{"alias":"blogEntry","byline":"","standfirst":"Squirrels Scouts has been making waves across the organisation. Our new section is inspiring young people, supporting our amazing volunteers, and helping Scouts grow in exciting ways. Our latest research highlights some brilliant areas where we\u2019re seeing progress.","content":{"layouts":[{"type":"singleColumn","areas":[{"items":[{"gridType":"gridImageBlock","gtmId":"","gtmClass":"","image":"/media/3lcbffp3/impact-of-squirrels-infographic.jpg","width":2560,"height":1440,"altText":"Impact of Squirrels infographic","caption":"","link":null},{"gridType":"RichTextBlock","content":"\u003Ch4\u003EThe background\u003C/h4\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIn 2018, we started Squirrel Scouts for 4- and 5-year-olds to reach new communities and support young people at a key stage of their development. Now, there are over 1,700 Dreys helping more than 25,000 young people.\u003C/p\u003E","gtmId":"","gtmClass":""},{"gridType":"RichTextBlock","content":"\u003Ch4\u003EOur new findings\u003C/h4\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIn 2024, we launched a study to explore the impact of Squirrels on young people, volunteers and Scouts overall. So, what did we discover?\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Ch4\u003EImpact on Scouts as a whole\u003C/h4\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ESquirrel Scouts has made a real difference to how Scouts is organised and how it\u2019s viewed:\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cul\u003E\n\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ECommunity perception:\u003C/strong\u003E Parents and carers now see Scouts as more fun, relevant, and inclusive than ever before.\u003C/li\u003E\n\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EPromoting inclusivity:\u0026nbsp;\u003C/strong\u003EWe\u2019ve opened Squirrel Dreys in areas that are more deprived in the UK (24% in IMD 1-3 and 45% in IMD 1-5). There\u2019s also a better gender split compared to other sections, with 30% girls included.\u003C/li\u003E\n\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EVolunteer recruitment: \u003C/strong\u003ESquirrels is now supported by 6,000\u002B volunteers \u2013 46% who are new to Scouts.\u003C/li\u003E\n\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EShifting waiting lists:\u003C/strong\u003E Squirrels have reduced some of the pressure on Beaver waiting list pressures (but Squirrels have also created their own high demand for places!)\u003C/li\u003E\n\u003C/ul\u003E","gtmId":"","gtmClass":""},{"quoteText":"It\u2019s his favourite activity of the week, and he counts down the days until he can go again.","attribution":"Parent of a Squirrel Scout, anonymous","gridType":"quote","gtmId":"","gtmClass":""},{"gridType":"gridImageBlock","gtmId":"","gtmClass":"","image":"/media/mnfmboi2/db-20240609-9104-174743.jpg","width":7000,"height":4667,"altText":"Three Squirrels playing together","caption":"","link":null},{"gridType":"RichTextBlock","content":"\u003Ch4\u003EImpact on young people\u003C/h4\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ESquirrels has had a big impact on young people, with parents and carers seeing incredible differences:\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cul\u003E\n\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EConfidence\u003C/strong\u003E: 78% of parents and carers noticed that their child\u2019s confidence had increased.\u003C/li\u003E\n\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ETeamwork\u003C/strong\u003E: 82% said they had better team-working skills.\u003C/li\u003E\n\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ETrying new things\u003C/strong\u003E: 87% said they were more likely to try new things.\u003C/li\u003E\n\u003C/ul\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIncredibly, 92% of parents and carers in our survey said their young person enjoyed Squirrels and 98% said they\u2019d recommend Squirrels to others.\u003C/p\u003E","gtmId":"","gtmClass":""},{"quoteText":"He had a speech and language delay. However, when he started Squirrels, this made him realise that there are other achievements beyond academics in school. This gave him confidence.","attribution":"Parent of a Squirrel Scout, anonymous","gridType":"quote","gtmId":"","gtmClass":""},{"gridType":"gridImageBlock","gtmId":"","gtmClass":"","image":"/media/y5xcux0v/db-20240609-8774-174413.jpg","width":7000,"height":4667,"altText":"Squirrel with glasses smiling at the camera","caption":"","link":null},{"gridType":"RichTextBlock","content":"\u003Ch4\u003EImpact on volunteers\u003C/h4\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe introduction of Squirrels has brought a new wave of energy to our volunteer network too:\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cul\u003E\n\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EVolunteer growth\u003C/strong\u003E: 79% of District Lead Volunteers reported more volunteers joining.\u003C/li\u003E\n\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EParental engagement\u003C/strong\u003E: 74% of District Lead Volunteers saw more parents and carers involved in Squirrels compared to other sections.\u003C/li\u003E\n\u003C/ul\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe added workload for existing leaders, especially Lead Volunteers, has been a challenge, but it\u2019s clear that the positive impact on groups makes it worth it.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EOur findings show that with the right support and capacity, the rewards are well worth the effort. However, it\u2019s important to make sure you have enough capacity to take on the challenge!\u003C/p\u003E","gtmId":"","gtmClass":""},{"quoteText":"Introducing Squirrels has made me even more excited about Scouts.","attribution":"Group Scout Leader, anonymous","gridType":"quote","gtmId":"","gtmClass":""},{"gridType":"gridImageBlock","gtmId":"","gtmClass":"","image":"/media/yglfmk4r/db-20240609-9841-175480.jpg","width":7000,"height":4667,"altText":"Leader helping a Squirrel","caption":"","link":null},{"type":"Promo","cta":"Let\u2019s get started!","body":"\u003Cp\u003ESquirrels is more than just a new section \u2013 it\u0027s an opportunity for us to grow as an organisation, reach new communities and provide young people with more skills for life than ever before.\u003C/p\u003E","link":{"name":"https://www.scouts.org.uk/volunteers/running-your-section/running-a-squirrel-drey/how-to-start-a-squirrel-drey/","id":null,"url":"https://www.scouts.org.uk/volunteers/running-your-section/running-a-squirrel-drey/how-to-start-a-squirrel-drey/","newWindow":false,"target":null},"colour":"#ed3f23","title":"Want to open a Drey and join the fun?","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":"22 January 2025","reviewDate":null,"furtherReading":[{"caption":"","title":"Learn how to start a Squirrel Drey","url":"https://www.scouts.org.uk/volunteers/running-your-section/running-a-squirrel-drey/how-to-start-a-squirrel-drey/","newWindow":false},{"caption":"","title":"Find out about running a Drey","url":"https://www.scouts.org.uk/volunteers/running-your-section/running-a-squirrel-drey/","newWindow":false}],"relatedLinks":[{"caption":"","title":"Discover more about Squirrels","url":"/squirrels/","newWindow":false}],"id":84432,"nodeName":"The impact of Squirrels: exciting news of our success so far","title":"The impact of Squirrels: exciting news of our success so far","type":"blogEntry","image":{"url":"/media/mnfmboi2/db-20240609-9104-174743.jpg?cc=0,0.0013577461553866998,0,0.15495251739721674\u0026width=800\u0026height=450\u0026v=1db6ce2224ef450","caption":"DB 20240609 9104 174743","type":"jpg","size":1622111,"width":7000,"height":4667,"altText":""},"assets":null,"headerOptions":{"headerTitle":"The impact of Squirrels: exciting news of our success so far","headerSubTitle":null,"headerCta":null,"headerCtaText":null,"headerCtaLink":null,"headerBackgroundColour":null,"showSEOImage":false,"headerBackgroundImage":null,"quickLinks":null},"subHeader":"Find out about research into the impact of Squirrels on volunteers, young people and Scouts as a whole. 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