{"alias":"contentPage","byline":null,"standfirst":null,"content":{"layouts":[{"type":"sidebar","areas":[{"items":[{"gridType":"RichTextBlock","content":"\u003Ch4\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWouldn\u2019t it be great if everyone could join?\u003C/strong\u003E\u003C/h4\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThere are over 100,000 young people on Scouts waiting lists across the UK.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIf you can stay on top of your waiting list, you can save time, welcome more young people into Scouts, and keep a great reputation in the community, even when someone can\u0027t join right away.\u003C/p\u003E","gtmId":"","gtmClass":""},{"gridType":"RichTextBlock","content":"\u003Ch4\u003ESo, someone wants to join but you don\u0027t have space. What\u0027s next?\u003C/h4\u003E","gtmId":"","gtmClass":""},{"type":"Promo","cta":"Use our example email to invite someone to your waiting list","body":"\u003Cp\u003EAsk for more details and confirm that you\u0027ll add them to the waiting list.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EYou\u0027ll want to know their child\u0027s name and date of birth, their name and contact details, and their postcode, so you can give contact details for other Groups local to them.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ELet them know a rough idea of when there might be a space.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EBe clear that when a space is available they will need to respond to you promptly, otherwise it will be passed to someone else.\u003C/p\u003E","link":{"name":"Group Waiting List Initial Email","id":null,"url":"https://prod-cms.scouts.org.uk//media/eewobbuf/group-waiting-list-initial-email.docx","newWindow":false,"target":"_blank"},"colour":null,"title":"Step 1 - Gather details","image":null,"imageFocus":"","imageId":0,"imageKey":"00000000-0000-0000-0000-000000000000","imageCrop":"","gridType":"card","gtmId":"","gtmClass":""},{"type":"Promo","cta":"Create your list using our template","body":"\u003Cp\u003EYou can use online tools, forms or spreadsheets, whatever works for you to manage your waiting list, so long as you can easily store and view their details, keep on top of the admin and contact their adult.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ESort and add filters to your list to work out which section everyone is waiting for so you can offer the right person the next space. For example, you might want to sort the list so that those who have been on the list the longest appear at the top and add a filter to show only those for each section.\u003C/p\u003E","link":{"name":"Group Waiting List Template","id":null,"url":"https://prod-cms.scouts.org.uk//media/unxl5yna/group-waiting-list-template.xlsm","newWindow":false,"target":"_blank"},"colour":"#ffb4e5","title":"Step 2 - Add them to the list","image":null,"imageFocus":"","imageId":0,"imageKey":"00000000-0000-0000-0000-000000000000","imageCrop":"","gridType":"card","gtmId":"","gtmClass":""},{"type":"Promo","cta":"Contact them regularly using this email","body":"\u003Cp\u003EWhile someone is on the list contact them to check in. That could be on a half-termly or termly basis, whatever works for you.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIf they\u0027ve found a different Group or club to go to, they might not tell you, so send them a message to see if they still need their space and to give an update on timescales.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EYou can also share details of other Groups that have space, or point them in the direction of the District Support Team, who could help.\u003C/p\u003E","link":{"name":"Group Waiting List Termly Email","id":null,"url":"https://prod-cms.scouts.org.uk//media/rn1btzi1/group-waiting-list-termly-email.docx","newWindow":false,"target":"_blank"},"colour":"#f1f1f1","title":"Step 3 - Keep in contact","image":null,"imageFocus":"","imageId":0,"imageKey":"00000000-0000-0000-0000-000000000000","imageCrop":"","gridType":"card","gtmId":"","gtmClass":""},{"type":"Promo","cta":"Offer them a place with our joining email example!","body":"\u003Cp\u003EWhen a place comes up, head to the top of your list to see who is next and offer them the place.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EBe clear that they need to get back to you or you\u0027ll offer the space to someone else.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EAsk for more details like emergency contacts, and medical and additional needs.