South Ribble scouting: huge spike in numbers of youngsters joining as Scouts stage a post-Covid comeback

South Ribble Scouts, the largest district in West Lancashire, have continued to grow in size, with the group’s membership swelling by eight per cent since the start of the Covid pandemic. They now boast more than 1,700 young people.

The group says that they have ‘bounced back’ from the negative effects of the global pandemic and the rise in young people getting involved within the Scouts is the largest they have seen for years.

A spokesperson for the Scouts said: “During the pandemic, despite everyone’s efforts in very challenging circumstances, several young people decided to step back from Scouts. Our youth membership figures dipped in 2021. Fast forward to today, and our huge rise in youth membership is thanks to amazing efforts from all our volunteers to get young people to meet and enjoy safe programs face-to-face again.

"Today’s news is a big positive step in our journey to recover our membership numbers from the effect of the pandemic. There’s still a long way to go to help make sure we’re offering all young people who want to join Scouts the fun, adventure, and skills they need for later in life.”

The Scouts group has also launched a brand new section for young people to get involved with, ‘Squirrels’, inviting four to five-year-olds to participate in the fun adding to more than 1700 members already. With the addition of the new section and the rise in Scouts across the board, the group is always on the lookout for volunteers.

June Holt, the Lead Volunteer for South Ribble District Scouts: “It’s great to see young people returning to Scouting and making new friends, learning new skills, helping their communities rebuild after Covid-19. All of this wouldn’t be possible without our amazing volunteers, who give up their time to enable our young people. Volunteering with Scouts is very rewarding, fun and good for you. For anyone wanting to meet new people and learn new skills, I’d encourage you to volunteer with the Scouts. Whatever you want to do we have a volunteering role for you.”

You can find out how to get involved within the Scout group as a member or volunteer through the website.