Grow 50! Support and Rewards for Growth in Kent Scouts

What we want to do

Kent Scouts is Going for Growth and we aim to have 18,500 young people aged 4 - 25 as members by the end of 2025.

Why we want to do it

Scouting is all about supporting young people in their personal development and we know it’s good for our volunteers too, but we have loads of young people on waiting lists and there are communities we have yet to reach. By planning for growth, we can involve more young people and become more inclusive.

How we can get there

We are asking each District to Grow by 50 members each year to help us reach our target. Everyone can play their part and, essentially, if each Section or Unit grows by 2 members we’ll reach our target!

How can we help?

Practical Help

The Kent Scouts volunteering development team can suggest a range of recruitment and retention ideas that might work for your situation.

Find out more


Rewards for Growth

Badges

Of course, there’s a badge! Each person in your Group or District Explorer Scout provision will get a badge if you achieve a growth of 10 or more Members above the last census.

• Bronze Award for 10+ extra young people per Group

• Silver Award for 25+ extra young people per Group

• Gold Award for 50+ extra young people per Group

Online Resources

Find Details of Kent Scouts’ badges to support growth here: https://www.kentscouts.org.uk/sspage-support-growth_and_development-scout_mate.html

There’s a great range of resources on The Scouts web site here: https://www.scouts.org.uk/volunteers/growing-scouts/

Join an online volunteer recruitment workshop here: https://www.scouts.org.uk/volu...

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Prizes

Once again we have a prize draw for a multi activity day at Lower Grange Farm. This year all Sections and Explorer Units that grow, compared to the last Census, will be given one entry into the prize draw. 

Winners

FAQs

Who counts as a member?

All invested young people who appear on the Census return.

What capitation will we have to pay?

HQ membership fee, plus your District levy unless your District decides to waive their portion. You will NOT pay the County levy on the number you have increased by from the 2024 Census

How many badges will we get?

If you whole Group or Unit has grown number from the 2024 Census by 10 or more, you will get one badge for each young person and each adult as shown on the 2025 Census return. The colour of badge will depend on the number you have grown: 10+ bronze, 25+ silver, and 50+ is gold.

Where are badges worn?

On uniform jumpers just above the World Membership badge, and on uniform shirts same place but above the pocket button.

How can we get entries in the prize draw?

This is a little different from last year. Your Section or Unit will get one ticket in the draw if it has grown and it will just be that section that wins an activity day at Lower Grange Farm.

Our group has an Explorer Unit – do they count as the group?

No. Explorer Scout Units count towards the “District Explorer Scout Provision” number

Membership Fee Reduction

We all know that more young people on the census means more to pay, so we’ll help by waiving the county levy for any growth in numbers – if you had 10 Young People last year and 12 this, then you’ll still only pay Kent for 10. And we’ve asked Districts to do the same.


Grants for New Sections

Kent Scouts will support new sections opening between 1st September 2024 and 31st January 2025 with a small start-up grant. New Squirrel sections will receive a payment of £100 and all other sections or units will receive £250. You can apply for a grant once you have had your first meeting here:

https://tinyurl.com/SectionGrants24

Please Note: New sections supported by Milly from the Under Represented Communities Project will be able to access a different pot of money instead of this – so they won’t miss out!

New Dreys in areas low on the index of multiple deprivation (IMDs1-5) can also get grants of £500 from HQ and there is more information here:

https://tinyurl.com/NewDreys


Scout logo

Youth sections

Squirrels
4-5 years

Beavers
6-8 years

Cubs
8-10½ years

Scouts
10½-14 years

Explorers
14-18 years

Network
18-25 years

Coming up

Christmas Parties for Beavers and Cubs
10th - 13th December 2024

Christmas Fayre at Lower Grange Farm
14th December 2024, 11:00 - 15:00

First Aid - Complete course (10A&B)
14th December 2024, 9:00

Network - Christmas Markets
21st December 2024, 11:00

Network - Christmas Drinks
21st December 2024, 20:30

Contact us

Kent County Scout Council
Kent Scouts Activity Centre
Lower Grange Farm
Grange Lane
Sandling
Maidstone, Kent
ME14 3DA

Telephone: 01622 397070
9am - 5pm Monday to Friday

Online