Scouts – 10.5 to 14 years
Our waiting list for Scouts is currently closed. Help us to give more young people the opportunity to join Scouting by volunteering.
Jump in and get muddy. Give back and get set. Scouts ignore the butterflies and go for it.
Who are Scouts?
Scouts are a go-getting group of young people aged 10 ½ to 14 who:
- Master new skills and try new things
- Make new friends
- Have fun and go on adventures, at home and abroad
- Explore the world around them
- Help others and make a difference, in their own communities and beyond


What do Scouts get up to?
Discovering the world
Being a Scout is all about discovering the world on your own terms and making the most of what you have, wherever and whoever you are.
Alongside your new friends, you’ll master new skills and try things you’d never get the chance to do at home or at school – working with trained volunteers to achieve whatever you set your mind to.
Week in and week out, they gather in groups called Scout Troops.
Starting small, thinking big
Scouts start small but think big. They stand up for what they believe in and make a difference on their doorstops, confident in the knowledge that their daily actions add up.
In a society that can often feel increasingly isolated and inward-facing, Scouts build bridges and break barriers.
Throughout history, they’ve played all sorts of useful roles in society, and this legacy continues today.
Listening in, lending a hand
Scouts seek out the answers to the big questions, and to the smaller questions that don’t seem to matter but really should. Most importantly, they say yes more often than they say no – whether they’re taking part in their first-ever camp away from home, or writing their first line of code, or accepting the last of the toasted marshmallows.
Sound like fun? That’s because it is.


Who leads Scouts?
Each Scout Troop is made up of young people aged 10½ to 14, led by trained adult volunteers who are on hand to share their skills and keep everyone safe.
Within their Troop, Scouts are part of a Patrol – smaller groups of Scouts who look out for one another, and help each other grow. Scouts usually gather in their Patrols at the beginning and end of meetings. They might also stick together on expeditions or trips away, or during certain activities.
The bigger Scout family
Scouts are probably the most well-known members of the global Scout family.
Closer to home, they’re also part of their wider local Scout Group, alongside Beavers (aged 6-8) and Cubs (aged 8 to 10 1/2). When they’re older, they can also join Explorers (for young people aged 14 to 18) and Scout Network (for young people aged 18-25). The 1st New Cross Scouts are paired with Golden Hind Explorer Unit.
Promises and Ceremonies
Every Scout is unique, but they find common ground in their shared Scout values and make a promise to stick by them.
Making a promise when you join the Troop is a way of celebrating these values. Every time a new Scout decides to join, they make their promise. The process usually takes place once you’ve had a few weeks to settle in, and is known as being ‘invested’ into Scouts. Usually, the promise ceremony happens in a place you’ve chosen, or in a memorable place that means a lot to the group.
It could be held in your usual meeting place, or it could happen around the campfire, or it could happen on a boat sailing the seven seas. Regardless, it’s a big celebration for all involved.


How to join
Lots of young people are itching to join Scouts, so the section has an active waiting list.
To help us with this, we are always looking for volunteers to join. We don’t just need swashbuckling adventurers to lead expeditions. We also need listeners, tidy-uppers and tea-makers, for as little or as much time as they can spare. If you are curious about giving it a go but don’t want to overcommit, you could try our four-week volunteering challenge. Every hour counts, and everyone is welcome.
Scouts wear a green shirt with their badges sewn on, with our grey group scarf. Uniform can be bought from the Scout Store.