make a difference to the lives of young people in their parishes to give Scouting a go. We know that not having enough time is the main barrier to volunteering among adults, which is why we want to make it easier by offering flexibility in a range of roles from Scout group leaders to administrative and trustee positions.”