{"alias":"blogEntry","byline":"Alisdair Rolt and Ryan Denton, Scouts Youth Advocates","standfirst":"Our Scouts\u2019 Manifesto aims to encourage the next government to take action and support young people and volunteers to build a brighter future. Youth Advocates, Alisdair and Ryan, tell us how it came about.","content":{"layouts":[{"type":"singleColumn","areas":[{"items":[{"gridType":"gridImageBlock","gtmId":"","gtmClass":"","image":"/media/nj5e1s11/scouts-manifesto.png","width":2974,"height":1656,"altText":"The photo shows a purple digital scrapbook with a white fleur-de-lis and the text \u0027Scouts\u0027 underneath. Below that it says \u0027Manifesto 2024\u0027. Either side of the scrapbook are graphic pattern icons including leaves and circles.","caption":"","link":null},{"gridType":"RichTextBlock","content":"\u003Ch4\u003EHow did the idea for the Scouts\u2019 Manifesto come about?\u003C/h4\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EWe wanted to create a clear and actionable document of policy asks. With a membership of over 450,000 young people, there\u2019s a huge responsibility to create change for our members.\u0026nbsp;To do this, we chose to focus on nine policies, which we believe could dramatically improve society, both in Scouts and more widely.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThrough the input of Youth Leads nationally, and the participation of Scouts HQ and the Youth Advocate team, we\u2019ve been able to deliver our ambitions directly to changemakers to help build brighter tomorrows.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Ch4\u003EWhy is the Scouts\u2019 Manifesto so important today?\u003C/h4\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ESince the COVID-19 pandemic, people\u0027s lives and society around us have changed. The voluntary sector has struggled, facing significant operation challenges.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EMore than ever, extracurricular activities are key to young people\u2019s development and wellbeing. Reports show young people\u2019s mental health as declining and their skills gap increasing.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EOur manifesto will help to pave the future of the sector and wider society. It\u2019s a tool that\u2019ll focus and direct the changes we need for Scouts and the voluntary sector, helping them thrive and offer more opportunities for young people to gain skills for life.\u003C/p\u003E","gtmId":"","gtmClass":""},{"gridType":"gridImageBlock","gtmId":"","gtmClass":"","image":"/media/jbfewkn4/alisdair.jpg","width":1280,"height":720,"altText":"Alisdair is stood in front of a green hedge outside. He\u0027s wearing navy rectangular glasses, a red, white and navy necker and a navy top. He\u0027s smiling at the camera.","caption":"Alisdair ","link":null},{"gridType":"RichTextBlock","content":"\u003Ch4\u003EWhat did you do to help create the Scouts\u2019 Manifesto?\u003C/h4\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EAs Youth Advocates, we were involved throughout the creation of the manifesto, sharing our own experiences of how policy has or could positively impact Scouts in our local areas.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EWe worked with Molly Taylor and Katie Jackson from the Scouts\u2019 Policy and Public Affairs team to assemble our shared ideas and experiences into nine clear, actionable policy tasks \u2013 not an easy task!\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ELived experience is a key part of the manifesto, shared through personal accounts from young people and volunteers.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Ch4\u003EWhat do you hope the Scouts\u2019 Manifesto will achieve?\u003C/h4\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EChange! There\u2019s an unquestionable need for the youth sector to support the development of young people in today\u0027s world, providing opportunities to be outdoors, form new friendships, become active citizens, and learn skills for life.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EBeyond policy changes, we\u2019re appealing for a change in attitude towards the youth sector. We hope to shine a light on the challenges faced in the sector and push for more resources which are impactful and important for developing active, engaged citizens.