{"alias":"blogEntry","byline":"Craig Turpie, Deputy UK Chief Commissioner (Transformation)","standfirst":"We\u2019re continuing on our journey to prepare more young people with skills for life, supported by amazing volunteer, delivering an inspiring programme. Our aims continue to be to grow, to become more inclusive, to be shaped by young people and to make a bigger impact in our communities.","content":{"layouts":[{"type":"singleColumn","areas":[{"items":[{"gridType":"gridImageBlock","gtmId":"gtmId","gtmClass":"gtmClass","image":"/media/19191/squirrels-hugging.jpg","width":7000,"height":4667,"altText":"Three Squirrels in red jumpers smile while putting their arms around each other in a circle.","caption":"","link":null},{"gridType":"RichTextBlock","content":"\u003Ch4\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EEarly years\u003C/strong\u003E\u003C/h4\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EOur focus on early years is still very much a key feature for us in our Skills for Life strategy, and one which we\u2019ve been able to make good progress on. The Squirrels section continues to go from strength to strength, as it grows and offers more opportunities to 4 and 5 year olds across some of the most underrepresented areas of the UK. \u00A0\u00A0\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EOver the past couple of months, we\u2019ve opened up Nights Away opportunities to our newest section. Nights Away events are an important part of our programme and badge work, offering new experiences to our members.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe process for hosting a Nights Away event with Squirrels is the same as for any other Section. However, we\u2019ve created \u003Cspan\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https://www.scouts.org.uk/volunteers/running-your-section/nights-away-and-camping/nights-away-resources/nights-away-with-younger-sections/nights-away-with-younger-sections/\u0022\u003Enew guidance\u003C/a\u003E\u003C/span\u003E to help support Squirrels Section Leaders, as it\u2019s likely to be the first time these young people have been away from home or stayed away without parents, carers or wider family present.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EWe\u2019ve also created a \u003Cspan\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https://app.smartsheet.com/b/form/5831912734c447fdb7832de339391ed4\u0022\u003Enew grant to help Districts recruit and train Nights Away Advisors and Nights Away Permit Holders\u003C/a\u003E,\u003C/span\u003E which will help get these opportunities off the ground.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EElsewhere, we\u2019re continuing to pilot the Partner-led and Family-led model of delivery for Squirrels. We\u0027re making sure we\u0027re partnering with early years experts, to understand what\u2019s working and what isn\u2019t for local Scouts, and changing our approach as we go.\u00A0\u00A0\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Ch4\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E14 to 24\u00A0Programme\u00A0\u00A0\u003C/strong\u003E\u003C/h4\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EWork continues as we look into what we offer young people and young adults aged 14 to 24. \u00A0It\u2019s been 20 years since we implemented Explorer Scouts and Scout Network, so it\u2019s going to take some time to get it right.\u00A0\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ESince we last updated you, we\u2019ve \u003Cspan\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https://www.scouts.org.uk/about-us/strategy/our-programmes-of-work/redesigning-our-14-24-year-old-provision/\u0022\u003Ecreated a roadmap for this project\u003C/a\u003E\u003C/span\u003E.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EWe\u2019re currently in the discovery phase, which will last until August 2023.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EAs part of this phase we\u2019re creating a \u003Cspan\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https://app.smartsheet.com/b/form/86fd84076fec4bb5814521c1ec31ce63\u0022\u003Ecommunity of interest group\u003C/a\u003E. I\u003C/span\u003Et\u2019s open to any volunteers who want to have their say as this work progresses - so you\u0027re welcome to sign ups and join in.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EWe\u2019re also aware that amazing practice already exists locally and we\u2019re keen to hear what you get up to currently. We\u2019ll be creating opportunities to feed this back to us very soon. We\u2019re busy creating some ready-made workshops for you to run locally with young people and volunteers to ask what Scouts should help teenagers achieve in the future.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Ch4\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EInclusive Growth\u00A0\u003C/strong\u003E\u003C/h4\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EAs we look to continue to grow Scouts, inclusivity is an important principle which will underpin it all. We want more young people to gain skills for life, and to do that we want to grow both our adult volunteer and Explorer Scout Young Leader numbers.\u00A0\u00A0\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EWe\u2019ve just completed our annual Census for 2023, which will form an important part of how we support you to grow locally. By 2026, we want to grow a more inclusive movement. This means not just targeting our efforts in those areas where we know Scouts is popular, but instead looking to the areas where there is no Scouts provision at all.