The Wood Badge

The Wood Badge shows a volunteers’ personal commitment to learning and development with Scouts.

It’s an international award, and is earned by volunteers across the world. It dates back to 1919, with a rich history, and an aim to help volunteers develop the skills they need to help young people gain skills for life.   

Previously, most volunteer roles needed to complete the Wood Badge. But, with our new approach to learning, the Wood Badge is now optional and volunteers can choose to work towards it as part of their ongoing development.  

Volunteers who earn their Wood Badge often feel a real sense of pride and achievement, but it’s not the only way to reward and recognise volunteers at Scouts. 

Volunteers with multiple roles

In our new approach to learning, volunteers will only be able to earn their Wood Badge once. There won’t be a system for multiple Wood Badges for each of your roles.

Working towards the Wood Badge once you've moved to the new learning

Volunteers who don’t have a Wood Badge already can work towards it even after their County/Area/Region has moved to our new learning.

Mostly, this will involve validating modules in the same way as currently.

Completing the Wood Badge from transition to 2025

There'll be two versions of the Wood Badge available – one focused on helping those delivering our programme and one focused on helping those in a role that involves leading or supporting volunteers. Anyone can do either of these versions.

The two versions are based on how the Wood Badge currently works, though some parts have been replaced with new Growing Roots content as some modules are being retired. You’ll be able to see and track your completion in the learning system as you go through or get validated for the various courses and modules.