{"alias":"contentPage","byline":null,"standfirst":null,"content":{"layouts":[{"type":"singleColumn","areas":[{"items":[{"gridType":"RichTextBlock","content":"\u003Ch3\u003EWhat is a buddy?\u003C/h3\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EA buddy is someone who supports a new volunteer during their induction into Scouts. They offer guidance, answers questions and helps the new volunteer understand what it\u2019s like to volunteer at Scouts. They can share their experiences and support each other.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EBy having their own buddy, a new volunteer has someone they can turn to for advice and general help when getting to grips with their tasks.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EVolunteers are at the centre of their own journey, but we want them to know we can also be with them every step of the way. Being a buddy can be an excellent way to show the Scout values and Our Volunteering Culture in action. Their buddy can help with as much, or as little, as they need and we\u2019ll also be on hand to answer any questions they may have.\u003C/p\u003E","gtmId":"","gtmClass":""},{"gridType":"RichTextBlock","content":"\u003Ch3\u003ESupport from the Volunteering Development Team\u003C/h3\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EVolunteering Development Teams are responsible for making sure there\u2019s support in place for new volunteers. It\u2019s not their specific task, but they can help Team Leaders with finding and matching new volunteers to buddies.\u003C/p\u003E","gtmId":"","gtmClass":""},{"gridType":"RichTextBlock","content":"\u003Ch3\u003EBecoming a buddy\u003C/h3\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EBeing a buddy would be suited to you if:\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cul\u003E\n\u003Cli\u003EYou\u2019re able to answer questions, or point people in the right direction to finding the answers\u003C/li\u003E\n\u003Cli\u003EYou\u2019re a great listener\u003C/li\u003E\n\u003Cli\u003EYou\u2019re knowledgeable about our programme, how Scouts is run in your local area, or even if you want to brush up on these areas and test your knowledge\u003C/li\u003E\n\u003Cli\u003EYou enjoy supporting others\u003C/li\u003E\n\u003Cli\u003EYou\u2019ve got great ideas and are happy to share how you do things\u003C/li\u003E\n\u003C/ul\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIf you\u0027d like to become a buddy, make yourself known to your Volunteering Development Team. They\u2019ll have all the connections and will be able to point you in the direction of anyone new who may be looking for support.\u003C/p\u003E","gtmId":"","gtmClass":""},{"gridType":"accordion","gtmId":"","gtmClass":"","showExpand":true,"items":[{"gridType":"accordionItem","gtmId":"","gtmClass":"","body":"\u003Cp\u003EEvery adult in Scouts can choose to be a buddy, as it\u2019s not an official role or accreditation.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe qualities that come with being a buddy are in line with our Scouts values and Promise. Being helpful and supportive is something we all do naturally in our day to day volunteering with Scouts, so we strongly encourage our members to become buddies too.\u003C/p\u003E","label":"Who can be a buddy?"},{"gridType":"accordionItem","gtmId":"","gtmClass":"","body":"\u003Cp\u003EDo:\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cul\u003E\n\u003Cli\u003EReach out and arrange contact methods that work for both of you. You might only talk online, or arrange to meet every so often. Make it work for the new volunteer to suit their needs.\u003C/li\u003E\n\u003Cli\u003EBe prepared to point them in the right direction. You may need to suggest other volunteers, who can buddy up with them at different points, for example if they want to gain a certain permit you don\u2019t have.\u003C/li\u003E\n\u003C/ul\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EDon\u0027t:\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cul\u003E\n\u003Cli\u003EBe like a manager for the new volunteer. Remember, this is a non-official, unrecorded and casual role.\u003C/li\u003E\n\u003Cli\u003EFeel like this is something permanent. Being a buddy might not last forever and it may naturally fizz away after a while. But that\u0027s OK as long as you and the new volunteer feel comfortable with the arrangements you\u2019ve made.\u003C/li\u003E\n\u003C/ul\u003E","label":"What\u0027s involved in being a buddy?"},{"gridType":"accordionItem","gtmId":"","gtmClass":"","body":"\u003Cp\u003EYou don\u2019t need to have been in Scouts forever, and you don\u2019t need to know everything. You just need to be able to support them in finding out the information they need. And don\u2019t panic, because if you don\u0027t know, you can go on that fact-finding journey together!