Bringing Squirrels NI and Scouts together
Quick links
Watch our latest workshop
Find out about the next steps for the legal transfer, including key actions for you to take. We also discussed some of the practicalities about delivering Squirrels as part of Scouts from September.
View the video on VimeoIn Summer 2020, The Scout Association’s national Trustee Board approved Scouts for four and five year olds – a historic moment that couldn’t have happened without the pioneering work of Squirrels in Northern Ireland over the last twenty-plus years.
Existing Squirrel Dreys will be welcomed into The Scout Association by September 2021. This means Dreys can get full access to a range of member resources, aim to simplify charity administration and continue to share knowledge.
To bring Dreys, as independent charities, into the federated structure of The Scout Association we will need to do this in a way that:
- ensures existing Squirrel volunteers have their long service recorded and recognised;
- allows Scout Groups and The Scout Association to reduce the administrative burden on Squirrel Drey volunteers; and
- protects trustees of Squirrel Dreys, Scout Groups, the Northern Ireland Squirrel Association and The Scout Association particularly regarding any potential for legal challenge related to historical incidents, assets and liabilities.
This means that we’ll need to undertake formal mergers between local Dreys and Groups, and the Northern Ireland Squirrel Association and The Scout Association.
Squirrel Dreys and Scout Groups are charities in their own right so trustees will need to make the decision to merge. Both the Northern Ireland Squirrel Association and The Scout Association are investing in legal advice and providing guidance to support.
Useful resources
- CCNI Sealed Order
- Frequently asked questions (FAQs)
- How to ask another question about the merger
- The due diligence questionnaire
- Guidance on how to complete the questionnaire
- Slides from our workshop on 24 March about the merger and the due diligence questionnaire
- Guidance for Scout Groups on considering Due Diligence Questionnaires
- Local Board Trustee Paper: A merger between Dreys and Groups (March 2021)
- Practical arrangements for bringing Squirrels NI and Scouts together
- Slides from the workshop on 15 June about next steps for the legal transfer and practical arrangements
Our first webinar
We held a webinar to share the details about why we need to merge, and the advice and resources that would be available for Executive Committees to consider the implications.
Drey progress with the merger process
Take a look in the form below to see where you are on the journey to being officially part of The Scouts Association. You can see the steps you need to take next and understand what other Dreys are up to as well.