Redesigning our 14-24 year old provision

We know that our provision for 14-24 year olds could be better.

We want young people to get the best possible chance in life. To be prepared for jobs. For further study. For life. 

We have a lot to be proud of. Since the launch of Explorer Scouts and Scout Network, with the exception of the pandemic, our numbers have grown year on year. In 2019, 76% of young people agreed that “section leaders were delivering an amazing experience”.   

But we know we could do better. Too many of our Scouts don’t continue to Explorers, and too many Explorer Scouts don’t make it to Network. So, we’re now starting work on reviewing our offering for 14-24 year olds. 

Our focus 

Over the next five years, we’ll be exploring what Scouting should achieve for future generations of 14-24 year olds. With nothing off the table, we’ll explore the outcomes we hope young people can achieve, the activities that will get them there, and the programme and support that make the delivery of those activities as easy as possible. 

What does that look like? 

• Discovery: Exploring what young people, volunteers and society want scouting to achieve for 14-24 year olds (now until October 2023) 
• Co-Design: Creating ideas that could make those achievements a reality (November 2023 to August 2024) 
• Piloting: Testing those ideas out locally, finding out what works and what doesn’t (September 2024 to August 2026) 
• Roll Out: Implementing a new approach to supporting 14-24 years olds build skills for life (September 2026 onwards) 

Volunteer-led

We've got the right team in place to make sure that we have a clear direction and influence on decisions, and re-imagine how we support teenagers and young adults. 

• Our board: they'll make sure we're asking the right questions, to the right people, coming to the right conclusions and ensuring young people and volunteers feel consulted at every step of the journey. Half are under 24, and represent communities we seek to serve. 

• Our youth panel: they're a pool of 14-24 year olds who are going to seek out exciting and impactful ways to support older young people – in Scouting and the wider youth sector, at home and aboard. They’ll spot what could work for the future, and what they would rather see left in the past. 

What’s next? 

From now until October 2023, we’ll be looking to understand what our redesign should seek to achieve.

• We’ll find a way to show you why we designed Explorers and Network the way we did 20 years ago, and what it looks like today
• We’ll be asking what works, what doesn’t and what young people need in the future
• We’ll be speaking to other programmes who work with 14-24 year olds, volunteers, young people in and out of Scouting, and Scouting across the world
• Our Youth Panel will be visiting amazing practice across the UK.

Volunteer actions 

If you’re keen for young people and volunteers in your area to help shape the future of Scouting for teenagers and young adults, then here’s some ideas:

• Join our community of interest group to have your say as the project progresses.
• In 2023, we’ll create some ready-made workshops for you to run locally with young people and volunteers, asking what Scouting should help teenagers and young adults to achieve in the future. You’ll be able to feedback what you found out. 
• Think about what amazing practice already exists locally. It might be doing the existing programme really well, or clever innovations that are even better. We'll be asking you for feedback on this in 2023.