Uniformed groups win funding to expand services across the capital

By Joe Lepper Thursday, 19 January 2012

London mayor Boris Johnson has handed the Scouts, Guides and other uniformed young people's groups £1.3m to boost their services across the capital.

Scouts: one of the groups to benefit from the funding. Image: The Scout Association

The money has been awarded by Johnson to the Safer London Foundation to work with the capital’s 10 uniformed youth groups, including the Volunteer Police Cadets, St John’s Ambulance and Army Cadets, to recruit more adult and young people as volunteers and create new groups.

The target is for 38 new uniformed groups to open over the next three years, with two-thirds in areas of high deprivation. It is hoped that the 8,000 young people currently on the organisation’s waiting lists will all be able to join groups by the end of 2014.

This is the latest initiative within Johnson’s Team London strategy to encourage volunteering.

Johnson said: "Uniformed groups are a fantastic way for youngsters to get involved in a myriad of activities, which will help equip them with the skills they need to succeed in life. It’s a modern tragedy that so many of our young people are struggling to get a foothold in the jobs market and are drifting into crime. By instilling self-reliance, discipline and a sense of competition, young people can aspire to a better future."

A spokesman for the Scout Association added: "The bottom line is that this is new investment in youth work in the capital and a recognition of the support that the voluntary sector can deliver to young people."