What's happening with Scouts for 4 and 5 year olds?

The Scouts have been talking about whether it could be extended to 4 and 5 years old for a while now.

It’s all part of the UK-wide plan to support even more young people to develop skills for life.

Through an exciting pilot scheme, our headquarters is gauging the impact Scouts has on the development of even younger young people.

External funds have made the pilot possible, and now the first set of pilots have opened, including some in Hampshire! So, what is being tested?

Alongside looking at the benefits Scouts could have on this age group, it's also testing different models, all based within local Scouts.

This means the pilots are being approached in three different ways based upon local community needs.

These models are:

• Scout-led; A section before Beaver Scouts that’s run by both existing and new volunteers.

This is the model most of us are familiar with. It involves meeting in the same venue and same time slot each week.

• Partner-led; A section run by individuals in an organisation who deliver a Scouts programme in their own setting. This could be a day nursery, an Action for Children centre, or a local community organisation, for example.

• Family Scouts; The key rule to this model is that an adult accompanies the young person and engages with the programme alongside the 4 and 5 year olds.

Meeting venue and time slots may vary week to week. This type of Scouts has been seen in Denmark, Finland and the USA, amongst other places.