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EInvite them to their first meeting, explain more about what they need to bring, add them to your youth management system and let all the volunteers in that section know!\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ECheck in with them after their first session to see how it went and if they want to come back, and go from there.\u003C/p\u003E","link":{"name":"Group Waiting List Offering A Place Email","id":null,"url":"https://prod-cms.scouts.org.uk//media/okeb0b1y/group-waiting-list-offering-a-place-email.docx","newWindow":false,"target":"_blank"},"colour":"#ffb4e5","title":"Step 4 - Get them in!","image":null,"imageFocus":"","imageId":0,"imageKey":"00000000-0000-0000-0000-000000000000","imageCrop":"","gridType":"card","gtmId":"","gtmClass":""}]},{"items":[{"type":"Plain","cta":"Contact the Support Centre","body":"\u003Cp class=\u0022MsoNormal\u0022\u003EPrioritising young people based on certain criteria is possible, provided it\u2019s a fair way to support those people.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp class=\u0022MsoNormal\u0022\u003EYou can take positive action to provide support to potential members who are under-represented because they share that criteria, and it puts them at a disadvantage. But bear in mind that the support needs to be balanced against the potential disadvantage to those who don\u2019t share the criteria.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp class=\u0022MsoNormal\u0022\u003EInstead of letting people jump waiting lists, use other initiatives, for example:\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cul style=\u0022margin-top: 0cm;\u0022\u003E\n\u003Cli class=\u0022MsoNormal\u0022 style=\u0022mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list 36.0pt;\u0022\u003ETo become more representative, try changing your advertising to bring more young people of all backgrounds onto your waiting list\u003C/li\u003E\n\u003Cli class=\u0022MsoNormal\u0022 style=\u0022mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list 36.0pt;\u0022\u003EConsider what additional support and outreach you can provide to help young people who are underrepresented and share a disadvantage, for example how you manage and promote your waiting lists\u003C/li\u003E\n\u003Cli class=\u0022MsoNormal\u0022 style=\u0022mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list 36.0pt;\u0022\u003EIf you\u0027re asking their adults to volunteer try to make sure that if they do, you accept others from the list who don\u0027t have an adult who can volunteer, as a result\u003C/li\u003E\n\u003C/ul\u003E\n\u003Cp class=\u0022MsoNormal\u0022\u003EIf you\u0027re going to set criteria for prioritising young people, you need to be able to justify it and make sure there isn\u0027t something you can do that is less discriminatory to others.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ENot sure what to do? Take a look at the \u003Ca rel=\u0022noopener\u0022 href=\u0022https://www.gov.uk/guidance/equality-act-2010-guidance\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022 title=\u0022Equality Act 2010\u0022\u003EEquality Act 2010\u003C/a\u003E or get in touch with the \u003Ca rel=\u0022noopener\u0022 href=\u0022/contact-us/\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022 title=\u0022Contact us\u0022\u003EScouts Support Centre\u003C/a\u003E.\u003C/p\u003E","link":{"name":"Contact us","id":null,"url":"/contact-us/","newWindow":false,"target":"_blank"},"colour":"#ffb4e5","title":"Who gets the next place?","image":null,"imageFocus":"","imageId":0,"imageKey":"00000000-0000-0000-0000-000000000000","imageCrop":"","gridType":"card","gtmId":"","gtmClass":""},{"gridType":"RichTextBlock","content":"\u003Ch4\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ETop tips for managing your list\u003C/strong\u003E\u003C/h4\u003E","gtmId":"","gtmClass":""},{"gridType":"accordion","gtmId":"","gtmClass":"","showExpand":true,"items":[{"gridType":"accordionItem","gtmId":"","gtmClass":"","body":"\u003Cp\u003EManaging a waiting list is a great task for someone who can\u0027t come every week but can sit in front of the telly on their laptop every now and then. You could even call them the Waiting List Coordinator if you wanted to!\u003C/p\u003E","label":"Find someone else to do it"},{"gridType":"accordionItem","gtmId":"","gtmClass":"","body":"\u003Cp\u003EA District waiting list can help spread the young people out, reduce admin time and avoid duplication of lists. See our advice on using a \u003Ca href=\u0022/volunteers/growing-scouts/get-more-young-people-involved/waiting-lists/district-waiting-lists/#\u0022 title=\u0022District waiting lists\u0022 data-anchor=\u0022#\u0022\u003EDistrict-managed waiting list\u003C/a\u003E.