Our Next Chapter: Building a Stronger South Ribble Scouts
Scouting has always been about people.
Across South Ribble, hundreds of volunteers give their time every week so that more than 1,700 young people can experience adventure, build confidence, make friends and gain Skills for Life.
Everything we achieve starts with those volunteers.
Over recent months, Scouting has continued to evolve nationally, with a refreshed approach to volunteering, the launch of A Place to Belong and, most recently, the exciting new Explorer Scout programme and brand for a new generation.
Here in South Ribble, we’ve taken the opportunity to reflect on how we work together, strengthen the support we provide to our volunteers and Groups, and build a District that’s ready for the future.
This isn’t about changing what makes Scouting special.
It’s about making volunteering simpler, improving the support available to our Groups and creating even more opportunities for young people.
Listening First
Since being announced as Interim District Lead Volunteer, I’ve spent the past few weeks meeting volunteers from across South Ribble Scouts.
I’ve continued to visit Groups, attend meetings, and speak with volunteers, trustees, and young people, listening to their experiences, ideas, and ambitions for the future of our District.
One thing has stood out above everything else – the desire to come together again as a District. To share ideas, support one another and continue building a welcoming community for both volunteers and young people.
One of the highlights so far has been bringing together our first District Leadership Team meeting in over nine months. It was fantastic to have volunteers back around the table, openly sharing ideas, discussing opportunities and providing honest, constructive feedback about where we are today and where we want to go next.
I want to thank everyone who has taken the time to contribute. Your openness, honesty and willingness to share your experiences have been invaluable, and those conversations will help shape our priorities over the next 12 months and beyond.
I’ve really enjoyed meeting so many of you already. However, I know there are still many volunteers, groups, and Explorer Units that I haven’t yet had the opportunity to visit. Over the coming weeks and months, I’ll continue working my way around every Group, Section and Unit across South Ribble, because listening to our volunteers will remain at the heart of how we move forward together.
Jon Nutten, Interim District Lead Volunteer, said: “South Ribble Scouts already has incredible volunteers, fantastic Groups and strong foundations. My role isn’t to change what makes Scouting special, it’s to support our volunteers, strengthen our District and create even more opportunities for young people. I’m looking forward to meeting many more of our volunteers over the coming months as, together, we build a District where everyone feels supported, and everyone has a place to belong.”
Reflect. Refocus. Renew.
These three words have become the foundation of our approach.
- Reflect on what’s working well, celebrate success and learn from our experiences.
- Refocus on what matters most by listening to volunteers, supporting our groups, and putting young people at the heart of every decision.
- Renew the way we work together by strengthening our District Team, sharing responsibility and creating more opportunities for young people and volunteers alike.
Together, these principles will help shape the next chapter of South Ribble Scouts.
What We’ve Heard
As I’ve met volunteers across the District, several common themes have emerged.
You’ve told us you’d like:
- Better communication across the District.
- Clearer support and points of contact.
- More opportunities to come together, collaborate and learn from one another.
- An engaging, adventurous and progressive programme that continues to inspire young people.
- Stronger volunteer development, mentoring and support.
- Better recognition and celebration of volunteers.
- More opportunities for volunteers to enjoy Scouting, build friendships, and feel part of a supportive community.
- Strong governance that enables great Scouting behind the scenes.
These conversations are already shaping our priorities and will continue to influence the decisions we make as a District.
A Simpler District Team
One of the clearest messages from volunteers has been that it isn’t always obvious who to contact or where to go for support.
That’s understandable.
Scouting has changed significantly over recent years, and our District has naturally evolved alongside it.
One of our priorities has therefore been to simplify our District Team, making it clearer how we’re organised, who is responsible for different areas and, most importantly, how we can better support our Groups and volunteers.
The refreshed structure isn’t about creating more hierarchy.
It’s about creating better connections, sharing responsibility across a wider team and ensuring volunteers can access the support they need when they need it.
A refreshed District Team. Clearer support for volunteers. More opportunities for young people. Discover how South Ribble Scouts is building the next chapter together.
Whether you’re looking for support with programme delivery, volunteer development, communications, governance, property, events or don’t know who to ask, our refreshed structure is designed to make it easier to find the right support.
You can also learn more about each team, our priorities and how we’re here to support you by visiting our new District Team & Strategy page.
Already Moving Forward
While we’ve been refreshing our District Team, we’ve also had plenty to celebrate.
Across South Ribble, we’ve:
- Celebrated 5 years of Squirrel Scouts, welcoming more young families into Scouting.
- Celebrated 40 years of Beaver Scouts, recognising four decades of adventure and Skills for Life.
- Started the countdown to 110 years of Cub Scouts, with District celebrations taking place this September.
- Welcomed the refreshed Explorer Scout programme and brand, giving young people aged 14–18 even more opportunities to gain Skills for Life and find a place to belong.
- Recognised volunteers through national Good Service Awards while strengthening our own Awards & Recognition Team.
- Celebrated community investment, including Brindle St Joseph’s new minibus, creating even more opportunities for adventure.
- Announced the return of SUMMIT, bringing volunteers together to connect, collaborate and help shape the future of South Ribble Scouts.
These achievements remind us that Scouting is thriving across our District thanks to the commitment and dedication of our volunteers.
There’s a Place for You
Behind every great Scout meeting, camp, event and adventure is an incredible team of volunteers.
As part of our refreshed District Team, we’re looking to welcome more people who want to share their skills, experience and enthusiasm.
One of the biggest changes in Scouts’ new volunteer approach is the flexibility it offers.
Not every role needs to be a weekly commitment. Many opportunities can be project-based, task-based or shared across a team, making it easier to volunteer in a way that fits around work, family and other commitments.
We’re currently looking for volunteers to support a number of areas across the District, including:
- Volunteer Development
- Programme & Events
- Digital & IT
- Community Engagement
- Grants & Fundraising
- Property & Equipment
- Trustee Board
Can’t see something that matches your skills?
We’d still love to hear from you.
Whether you’d like to join one of our District Teams, help with a one-off project, support an event or simply find out more, we’d love to have a conversation. Together, we can continue building a District where volunteers thrive and young people gain Skills for Life.
Looking Ahead
This is just the beginning of the conversation, not the end.
Over the coming weeks and months, I’ll continue visiting every Group, Section and Explorer Unit across South Ribble. I want to keep listening, learning and understanding what matters most to our volunteers, because the best ideas come from the people delivering Scouting every week.
Whether we’ve already met or not, I hope we’ll have the opportunity to speak soon. Please don’t hesitate to come and say hello, share your ideas or tell me what’s working well and where you think we can improve.
As we head into the summer, I’d also like to thank every volunteer for everything you continue to do. I hope the months ahead bring exciting adventures, memorable experiences, and the opportunity to rest, recharge and spend time with family and friends.
South Ribble Scouts has a proud history, but an even brighter future.
Together, we’ll continue building a stronger District where volunteers feel supported, young people thrive, and everyone truly has a place to belong.
Whether we’ve already met or not, I hope we’ll have the opportunity to speak over the coming months. Please come and say hello, share your ideas or tell me what’s working well and where we can do even better. This is just the beginning of the conversation, and I’m excited to continue building the next chapter of South Ribble Scouts together.
If you’d like to get involved, share an idea or have a conversation,
I’d love to hear from you. Together, we’ll build the next chapter of South Ribble Scouts.