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EAs part of Census 2023, we asked you to provide diversity data for your area. We\u2019re sharing this data along with the membership figures for each County/Area/Region with County/Area/Region Commissioners to help them develop their inclusive growth plans.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThey\u2019ve been encouraged to compare the makeup of their membership with the demographics of their local areas to see if they reflect the community and spot any areas for development.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EWe\u2019re also going to focus on opening provision in under-represented areas and recruit volunteers from Black, Asian and minority ethnic communities, as well as providing you with more resources to help you grow locally.\u00A0\u00A0\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Ch4\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EEquity, Diversity and Inclusion\u003C/strong\u003E\u003C/h4\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EWe know that Scouts doesn\u2019t reflect the UK population for some members from Black, Asian and minority backgrounds, and that negative experiences have led them to feel Scouts isn\u0027t a place for them.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EWe\u2019re conducting in-depth research into how we can make Scouts more welcoming to all, including how we engage with different communities and build more diverse senior leadership teams.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EFor now, we\u2019re developing ways to support Black, Asian and minority ethnic communities to join, stay and thrive in Scouts.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EWe\u2019ve \u003Cspan\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https://www.scouts.org.uk/about-us/strategy/our-programmes-of-work/our-vision-for-equity-diversity-and-inclusion/\u0022\u003Elaunched our vision\u003C/a\u003E\u003C/span\u003E for equity, diversity and inclusion and we\u2019ve hosted online research sessions asking how we can engage under-represented communities, which has provided us with lots of valuable insight.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Ch4\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EYouth Membership Management\u003C/strong\u003E\u00A0\u003C/h4\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EYou\u2019ll know that in addition to adult membership management, we\u2019re looking at solutions to help us manage youth membership too.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EWe\u2019re working with an external consultancy to help us research what our needs are. We\u2019ve also been talking to other youth organisations in the UK and abroad to understand what tools they use.\u00A0\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EOver the past couple of months, we\u2019ve also been talking to volunteers, parents and carers, and young people across the UK. We\u2019ll be bringing all this research together to create our plan and roadmap for moving forward on youth membership management.\u00A0\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Ch4\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EVolunteer Experience \u2013 a reminder of our focus\u003C/strong\u003E\u003C/h4\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EWe\u2019ve talked a few times to you about the plans to fundamentally improve the volunteer experience over the next few years.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EWe want to make sure our volunteers feel valued for everything they do and most of all, we want them to enjoy their experience at the Scouts.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EWe know we need to recruit and retain more volunteers if we want to keep growing and provide more young people with skills for life.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EHowever, there needs to be more support in place to make sure there\u2019s a great local welcome, with a smooth, integrated learning experience and good ongoing support.\u00A0\u00A0\u00A0\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EAs a reminder the first phase of changes will include:\u00A0\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cul\u003E\n\u003Cli\u003EHow we volunteer \u2013 looking at our volunteer roles and culture.\u00A0\u003C/li\u003E\n\u003Cli\u003EHow we make sure we provide a warmer welcome for everyone who wants to volunteer with us.\u00A0\u00A0\u003C/li\u003E\n\u003Cli\u003EA more engaging learning experience.\u00A0\u003C/li\u003E\n\u003Cli\u003EMore support to help get everyday things done more efficiently and make them more enjoyable.\u00A0\u00A0\u003C/li\u003E\n\u003C/ul\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThis means we\u2019ll see changes such as:\u00A0\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cul\u003E\n\u003Cli\u003EAll volunteering roles will change \u2013 this may range from a title change, to some roles not existing and everything in between.\u00A0\u00A0\u003C/li\u003E\n\u003Cli\u003EThe way in which we welcome new volunteers into Scouts will change \u2013changing the current appointment process.\u00A0\u003C/li\u003E\n\u003Cli\u003EWe\u2019ll move from training to learning so all learning will change \u2013 the structure and methods of how we do training \u2013 will change.