CYP Now - Scouts launches recruitment campaign to tackle volunteer exodus

The Scouts has launched a campaign to recruit more than 5,000 volunteers and offset a mass exodus among its youth group leaders amid the Covid-19 pandemic.

Scouts' youth membership has fallen by a quarter over the past year. Image: Scouts Association

Around 15,000 volunteers left the Scouts during the pandemic, according to the charity as lockdowns impacted on its support for young people.

It says that “disrupted family lives and remote schooling pressures” have also seen tens of thousands fewer young people take part in its activities.

The recruitment campaign is called #GoodForYou and aims to show potential volunteers of the benefits of giving up their time to help young people. This includes supporting their wellbeing, community as well as career prospects.

Latest figures from the charity show that the number of adult volunteers fell from 155,907 in 2020 to 140,810 this year. Over the same period, there has been a quarter drop in youth membership, falling from 480,083 to 362,752.

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