Muslim Community Engagement

When working with new volunteers, progress at the pace that all are comfortable with. Offer understanding, assume nothing, be flexible and approach with an open mindset.

A lack of Scout experience often results in new volunteers needing more time to get on board, complete training and fully understand what volunteering with Scouts involves.

Be open and transparent. Agree a project timeline and space that suits all and manage expectations accordingly. Flexibility is key and you should be prepared to adapt and evolve the provision over time.

Each Group is different and will have been created and adapted over time to meet the needs of its members.

Spend time getting to know the new volunteers and involve them in shaping the new section, by listening to their ideas and provide space to have a go and give Scouts a try.

Remember to reach out for support and guidance.  

The Islamic calendar is based on a lunar system, which is slightly shorter than the Gregorian calendar by around 11 days per year.

There are a few key dates and periods on the Islamic calendar that should be considered when designing a Scouts programme. 

These are exciting opportunities that can open up new conversations and programme ideas! 

Some periods of time in the Islamic calendar include:

Ramadan: The month of Fasting.

Eid al-Fitr: Celebrated the day after the last fast in Ramadan. This is a day of celebration to mark end of Ramadan.

Dhul Hijjah: The month when the first 10 days are for the annual right of pilgrimage to Makkah. 

Eid al-Adha: The celebration falls on the 10th day of Dhul Hijjah, commemorating the sacrifice made by the prophet Abraham. 

Remember, open conversations with the Muslim community are the best way to collaborate.

Find out more about festivals and key dates in the Islamic calendar and check out our activities to building the key dates into your programmes.

Everyone observes their faith differently, don’t be afraid to asks questions, be sensitive to the needs of each other. Each community will be different.

Some topics to discuss include: 

Halal (permissible) and Haram (forbidden): Theses are the terms given to describe what is permissible and what is forbidden in Islam. This encompasses food, drink and many other everyday matters, including alcohol, clothing, gambling and interest. 

Handshake: Muslims traditionally shake hands with the right and with the same gender only – so they may find the traditional Scouts left handshake very alien initially! It’s worth holding a conversation with the community and the individuals that are joining Scouts as to how to welcome them best. 

Music: Depending on the community or individual you’re working with, there may be different approaches and perspectives on the appropriateness of music that is played at events and so on. This may also vary depending on whether the event is in a religious venue or gathering. Again, asking questions and being open is the best way for us to understand everyone's views and create an appropriate playlist for all. 

Meetings: Making sure that arrangements are made to make venues and meeting times as accessible as possible to all will help provide a warm welcome. Things that may need to be considered are venues that don’t serve alcohol, providing a space for prayer, and making sure that the timing of meetings (or other Scout events) consider prayer times. 

Clothing: There’s room for flexibility within the Scouts uniform policy to allow all members to feel comfortable in their expression of modesty clothing. Examples of which include ladies long length shirts, oversized shirts and wearing shirts unbuttoned over clothing. Consideration may be needed regarding appropriate clothing for the activity being undertaken to ensure the safety of the individual. Talk to those involved and agree together on what’s best.

It can be overwhelming to consider so many things and wanting to not offend.

Having conversations is the best way to help understand each other regardless of background.

Some topics to discuss might include: interaction with the opposite gender, prayer times, uniform, halal dietary requirements, and use of images in religious venues.

If in doubt, don't be afraid to start a conversation.

331st Birmingham (Al Hijrah) Scout Group are based in the Small Heath area of Birmingham.

The Group was established in June 2022, initially with a Cub Pack only. This was agreed by the new volunteers and District as a sensible way forward as the new group had no prior Scout experience.

The Group meets on a Sunday morning at one of the Mosque’s community halls, which are available to them for free. The lead volunteer works closely with the Mosque committee who continue to support them.

The initial enquiry to set up the new Group came from discussions between the Mosque and Muslim Scout Fellowship. The committee identified that their community would benefit from being part of Scouts and that there was demand for it from the local community.

Over 50 children of Cub age and their parents and carers attended an open event in June 2022. This resulted in two Cub Packs being set up to ensure as many children as possible to join.

The group has recently expanded, opening a Beaver Colony and Scout Troop.

This has been achieved relatively quickly. This is because some volunteers keen for these sections to set up had joined in with the Cub Packs first to familiarise themselves with leading and delivering a programme.  

1st Lower Earley is a great example of the benefits of working with an existing Scout Group.

A community champion within Earley had made contact with the Muslim Scout Fellowship about wanting to start a new Group.

After meeting with local volunteers and the Growth & Communities team, the suggestion was made that she could form a satellite section from an existing Group.

The 1st Lower Earley was chosen so that the new section could benefit from the support of the larger Group and wider District team. The Group's existing sections meet at a local Primary School, but due to a lack of hall availability the new satellite section meet at nearby Community Centre.

1st Stretford are a Group in the Stretford District of Greater Manchester West and have been established and running since 1908.

They’re one of the larger Groups in the area and have multiple sections running on different nights of the week at their venue.

Some new volunteers from the Muslim community of Stretford were looking to set up a Group to serve the needs of their community at the weekend, but struggled to find a venue. 1st Stretford was identified as a potential venue.

Following discussions with the Group and the new adults, it was agreed they would join the Group as additional sections meeting at the weekend. This was instead of setting up their own new Group.

This has resulted in the new adults being welcomed and supported by the existing Group, with support from the District and Growth & Recruitment Officer.

A new Beaver Colony and Cub Pack have since opened at the weekend, with 14 new volunteers and 24 young people.

11th Wandsworth is a new Scout Group with a large pool of willing adult volunteers. They have a wide range of experiences, but no prior knowledge of Scouts.

To enable the team to learn about Scouts, it was agreed to open the new Group and buddy them up with an existing Group.

This is an informal agreement between a newer or smaller Group and an existing Group.

In the case of the 11th Wandsworth, they arranged regular shadowing sessions with the 9th Southside to gain experience.

Other key volunteers, including the Treasurer and GSL, had regular catch-ups to share experiences and help explain what's involved.

The benefits of the 'buddy Group' approach are that it's far more relaxed and will allow the new Group to thrive on their own after the initial setting-up period.