Welcome to the adventure!

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Scouting exists to actively engage and support young people in their personal development, empowering them to make a positive contribution to society. 

Explorer Scouts experience  life-changing opportunities and develop important skills by working towards badges and top awards. 

Explorer Scouts is the fourth  section in the Scout Movement  for 14 to 18-year-olds. In this section, young people enjoy the independence of planning their  own incredible adventures with  their Explorer Unit. 

When an Explorer joins their Unit, they make a Promise to do their  best and to follow the values  of Scouting; integrity, respect, care, belief and cooperation.

 When Explorers turn 18, they move onto the Scout Network, the fifth and final Scouting section. They could also choose to take on a role as an adult volunteer.

Earn badges, achieve awards and enjoy the adventure of a lifetime! 

Explorers are encouraged to learn by doing, so our Explorer Scout Programme  is jam-packed with adventurous activities that will help develop their skills. 

With the support, direction and guidance of Leaders, Explorer Scouts are encouraged to lead themselves, design their own Programme and work towards the top awards that Scouting offers. 

Explorers can expect to get involved   in activities such as:

• Water-based activities 

• Community impact projects 

• Hiking 

• Digital skills 

• Camping 

• Sports 

Explorers can also take part in international activities such as the Explorer Belt, a 10–day expedition that provides them with a real understanding of a different country, its culture and way of life.

One of the many exciting perks of the being an Explorer Scout is the opportunity to take part in the Young Leaders' Scheme. 

The Young Leaders' Scheme helps Explorer Scouts develop their leadership  and communication skills. As a Young Leader, Explorer Scouts will volunteer to help  run a Beaver, Cub or Scout section. They will work  with the Leader to plan  the section’s Programme, run activities and share  their Scouting skills with younger Scouts. 

When Explorers complete the Scheme, they receive  the Young Leader Service Award which they can reference in university  and job applications.

Explorer Scouts expand  on and develop important  life skills that will set them apart from the crowd   as they enter adulthood  and face the challenges  that come along with it. 

These important character skills include: 

• The ability to work as part   of a team 

• Leadership skills 

• Problem solving skills 

• Communication skills

• A sense of responsibility 

• Independence

We are committed to being inclusive of all young people, regardless of ability or disability and has a clear Equal Opportunities Policy. There is flexibility within Scouting and all groups should make reasonable adjustments wherever possible to support the inclusion of young people with disabilities or additional needs.

We endorse systems of supporting our leaders with inclusion. We will gladly meet with parents/careers of any young person to discuss their individual needs and plan a support strategies. 

Leaders adhere to our anti-bullying, equal opportunities, safety and child protection policies. 

Explorer Scouts take part  in activities and learn new skills under the supervision of adult volunteers. They work effectively and safely with young people to deliver the Scout Programme and have access to training to support them in their role. 

If you have any questions, get in touch with your  local Leader.

Scouting is for adults too! We believe in flexible volunteering and offer  a number of adult volunteering roles that suit  a range of skills.

INTERESTED? Speak to your local Leader  to ask about the different roles available. How much time you give  is completely up to you. Whether you help out once a fortnight, month, term  or just at special events  or camps, there is bound  to be a role for you. 

BUILD ON YOUR SKILLS Scouting offers the chance for you to build on personal skills like teamwork, confidence and leadership. 

To find out how you  can volunteer visit   scouts.org.uk/get-involved

Online Scout Manger - OSM is the website used by Parents and Leaders to keep your child's person details and progress in Scouting on one central system. Sharing the work with parents and fellow leaders. 

The parent portal revolutionises the way leaders communicate with parents by giving parents various tools with automatic reminders!

                      Video preview of the Parent Portal                  

• Parents can sign up to events
• Parents can view the programme
• Parents can see their child's badge progress
• Parents can keep their contact and medical info up to date

Use OSM offline on any modern mobile device to give you the power of OSM in your pocket!

To help us keep Explorer and parents up to date we send out several emails over the year, with all upcoming events and activities. There is also a Parents only Whats App Group, and an Explorer Whats App Group to help us keep you informed. More information on this will be given after joining us.

We will always give new Explorers 4 weeks free of charge,  after that subscriptions fees are £15 each month; this covers cost of most weekly meetings, insurance and ongoing running costs, Some activities and camps are extra to this, for example a weekend camp might be £50 or a week-long Summer camp might be £250. We will always give you plenty of notice to any additional cost for the activities.

All payments can be be done online, it's quick, easy and secure way for us to collect payments from parents.  More information on how to pay will be given after joining us.

If you are unhappy with anything relating to your child’s time in Scouting you should first raise it with your child’s leaders. We are all here to help make sure everyone has a good and safe time in Scouting.

If you would rather speak to someone else, please contact the Scout Information Centre on 0845 300 1818.

The Scout Association also has a complaints procedure.