Scouts leader in appeal for more young people to get involved with the movement, reports James Cracknell

An Enfield Scouts leader has said his group is at risk of closing after nearly 100 years because of the lack of young people joining.

The 2^nd Enfield Scouts, based at Trinity Church in Enfield Town, has no young people currently attending, following a big drop off in interest since the start of the pandemic.

Scouts group leader Martin Lambert told the Dispatch: “During Covid-19 we tried our hardest to engage young people but it was difficult and our numbers have dwindled.

“All of our scouts have now turned 14 so they are too old to be scouts and become ‘explorers’ instead. Because we don’t have a beavers group there are no more coming through to become cubs and then scouts.

“Next year is our centenary year but we don’t have that momentum we need to continue. Some scout units are thriving but some, like ours, are on the decline. Eventually we could have to pack it up.”

Cub scouts can be aged from eight to ten years while scouts are aged from ten to 14 years. Both boys and girls are welcome. Martin says the Scouts movement remains a great out-of-school opportunity for young people.

“We teach skills for life. We have an active group in the community and we try to do four or five camps per year outside of Enfield, including going abroad where possible.

“All of our leaders are ex-scouts because of the experiences they had as scouts. It only costs £12 per month to join – we joke that it is the cheapest childminding service around.”

For more information about the 2nd Enfield Scouts:
Email [email protected]
Visit gln-scouts.org.uk/enfield/2nd-enfield-scouts

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