\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EHaving an understanding of Scouts in your local area, who\u2019s who, and what groups exist would be great, but all that information should be in the welcome pack too. \u0026nbsp;\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIt\u2019d be best if you match up to someone who has a similar role to you, so you can give them advice and tips from your own experiences, and make sure you can give accurate information about their learning, development and so on.\u003C/p\u003E","label":"What information do buddies need to know?"},{"gridType":"accordionItem","gtmId":"","gtmClass":"","body":"\u003Cp\u003ENo, it\u2019s not essential for all new volunteers to have a buddy when first joining. We want to be flexible to everyone\u2019s needs, and they may decide it\u2019s not right for them. \u00A0\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EBut, we do want to offer this as an option to everyone who joins Scouts, to make sure everyone has equal opportunities. We\u2019d like as many current volunteers as possible to buddy up with new volunteers, so we can enhance the experience for all new members and make them feel like a part of Scouts.\u003Cbr\u003E\u00A0\u00A0\u003Cbr\u003EA new volunteer can decide at any point whether they might like a buddy. It could be when they begin other learning or get more involved with their section. They can speak to their Team Leader, who\u2019ll be able to arrange a buddy to support them at any stage in their journey.\u003C/p\u003E","label":"Are buddies essential for every new volunteer?"}]},{"gridType":"RichTextBlock","content":"\u003Ch3\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EInteractive buddy flow chart\u003C/h3\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ENew volunteers can use this handy flow chart to help them in working out if a buddy is right for them.\u003C/p\u003E","gtmId":"","gtmClass":""},{"gridType":"RichTextBlock","content":"\u003Cdiv style=\u0022width: 100%;\u0022\u003E\n\u003Cdiv style=\u0022position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.25%; padding-top: 0; height: 0;\u0022\u003E\u003Ciframe title=\u0022Interactive Buddy Questions v2\u0022 frameborder=\u00220\u0022 width=\u00221200\u0022 height=\u0022675\u0022 style=\u0022position: absolute; top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%;\u0022 src=\u0022https://view.genial.ly/64ef0bb0eed39400191f3593\u0022 type=\u0022text/html\u0022 allowscriptaccess=\u0022always\u0022 allowfullscreen=\u0022allowfullscreen\u0022 scrolling=\u0022yes\u0022 allownetworking=\u0022all\u0022\u003E\u003C/iframe\u003E\u003C/div\u003E\n\u003C/div\u003E","gtmId":"","gtmClass":""},{"gridType":"callToAction","gtmId":"","gtmClass":"","buttonText":"Open the buddy flow chart PDF (full colour)","buttonLink":{"name":"Buddy flow chart full colour","id":null,"url":"https://prod-cms.scouts.org.uk//media/yfohkzts/vounteer-buddy-road-map-v2-1.pdf","newWindow":false,"target":"_blank"},"colour":{"value":"006ddf","label":"006ddf"},"alignment":"central"},{"gridType":"callToAction","gtmId":"","gtmClass":"","buttonText":"Open the buddy flow chart PDF (print friendly)","buttonLink":{"name":"Vounteer Buddy Road Map V2 Print Version (1)","id":null,"url":"https://prod-cms.scouts.org.uk//media/kiugwpob/vounteer-buddy-road-map-v2-print-version-1.pdf","newWindow":false,"target":"_blank"},"colour":{"value":"006ddf","label":"006ddf"},"alignment":"central"}]}],"config":null}]},"searchDescription":"What you need to know about buddies to support new volunteers.","pageType":null,"location":null,"browserTitle":"Buddies and supporting new volunteers","versionDate":"11 August 2023","reviewDate":"01/01/0001","redirectUrl":"","id":76446,"nodeName":"Buddies","title":"Buddies","type":"contentPage","image":{"url":"/media/10478/scouts-logo.jpg?width=800\u0026height=450\u0026v=1db789232a4a190","caption":"Scouts Logo","type":"jpg","size":30784,"width":800,"height":450,"altText":"The Scouts logo"},"assets":null,"headerOptions":{"headerTitle":"Buddies and supporting new volunteers","headerSubTitle":"What you need to know about buddies to support new volunteers","headerCta":"","headerCtaText":"","headerCtaLink":"","headerBackgroundColour":"006ddf","showSEOImage":false,"headerBackgroundImage":null,"quickLinks":[{"caption":"","title":"Steps in the volunteer joining journey","url":"/volunteers/running-things-locally/tools-to-support-leadership-teams/welcoming-volunteers/joining-journey/","newWindow":false}]},"subHeader":"What you need to know about buddies to support new volunteers.","silktide":"eyJjbXMiOiJVbWJyYWNvIiwiZWRpdG9yVXJsIjoiaHR0cHM6Ly9wcm9kLWNtcy5zY291dHMub3JnLnVrLy91bWJyYWNvIy9jb250ZW50L2NvbnRlbnQvZWRpdC83NjQ0NiJ9","canonicalUrl":"https://www.scouts.org.uk/volunteers/running-things-locally/tools-to-support-leadership-teams/welcoming-volunteers/buddies/"}