The Courier & Advertiser (Perth and Perthshire Edition)
Scouts welcome post-covid surge in new members
S“It gives young people the chance to get back out
couts in Perth and Kinross have welcomed their biggest jump in members for 80 years. The number of children signed up for the organisation in the area has risen from 1,313 last year to 1,464 this year – up by nearly 12%.
And a further 256 young people are waiting to join.
Scouts chiefs are putting the rise partly down to youngsters wanting to get out more in the wake of Covid-19.
Daryl Scott, Perth and Kinross district commissioner (Strathearn area), told The Courier: “People have seen the benefits scouting provides.
“Scouting provides young people with the opportunities to learn new skills, have fun with friends and make new friends as well as getting to try new experiences.
“This is particularly important following Covid19 as young people were stuck at home for long periods of time and scouting gives young people the chance to get back out into their local community and make a difference.”
The boom in interest has been significant in areas like 21st Perthshire (Comrie) where numbers have risen by 250% for Beavers and 111% for Cubs, while 54th Perthshire (Auchterarder) has also seen “excellent growth”.
Mr Scott, who has been involved in the Scouts for a decade, said: “I suspect that word of mouth has helped as parents and young people talk about the opportunities scouting provided them over lockdown.
“Scouting has shown that it helps to provide the skills young people need for school, college, university, a job interview etc and I think that it is fantastic that many young people in Perth and Kinross are getting the chance to experience scouting.
“Scouting actively engages and supports young people in their personal development, empowering them to try new activities, make a positive contribution to society and create connections.”
It comes after adventurer and chief Scout Bear Grylls led a call for new members to sign up last month.
Mr Scott added: “Volunteering with Scouts is very rewarding, fun and good for you.
“We have a range of roles available – from running activities for young people through to doing maintenance on Scouts group buildings a couple of times year.”