\u0026nbsp;\u003C/p\u003E","gtmId":"","gtmClass":""},{"gridType":"gridImageBlock","gtmId":"","gtmClass":"","image":"/media/2mbhyhrx/ryan-denton.jpg","width":1280,"height":720,"altText":"Ryan is sat behind a table with Kate on his right. Ryan is wearing a white shirt and Scouts necker and there\u0027s a microphone just in front of him. He\u0027s holding his hands together while speaking.","caption":"Ryan Denton (left)","link":null},{"gridType":"RichTextBlock","content":"\u003Ch4\u003EWhat does it mean to be a Youth Advocate, and how\u2019s your year in the role been?\u003C/h4\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EAs Youth Advocates, we show passion for the movement, whether that\u2019s building support for it or contributing to meaningful change.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EOver the last year, as well as helping create the manifesto, we\u2019ve shared our stories and the important role Scouts plays in our society with a wide range of stakeholders, including ministers, shadow ministers, MPs and local decision makers.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EWe want to continue spreading this message with the Scouts\u2019 Manifesto, targeting key policy areas which\u2019ll deliver value to Scouts and the wider voluntary sector.\u0026nbsp;\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Ch4\u003EWhy should other young people apply to be Youth Advocates?\u003C/h4\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EBeing a Youth Advocate is about sharing your stories \u2013 your unforgettable adventures and the challenges you\u2019ve overcome.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EYou get a platform to connect and engage with other changemakers to make sure Scouts and the youth sector more widely dominates the top of agendas.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ESo far, we\u2019ve attended the UK Parliament and Party Conferences, organised for MPs to visit Scout Groups, launched the manifesto and delivered speeches, conversations, and discussions on building brighter tomorrows.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIf you want opportunities to make changes for Scouts and wider society, join the team and become a changemaker!\u003C/p\u003E","gtmId":"","gtmClass":""},{"type":"Promo","cta":"Sign up to be a Youth Advocate","body":"\u003Cp\u003EIf you want to share your stories, connect with changemakers and help build a brighter future for young people, being a Youth Advocate might be the role for you.\u003C/p\u003E","link":null,"colour":"#f1f1f1","title":"Fancy becoming a Youth Advocate?","image":null,"imageFocus":"","imageId":0,"imageKey":"00000000-0000-0000-0000-000000000000","imageCrop":"","gridType":"card","gtmId":"","gtmClass":""}]}],"config":null}]},"searchDescription":null,"pageType":null,"location":null,"versionDate":"14 May 2024","reviewDate":null,"furtherReading":[{"caption":"","title":"Our Scouts\u0027 Manifesto","url":"/about-us/our-campaigns/our-scouts-manifesto/","newWindow":false},{"caption":"","title":"Meet our Scouts Youth Advocates","url":"/news/2023/december/meet-our-scouts-youth-advocates/","newWindow":false},{"caption":"","title":"Sign up to be a Youth Advocate","url":null,"newWindow":false}],"relatedLinks":[],"id":79586,"nodeName":"How we created our Scouts\u2019 Manifesto","title":"How we created our Scouts\u2019 Manifesto","type":"blogEntry","image":{"url":"/media/nj5e1s11/scouts-manifesto.png?width=800\u0026height=450\u0026v=1daa795664f7520","caption":"Scouts Manifesto","type":"png","size":1458145,"width":2974,"height":1656,"altText":""},"assets":null,"headerOptions":{"headerTitle":"How we created our Scouts\u2019 Manifesto","headerSubTitle":null,"headerCta":null,"headerCtaText":null,"headerCtaLink":null,"headerBackgroundColour":null,"showSEOImage":false,"headerBackgroundImage":null,"quickLinks":null},"subHeader":"From sharing stories to connecting with changemakers, our Youth Advocates tell us how our manifesto was created.","browserTitle":null,"silktide":"eyJjbXMiOiJVbWJyYWNvIiwiZWRpdG9yVXJsIjoiaHR0cHM6Ly9wcm9kLWNtcy5zY291dHMub3JnLnVrLy91bWJyYWNvIy9jb250ZW50L2NvbnRlbnQvZWRpdC83OTU4NiJ9","canonicalUrl":"https://www.scouts.org.uk/news/2024/may/how-we-created-our-scouts-manifesto/"}