{"alias":"newsItem","byline":"","standfirst":"Squirrel Scouts from across the UK have gathered at Gilwell Park to celebrate their 5th birthday. They were joined by Hollywood actor and Scouts Ambassador, Warwick Davis OBE","content":{"layouts":[{"type":"singleColumn","areas":[{"items":[{"gridType":"RichTextBlock","content":"\u003Cp\u003EFive years, 30,000 young people and countless adventures later, Squirrels celebrated a major milestone yesterday.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIt\u2019s helped thousands of 4-5-year-olds find a safe place to belong, learn new skills and explore the world around them. There are now nearly 2,500 dreys across the UK, supporting families and communities.\u0026nbsp;\u003C/p\u003E","gtmId":"","gtmClass":""},{"gridType":"gridImageBlock","gtmId":"","gtmClass":"","image":"/media/rw2fo4ad/warwick-davis-clapping-squirrels-5th-birthday.jpeg","width":1920,"height":1280,"altText":"Warwick Davis claps while sitting with a large group of Squirrels and volunteers.","caption":"Warwick Davis OBE joined our Squirrels 5th birthday party celebrations","link":null},{"gridType":"RichTextBlock","content":"\u003Ch3\u003ETime to celebrate\u003C/h3\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EWith a birthday cake, games, activities and adventures including a climbing wall, the Squirrels marked their special day in style. They also presented Warwick with a special 5th birthday badge of his own. \u0026nbsp;\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ECutting the cake, Warwick said: \u2018The young people I celebrated with today won\u2019t remember a world before Squirrels. For them, it\u2019s always been a place for adventure, friendship, skills and most of all, a place to belong. Seeing some of Scouts\u2019 youngest members take on a climbing wall for the first time was a fantastic reminder that confidence starts with trying something new.\u2019\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EToday, 1 in 4 Squirrel Dreys are based in the UK\u0027s most underserved communities (IMD areas 1-3), helping more young people access valuable opportunities and experiences. This success is made possible by the generosity of more than 6,000 volunteers.\u0026nbsp;\u003C/p\u003E","gtmId":"","gtmClass":""},{"gridType":"gridImageBlock","gtmId":"","gtmClass":"","image":"/media/u5dg1zuw/warwick-davis-squirrels-5th-birthday.jpeg","width":1920,"height":1280,"altText":"Warwick Davis paints with a group of Squirrels.","caption":"","link":null},{"gridType":"RichTextBlock","content":"\u003Ch3\u003EFirst steps to adventure\u003C/h3\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EFrom minibeast hunts to campfire treats, Squirrels has helped thousands of young people take their first steps into adventure over the last five years. Through fun, friendship and challenge, members build confidence, develop skills for life and discover new experiences close to home and beyond. Those skills can have a real-world impact too. Just one example is Conor, a Squirrel who used first aid skills learnt at Scouts to help \u003Ca rel=\u0022noopener\u0022 href=\u0022https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c3w25138350o\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003Esave his mother\u0027s life when she started choking\u003C/a\u003E.\u0026nbsp;\u003C/p\u003E","gtmId":"","gtmClass":""},{"gridType":"gridImageBlock","gtmId":"","gtmClass":"","image":"/media/5sjdh31x/squirrels-5th-birthday-badge.jpg","width":1280,"height":720,"altText":"The red and yellow Squirrels 5th birthday badge.","caption":"The Squirrels 5th Birthday Badge","link":null},{"gridType":"RichTextBlock","content":"\u003Ch3\u003EReaching more young people\u003C/h3\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe growth of Squirrels has been supported by funding from Omaze, helping Scouts establish new Dreys and reach more young people. Thanks for their support, alongside our dedicated volunteers, to make this happen.\u0026nbsp;\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EChief Scout, Dwayne Fields said: \u2018In 2021, Squirrels started with a simple idea: to give four and five-year-olds the chance to experience adventure, belonging and skills. Today, nearly 30,000 young people are taking part, supported by thousands of incredible volunteers.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EWhat makes Squirrels so special is seeing young people discover what they\u2019re capable of. Whether it\u2019s making a new friend, learning how to help in an emergency or tackling a challenge they never thought they could do, those moments build confidence that can last a lifetime. I\u2019m incredibly proud of everyone who has helped Squirrels grow into such an important part of Scouts.\u2019\u0026nbsp;\u003C/p\u003E","gtmId":"","gtmClass":""},{"gridType":"gridImageBlock","gtmId":"","gtmClass":"","image":"/media/20ihsbcd/warwick-davis-with-cake-at-squirrels-birthday.jpeg","width":1400,"height":2100,"altText":"Warwick Davis with a group of Squirrels and a birthday cake.","caption":"","link":null}]}],"config":null}]},"searchDescription":null,"pageType":null,"location":null,"versionDate":"25 September 2026","reviewDate":null,"furtherReading":[],"relatedLinks":[{"caption":"Join Squirrels","title":"Join Squirrels","url":"/squirrels/","newWindow":false},{"caption":"Volunteer for Squirrels","title":"Volunteer for Squirrels","url":"/volunteer/","newWindow":false},{"caption":"Buy your birthday badges at Scout Store","title":"Buy your birthday badges at Scout Store","url":"https://shop.scouts.org.uk/scouts-badges/uniform-badges/triple-birthday-uniform-badges","newWindow":true}],"id":91228,"nodeName":"Warwick Davis OBE leads Squirrels 5th birthday celebrations","title":"Warwick Davis OBE leads Squirrels 5th birthday celebrations","type":"newsItem","image":{"url":"/media/rw2fo4ad/warwick-davis-clapping-squirrels-5th-birthday.jpeg?width=800\u0026height=450\u0026v=1dd4c3ec14ec070","caption":"Warwick Davis Clapping Squirrels 5Th Birthday","type":"jpeg","size":684549,"width":1920,"height":1280,"altText":"Warwick Davis claps while sitting with a large group of Squirrels and volunteers."},"assets":null,"headerOptions":{"headerTitle":"Warwick Davis OBE leads Squirrels 5th birthday celebrations","headerSubTitle":null,"headerCta":null,"headerCtaText":null,"headerCtaLink":null,"headerBackgroundColour":null,"showSEOImage":false,"headerBackgroundImage":null,"quickLinks":null},"subHeader":"Scouts Ambassador, Warwick Davis OBE, joined Squirrel Scouts from across the UK to celebrate their 5th birthday.","browserTitle":null,"silktide":"eyJjbXMiOiJVbWJyYWNvIiwiZWRpdG9yVXJsIjoiaHR0cHM6Ly9wcm9kLWNtcy5zY291dHMub3JnLnVrLy91bWJyYWNvIy9jb250ZW50L2NvbnRlbnQvZWRpdC85MTIyOCJ9","canonicalUrl":"https://www.scouts.org.uk/news/2026/september/warwick-davis-obe-leads-squirrels-5th-birthday-celebrations/"}