{"alias":"blogEntry","byline":"","standfirst":"Did you know you can run Scouts in a hospital? It\u0027s a fantastic way to bring the joy of Scouts to young patients, giving them something to look forward to during their hospital stay. ","content":{"layouts":[{"type":"singleColumn","areas":[{"items":[{"gridType":"gridImageBlock","gtmId":"","gtmClass":"","image":"/media/dxrjsnis/top-10-scouts-hospital_blog-image.png","width":10667,"height":6001,"altText":"This designed graphic image has a pink background and a polaroid photo with a blue background showing an image of the 1st Sheffield Children\u0027s Hospital Scout Group volunteers. There\u0027s an image of a torn piece of paper with blue sticky tape at the stop, with text that reads \u002710 top tips for running Scouts in a hospital\u0027. There\u0027s another torn piece of paper below with a navy fleur-de-lis on.","caption":"","link":null},{"gridType":"RichTextBlock","content":"\u003Cp\u003EAs you might expect, running a hospital Scout Group is slightly different to a usual Section night.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIt\u0027s an incredibly rewarding experience that gives young patients an opportunity to be creative, have fun and spend time with others their own age during their hospital stay.\u00A0\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EBy running activities that include young people with different needs, we can bring the joy of Scouts to those who need it most.\u00A0\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EFrom speaking with volunteers who\u0027ve done it before, here are our 10 tips for running Scouts in a hospital.\u00A0\u003C/p\u003E","gtmId":"","gtmClass":""},{"gridType":"RichTextBlock","content":"\u003Ch4\u003E10 tips for running Scouts in a hospital\u003C/h4\u003E","gtmId":"","gtmClass":""},{"gridType":"accordion","gtmId":"","gtmClass":"","showExpand":true,"items":[{"gridType":"accordionItem","gtmId":"","gtmClass":"","body":"\u003Cp\u003EWork with your Scout District and County from the start. Their support will help get things up and running smoothly.\u003C/p\u003E","label":"Get support"},{"gridType":"accordionItem","gtmId":"","gtmClass":"","body":"\u003Cp\u003EConnect with hospital staff, play scheme teams, hospital volunteers and any hospital charities. They\u2019ll be key to making the Group a success.\u003C/p\u003E","label":"Build strong relationships "},{"gridType":"accordionItem","gtmId":"","gtmClass":"","body":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022/contact-us/\u0022 title=\u0022Contact us\u0022\u003EContact the Support Centre\u003C/a\u003E to find out how to join a network of Scouts\u2019 Hospital Group volunteers.\u003C/p\u003E","label":"Join the Hospital Groups Network"},{"gridType":"accordionItem","gtmId":"","gtmClass":"","body":"\u003Cp\u003EHospital Groups don\u2019t collect subs or count towards Scouts\u0027 annual census. So, it\u2019s easier to ask your District or County to form your Executive and manage governance.\u003C/p\u003E","label":"Sort governance early "},{"gridType":"accordionItem","gtmId":"","gtmClass":"","body":"\u003Cp\u003EOther Scout Groups might have useful advice or resources to help you set up your programme. Don\u0027t be afraid to ask!\u003C/p\u003E","label":"Reach out"},{"gridType":"accordionItem","gtmId":"","gtmClass":"","body":"\u003Cp\u003EOne of the biggest challenges is finding space for activities and storage in the hospital. Plan to make sure you\u2019ve got what you need.\u003C/p\u003E","label":"Find a base"},{"gridType":"accordionItem","gtmId":"","gtmClass":"","body":"\u003Cp\u003EStaff turnover in hospitals can be high. Posters, word of mouth and a regular bulletin can help spread the word.\u003C/p\u003E","label":"Stay visible"},{"gridType":"accordionItem","gtmId":"","gtmClass":"","body":"\u003Cp\u003EEvery week will be different. Numbers will change, and you\u0027ll need to adapt to hospital rules.