\u003C/p\u003E","label":"Start a District waiting list"},{"gridType":"accordionItem","gtmId":"","gtmClass":"","body":"\u003Cp\u003EA great way of keeping those on your waiting list enjoying Scouts is to get them involved.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EYou might not have space at your regular meetings, but can you invite them to a camp, run a family day or have a Group BBQ?\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIf you can get them involved, you might bring in some new volunteers, or at the very least you\u0027ll be building on your great reputation in the community.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThis small experience of Scouts could be the trigger they need to sign up to other adventures and give them skills for life they didn\u0027t have before.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIt also means that when a place is available, they already know you and some of the other young people, which will make settling in a lot easier.\u003C/p\u003E","label":"Get your list involved"},{"gridType":"accordionItem","gtmId":"","gtmClass":"","body":"\u003Cp\u003EThere may be adults of the young people on your waiting list who are willing to get stuck in. Could you find a space for their child if they can make a regular commitment?\u003C/p\u003E","label":"Ask for volunteers"},{"gridType":"accordionItem","gtmId":"","gtmClass":"","body":"\u003Cp\u003ERather than just saying \u0022No, we have no space, sorry.\u0022 put them in touch with another Group\u003C/p\u003E","label":"Avoid ignoring or declining anyone"},{"gridType":"accordionItem","gtmId":"","gtmClass":"","body":"\u003Cp\u003EHaving a big waiting list can feel like a great achievement; you\u0027ve done an incredible job at growing Scouts and you should be proud of that!\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EYour next task is to help as many of those young people experience the skills for life that we offer and, if you don\u0027t have space, someone else will.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EHave contact details handy for other Groups near you, even if they\u0027re in another District or County, so you can pass them on to those on your waiting list, or get in touch with your District Support Team for help.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThey may not have realised there are others so close and, as we\u0027re one big Scout family, our main aim is to help find a space that\u0027s good for them.\u003C/p\u003E","label":"Share and share alike"},{"gridType":"accordionItem","gtmId":"","gtmClass":"","body":"\u003Cp\u003EFor a waiting list to work well you need to have great communication. Set up an auto-reply to let people know that their email or message has been received, then make sure you get back to them quickly and regularly.\u003C/p\u003E","label":"Set up an auto-reply"}]}]}],"config":null}]},"searchDescription":"Manage your youth waiting list in a way that saves you time and increases the chance a young person will access Scouts","pageType":null,"location":null,"browserTitle":"","versionDate":"23 September 2025","reviewDate":"10/09/2019","redirectUrl":"","id":87190,"nodeName":"Group waiting lists","title":"Group waiting lists","type":"contentPage","image":null,"assets":null,"headerOptions":{"headerTitle":"Managing your Group\u0027s waiting list","headerSubTitle":"Save time and keep on top of your Group\u0027s waiting list with some advice and top tips","headerCta":"","headerCtaText":"","headerCtaLink":"","headerBackgroundColour":"ffb4e5","showSEOImage":false,"headerBackgroundImage":null,"quickLinks":[{"caption":"","title":"Volunteer recruitment webinars","url":"/volunteers/growing-scouts/recruit-more-volunteers/volunteer-recruitment-webinars/","newWindow":true},{"caption":"","title":"District waiting lists","url":"/volunteers/growing-scouts/get-more-young-people-involved/waiting-lists/district-waiting-lists/","newWindow":false}]},"subHeader":"Manage your youth waiting list in a way that saves you time and increases the chance a young person will access Scouts","silktide":"eyJjbXMiOiJVbWJyYWNvIiwiZWRpdG9yVXJsIjoiaHR0cHM6Ly9wcm9kLWNtcy5zY291dHMub3JnLnVrLy91bWJyYWNvIy9jb250ZW50L2NvbnRlbnQvZWRpdC84NzE5MCJ9","canonicalUrl":"https://www.scouts.org.uk/volunteers/growing-scouts/get-more-young-people-involved/waiting-lists/group-waiting-lists/"}