Community impact

Aim

To continue our commitment to social action and making a difference, both for the young people taking part in our projects and the communities they help. Helping our communities is a huge part of what Scouts does.

Although high quality community impact projects take planning and time, we understand that they’re essential to any Scouts’ programme, especially for young people hoping to achieve our Top Awards.

Goals

By 2026, we want:

• 42% of our young people to make a positive impact in their community each year.
• 40% of our young people, aged 4–14, and 10% of those aged 14+, to be achieving Top Awards.
• To launch a new community impact opportunity in Scouts’ programme.

Progress a year on

• In the last year, our amazing young people dedicated over 224,000 hours to community impact projects. In doing this, they made strides towards creating meaningful, sustainable, change in their communities. Their dedication and commitment shows how individuals and organisations are driving positive social impact on a large scale.
• Our Scout Experience Survey (SES) shows that 46% of young people take part in action that makes a positive difference in their communities or the world around them.
• Young people told us they wanted to be making a difference to the environment. In June, we launched the World Organization of the Scout Movement (WOSM) initiative ‘Earth Tribe’ to all Sections. Since then, we’ve seen over 17,000 young people become ‘Planet Champions’. Earth Tribe is a global environmental challenge, helping all Scouts (from Squirrels through to Network) to understand the world around them, and grasp the challenges our planet faces.
• Through Earth Tribe, we’re supporting young people to be environmentally conscious, active, globally-aware citizens, who understand how their actions can still make a difference during climate crisis.
• Census data shows 43% of young people from Squirrels to Scouts achieved Chief Scout Awards, with 7% over the age of 14 completing at least one Top Award, a 1.6% increase on the previous year.
• Last year around 50 Network Scouts take part in community-based projects for their Scouts of the World Award (SOWA). This included activities like creating community spaces for young people and introducing a uniform bank to help other Scouts and reduce textile waste.

What's next

• Based on the recommendations from our Community Impact group of young people from across the UK, a youth-led team is now reviewing activities. It’s all about supporting young people to identify what their local area needs, helping them to plan community projects that’ll make a positive difference.
• Serving our local and the wider communities continues to be at the heart of what we do in Scouts. We’re honoured that Scouts will be central to the commemorations of VE Day 80 in May 2025 – an event that’s pivotal to communities across the UK.
• Community impact will be part of the updated 14–18 years programme that we are now piloting. Engaging our local community is embedded in all activity badges, with a new Community Engagement Challenge Award celebrating the importance of giving back.
• We’ll continue to enhance our community impact programme resources, making sure we empower leaders to create meaningful opportunities for young people as they develop skills for life, helping them to make a difference in their communities.