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EYoung people will have different support needs. You may need to run bedside activities for those who can\u2019t leave their beds. Being open-minded, flexible and patient is essential.\u003C/p\u003E","label":"Be flexible"},{"gridType":"accordionItem","gtmId":"","gtmClass":"","body":"\u003Cp\u003ESince you\u0027ll need to be flexible in a hospital setting, it\u0027s especially important to work as a team and communicate to keep the Group running smoothly.\u003C/p\u003E","label":"Work together"},{"gridType":"accordionItem","gtmId":"","gtmClass":"","body":"\u003Cp\u003EAlways make sure you\u2019re following safeguarding policies in the Group\u2019s setting. Take a look at our \u003Ca href=\u0022/volunteers/staying-safe-and-safeguarding/safe-scouting-cards/safeguarding-code-of-conduct-for-adults-yellow-card/\u0022 title=\u0022Safeguarding Code of Conduct for Adults - Yellow Card\u0022\u003EYellow Card\u003C/a\u003E.\u003C/p\u003E","label":"Follow safeguarding policies"}]},{"gridType":"gridImageBlock","gtmId":"","gtmClass":"","image":"/media/5nkh4i4w/group-running-scouts-in-sheffield-childrens-hospital.jpg","width":640,"height":480,"altText":"The image shows six Scout volunteers stood against a white wall inside a room in a hospital. There are three volunteers at the back with the other three volunteers stood in front of them, and they\u0027re all wearing red hoodies or tops with their Scout Group logo, as well as yellow and green neckers.","caption":"Volunteers at 1st Sheffield Hospital Scout Group","link":null},{"type":"Promo","cta":"Find out how Sheffield Children\u0027s Hospital Scout Group are getting on","body":"\u003Cp\u003EWe chatted with a group of volunteers who are already running activities for young patients.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ENeil, the Group Lead Volunteer, said the greatest benefit is to the patients\u0027 health and wellbeing. To begin with, Neil was supporting the Group through his County role, but loved it so much that he decided to take on a permanent role.\u00A0\u003C/p\u003E","link":{"name":"Hospital Scout Group runs activities for young patients","id":null,"url":"/news/2025/may/hospital-scout-group-runs-activities-for-young-patients/","newWindow":false,"target":null},"colour":"#f1f1f1","title":"Thursday nights at Sheffield Children\u0027s Hospital","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":"03 July 2025","reviewDate":null,"furtherReading":[{"caption":"","title":"Hospital Scout Group runs activities for young patients","url":"/news/2025/may/hospital-scout-group-runs-activities-for-young-patients/","newWindow":false},{"caption":"","title":"Equity, Diversity and Inclusion","url":"/volunteers/equity-diversity-and-inclusion/","newWindow":false},{"caption":"","title":"Supporting people with additional needs","url":"/volunteers/equity-diversity-and-inclusion/including-disabled-and-neurodivergent-people/","newWindow":false}],"relatedLinks":[],"id":85948,"nodeName":"10 top tips for running Scouts in a hospital","title":"10 top tips for running Scouts in a hospital","type":"blogEntry","image":{"url":"/media/dxrjsnis/top-10-scouts-hospital_blog-image.png?width=800\u0026height=450\u0026v=1dbdf60c01ef3b0","caption":"Top 10 Scouts Hospital Blog Image","type":"png","size":20311900,"width":10667,"height":6001,"altText":""},"assets":null,"headerOptions":{"headerTitle":"10 top tips for running Scouts in a hospital","headerSubTitle":null,"headerCta":null,"headerCtaText":null,"headerCtaLink":null,"headerBackgroundColour":null,"showSEOImage":false,"headerBackgroundImage":null,"quickLinks":null},"subHeader":"Wondering how you can bring adventure to young people who need it most? Here are our top tips for running Scouts in a hospital.","browserTitle":null,"silktide":"eyJjbXMiOiJVbWJyYWNvIiwiZWRpdG9yVXJsIjoiaHR0cHM6Ly9wcm9kLWNtcy5zY291dHMub3JnLnVrLy91bWJyYWNvIy9jb250ZW50L2NvbnRlbnQvZWRpdC84NTk0OCJ9","canonicalUrl":"https://www.scouts.org.uk/news/2025/july/10-top-tips-for-running-scouts-in-a-hospital/"}