\u00A0\u003C/li\u003E\n\u003Cli\u003EAnd all of this will be enabled by providing you with easy-to-use digital tools. This means we will move on from Compass, with new solutions for managing adult membership.\u00A0\u003C/li\u003E\n\u003C/ul\u003E\n\u003Ch4\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWhere are we at?\u00A0\u00A0\u003C/strong\u003E\u003C/h4\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EWe\u2019ve been working hard in the background preparing and planning.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ECounty/Area/Region teams have been busy with their volunteer Transformation Leads, understanding the changes that will be coming in 2023 and 2024. They\u0027ve been planning how they\u2019ll conduct conversations locally to share more information at the right time and right pace for your particular area. Some of you may have already heard about changes in your area, and if not yet, we know you will in the coming months.\u00A0\u00A0\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EWe\u2019re also working closely with 10 Counties/Areas/Regions on the changes to the volunteer experience. This group of 10 is our Early Adopter Cohort. They\u2019ll put in place new ways of working first, allowing us to learn and test as we go, before changes are rolled out for all members.\u00A0\u00A0\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EWe\u2019re moving at pace with some of the more cultural, softer changes that are less dependent on some of the new and exciting digital tools that are in development at the moment.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EAnd finally, we\u2019ll continue preparing Compass data for transition to the new adult membership system.\u00A0\u00A0.\u00A0\u00A0\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EIn 2023, please keep doing what you\u2019re doing so brilliantly.\u003C/strong\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cul\u003E\n\u003Cli\u003EYou may find yourself invited to local meetings by your Transformation Lead and County/District team to learn more about the changes that are coming and what they mean for you and your team.\u00A0\u00A0\u003C/li\u003E\n\u003Cli\u003EYou should start to receive information locally about how the changes will be introduced and implemented in your local area.\u00A0\u00A0\u003C/li\u003E\n\u003Cli\u003EPlease engage with this information and attend discussions and meetings when invited to help your understanding of what the future looks like for your role in your local area and how we believe all of this change will set us up for a future where even more young people can develop skills for life.\u00A0\u003C/li\u003E\n\u003Cli\u003EThere\u0027s no need for anyone to do anything until you hear from your local teams. You may see neighbouring Counties/Area/Regions planning and doing different things, but everyone will be progressing with this at a slightly different pace and may be planning or phasing things differently.\u00A0\u003C/li\u003E\n\u003C/ul\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EWe\u2019re all incredibly excited to introduce these changes to the volunteer experience which\u0027ll make your volunteering more enjoyable and more efficient. We know lots of you are eager to get started as soon as possible, too.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ETogether, we\u2019re confident that we will achieve our vision and that more young people and more adult volunteers, will benefit from all that Scouting offers.\u00A0\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EAs always, thank you for your support and patience, and everything you do,\u00A0\u00A0\u00A0\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ECraig Turpie\u003Cbr /\u003EDeputy UK Chief Commissioner (Transformation)\u003C/p\u003E","gtmId":"","gtmClass":""}]}],"config":null}]},"searchDescription":null,"pageType":null,"location":null,"versionDate":"04 April 2023","reviewDate":null,"furtherReading":[{"caption":"","title":"Looking to the future","url":"https://www.scouts.org.uk/news/2022/november/looking-to-the-future/","newWindow":false}],"relatedLinks":[{"caption":"","title":"Skills for Life strategy","url":"https://www.scouts.org.uk/about-us/strategy/","newWindow":false},{"caption":"","title":"UK Leadership Team","url":"/volunteer/uk-scouts-volunteering/uk-leadership-team/","newWindow":false}],"id":76425,"nodeName":"Continuing our journey to the future","title":"Continuing our journey to the future","type":"blogEntry","image":{"url":"/media/18411/happy-volunteer.jpg?cc=0,0.07978599309847473,0.0000000000000001263187085796,0.07652427045412874\u0026width=800\u0026height=450\u0026v=1dae97be1832b10","caption":"Smiling volunteer on the floor with a Squirrel doing Lego","type":"jpg","size":1145449,"width":7000,"height":4667,"altText":"A volunteer smiles and looks to the side sitting on the floor next to a Squirrel playing with Lego."},"assets":null,"headerOptions":{"headerTitle":"Continuing our journey to the future","headerSubTitle":null,"headerCta":null,"headerCtaText":null,"headerCtaLink":null,"headerBackgroundColour":null,"showSEOImage":false,"headerBackgroundImage":null,"quickLinks":null},"subHeader":"Craig Turpie updates on our journey to prepare more young people with skills for life.","browserTitle":null,"silktide":"eyJjbXMiOiJVbWJyYWNvIiwiZWRpdG9yVXJsIjoiaHR0cHM6Ly9wcm9kLWNtcy5zY291dHMub3JnLnVrLy91bWJyYWNvIy9jb250ZW50L2NvbnRlbnQvZWRpdC83NjQyNSJ9","canonicalUrl":"https://www.scouts.org.uk/news/2023/april/continuing-our-journey-to-the-future/"}