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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

Love where you live

Become a photographer, get out and about, and help your local area to shine.

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You’ll need

  • Pens or pencils
  • Scrap paper
  • A map for each group (optional)
  • Cameras or smartphones

This activity may take more than one meeting – you might need to plan how to gather your photographs the week before you take them.

Plan your photos

  1. Split into small groups.
  1. Each group should talk about their favourite places to visit in their local area. If you were giving a visitor a tour of your area, what would you show them? Each group should note down at least five places they want to visit and photograph.
  1. Groups should mark their chosen places on a map, and plan a walking route.

Snap your shots

  1. Each group should go out with an adult to visit the places on their list. They should take multiple pictures at each stop, trying to include a variety of angles, and both close up and far away pictures.

Review your work

  1. Once you return to your meeting place, each group should look through their photographs.
  1. As a group, choose the best photograph of each place. Try to choose the ones you think would fit best on a tourist website, or in a leaflet.
  2. Everyone should come together. Groups should take it in turns to show everyone the five pictures they have chosen, and briefly explain why they chose them.

Reflection

This activity helped you develop practical and up-to-date skills. Did you learn more about photography? Was it fun to experiment with different angles, and take photos close up and far away? Which photos turned out the best? What makes a good picture to show a tourist? Did you learn anything new about your local area?

This activity also reminded you that you’re a local citizen. Do you like your local area? What’s special about your local area? Are you proud to live where you do? Why did you choose the locations you did? Do people take care of your local area? What does it mean to you to be a local citizen? What are your responsibilities as a local citizen?

Safety

All activities must be safely managed. You must complete a thorough risk assessment and take appropriate steps to reduce risk. Use the safety checklist to help you plan and risk assess your activity. Always get approval for the activity, and have suitable supervision and an InTouch process.

Outdoor activities

You must have permission to use the location. Always check the weather forecast, and inform parents and carers of any change in venue.

Online safety

Supervise young people when they’re online and give them advice about staying safe. Take a look at our online safety or bullying guidance. The NSPCC offers more advice and guidance, too. If you want to know more about specific social networks and games, Childnet has information and safety tips for apps. You can also report anything that’s worried you online to the Child Exploitation and Online Protection CommandAs always, if you’ve got concerns about a young person’s welfare, including their online experiences, follow the Yellow Card to make a report.

Make it accessible

All Scout activities should be inclusive and accessible.