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Volunteering at Scouts is changing to help us reach more young people

Volunteering is changing to help us reach more young people

Volunteering is changing at Scouts. Read more

Discover what this means

Ending homelessness

Supported by Crisis and The Simon Community

Request a speaker

Get in touch to request a speaker from Crisis, to help you explore the theme of ending homelessness. Depending on availability and where your group is based, this could be a physicalvirtual or pre-recorded session. 

Get in touch

Step one: identify the need

A safe bridge

Explore the theme of homelessness and why people could become homeless, in this interactive bridge building activity.

Ages: 10½ to 18 | Takes: 60 minutes

Run a safe bridge

Would you rather?

Decide what you would do in these tricky scenarios and think about the impossible choices many homeless people face.

Ages: 4 to 18 | Takes: 30 minutes

Play would you rather?

Safety net

Stay as close as you can to take your shot at glory, and think about the impact that choices we make have on our lives.

Ages: 8 to 18 | Takes: 30 minutes

Run safety net

What makes a house a home?

Work together to think about what makes a home in this simple, creative activity.

Ages: 4 to 18 | Takes: 30 minutes

Run what makes a house a home?

Step two: plan action

What do you believe?

Being homeless means more than just not having a home. Think about what this means as we look at what people believe.

Ages: 14 to 18 | Takes: 30 minutes

Run what do you believe?

Unfair rules

Choose your chair with care in this rule-changing challenge, as we see how some rules make life tough for homeless people.

Ages: 10½ to 18 | Takes: 30 minutes

Play unfair rules

The pyramid

Build blocks into pyramids as we learn about the fundamentals of happiness, and what can happen if they’re taken away.

Ages: 10½ to 18 | Takes: 30 minutes

Build a happiness pyramid

Walk on the wild side

Find your way back and escape the wilderness, as we see what it might be like to find yourself in unknown territory.

Ages: 8 to 18 | Takes: 2 hours

Take a walk on the wild side

Change of plan

Everything’s been planned out, but where’s the equipment? See what it’s like to lose important things that you need or take for granted.

Ages: 8 to 18 | Takes: 30 minutes

Run change of plan

Step three: take action

Channel your inner journalist

Channel your inner journalist as you reshape the news and narratives around homelessness and explain the solutions.

Ages: 8 to 18 | Takes: 1 hour

Channel your inner journalist

Questions for change

Start conversations in your local community and discover people’s perceptions about homelessness.

Ages: 8 to 18 | Takes: 4 hours

Ask questions for change

Cook for change

Cook up a storm, then bring your community together to share a meal and chat about how to end homelessness for good.

Ages: 4 to 18 | Takes: 4 hours

Cook for change

Share the invisible struggle

Get creative and show people that there’s more to homelessness than meets the eye.                                  

Ages: 4 to 18 | Takes: 4 hours

Share the invisible struggle

Perform to inform

Take to the stage and raise awareness of issues surrounding homelessness.                                  

Ages: 6 to 14 | Takes: 4 hours

Perform to inform

Step four: learn and make more change

Better together

Connect with another group, share what you’ve learned, and plan how you’ll work together to help end homelessness.

Ages: 6 to 18 | Takes: 2 hours

Become better together

Create the next chapter

Reflect on taking action, then storyboard what more you could do to help end homelessness.                 

Ages: 10½ to 18 | Takes: 2 hours

Create the next chapter

Make a house pledge

Look back at what you’ve done and make a pledge that’ll help end homelessness for good.                     

Ages: 4 to 10½ | Takes: 2 hours

Make a house pledge

Step five: tell the world

Believe and achieve

Reflect on everything you’ve learned and share a positive statement to inspire people to work towards ending homelessness.

Ages: 4 to 18 | Takes: 2 hours

Run believe and achieve

Picture postcards

Post a card and share what you’ve learned with the world.

Ages: 4 to 18 | Takes: 30 mins

Make picture postcards

Themes

Protecting our environment

With a little help from our friends at WWF, we’re fighting to protect our environment by restoring thriving habitats, bringing species back from the brink, and tackling root causes such as climate change.

View activities for protecting our environment >
Supporting refugees and displaced children

We’re partnering with Save the Children to combat stereotypes, raise awareness of the issues displaced children face, build welcoming communities, and connect with Scouts in conflict-affected areas.

View activities for supporting refugees >
Better mental health for all

We’re working alongside Mind, SAMH and Inspire, to empower Scouts to take good care of their mental health, now and in the future.

View activities for better mental health >
Understanding disability

With support from the National Autistic Society, we’re helping our young people to become advocates for inclusion and build a more considerate world.

View activities for understanding disability >
Kindness in every community

Supported by the British Red Cross, we’re showing kindness to those who most need it at home and overseas – and we’re encouraging others to do the same too.

View community kindness activities >