Skills for Life
Our plan to deliver better futures
Our vision for 2025
By 2025* we'll have prepared more young people with skills for life, supported by amazing leaders delivering an inspiring programme.
We'll be growing, more inclusive, shaped by young people and making a bigger impact in our communities.
*Due to the impact of COVID-19, our Skills for Life strategy has been extended until 2025.
Our mission
Scouting actively engages and supports young people in their personal development, empowering them to make a positive contribution to society.
Our values
We act with care, respect, integrity, cooperation, exploring our own and others’ beliefs.
Our goals
Our plan is to build on the success of the previous plan: to continue to grow, become more inclusive, to be shaped by young people and to make a bigger impact in our communities. We have set new goals for 2025. There are specific goals for Scotland.
Growth
As a movement, we have grown for the last 13 years. We want to continue that positive trend, bringing skills for life to more young people across the UK.
By 2025 we'll have:
- 50,000 more young people aged 6-18 in Scouts
- 10,000 more frontline adult volunteers (Section Leaders and Assistant Section Leaders)
- 5,000 more Young Leaders
Inclusivity
Scouts is open to all. We now have over 102,000 girls and have started 834 sections in areas of deprivation since 2013. We believe it’s a priority to reflect the diversity of the communities we are in.
By 2025:
- we will have started Scouts in 500 more areas of deprivation reaching young people who could benefit the most
- our adult volunteers will reflect the demographics of our society
Youth Shaped
Over the last four years, there has been a growing momentum to ensure young people are shaping their experiences and taking on leadership roles at Scouts. We want to continue to build on this.
By 2025:
- 250,000 young people will be shaping their experiences at Scouts
- 50% of young people will be achieving the top awards
Community Impact
Since the launch of our social action campaign, A Million Hands, in 2015, over 250,000 young people have had the opportunity to take part in high quality social action on four big issues of our time. The campaign won 'Cross-Sector Partnership of the Year' at the Charity Times Awards in 2016.
By 2025:
- at least 250,000 young people will be making a positive impact in their community each year
- 50% of young people will be achieving the top awards