What we do

Our purpose is to 'actively engage and support young people in their personal development, empowering them to make a positive contribution to society'.

Adventure is the essence of Scouting. This can take many forms and take place at different levels. It's not just about outdoor activities and extreme sports. It's about the many ways that Scouting challenges and stretches young people to the develop skills they need for life.

For a Beaver Scout that it could be waking up the morning after their first night away from home and getting organised. For a Cub it could be gaining confidence in a new activity. For a Scout it could be developing leadership skills and working as a team towards a common goal. For Explorers it could be working together to plan a camp for the District. For Network members it could be a cultural and community development experience in another country.

Scouts take part in activities as diverse as kayaking, abseiling, expeditions overseas, photography, climbing and zorbing. As a Scout or Explorer Scout you can learn survival skills, first aid, computer programming, or even how to fly a plane. There’s something for every young person. It’s a great way to have fun, make friends, get outdoors, express your creativity and experience the wider world.

We do this through a programme around three main themes:

  • Outdoor and Adventure

  • World

  • Skills

There is the opportunity to work towards and gain activity and challenge badges, the prestigious Chief Scout Awards and, for the older members, the opportunity to complete Duke of Edinburgh Awards.

The range of badges and awards support all aspects of Scouting, the three themes and:

  • Leadership

  • Teamwork

  • Personal development

Youth involvement

To make sure Scouting within the District stays exciting and relevant, our programme is shaped by the young people in partnership with their leaders. This means Scouts in all sections work together with their leaders to influence their whole Scouting experience.

We are also currently developing a Youth Forum to support us by providing ideas and suggestions of activities they would like to try, share their own skills with other young people, and shape how we do things in Derwentside.