From finding A Place to Belong to helping others find theirs: Alice and Charlotte to lead our volunteer welcome

From finding A Place to Belong to helping others find theirs

Alice and Charlotte have earned Scouting’s highest awards. Now they’re making sure new volunteers feel at home.

At 18 years and 200 days old, Alice became the youngest person in the UK to complete all four of Scouting’s Top Awards. Charlotte has completed all four too. Now the two of them share the lead of our Welcome Volunteer Sub-Team, part of the Volunteer Development Team led by Chris Worthington. Their job is to make sure anyone new to volunteering with South Ribble Scouts feels at home from the start.

The four awards are the Duke of Edinburgh’s Gold Award, the King’s Scout Award, the Explorer Belt and the Scouts of the World Award. None of them is quick. The Explorer Belt asks you to spend ten days exploring new ground and getting to grips with an unfamiliar culture, and the Scouts of the World Award is about acting as a global citizen and making a real impact. Alice’s Explorer Belt took her through North Macedonia, Greece and Bulgaria, including a stop where she had her fortune told by an oracle in Delphi. For her Scouts of the World Award she helped set up a rainwater harvesting tank in rural Malawi. Charlotte’s Scouts of the World Award, completed in 2025, also included a project to help communities in Malawi. Two Scouts from South Ribble, two projects for the same part of the world.

Both are at university full time, and both still volunteer with sections. Alice, originally from Hoole and now living in New Longton, volunteers at 1st New Longton. Charlotte, from Lostock Hall, volunteers at 1st Lostock Hall. So why take on something more?

“Scouting has given me so many adventures and that is only possible because of the leaders who have given up their time to support me,” says Alice. “After having got so much from Scouting, I really want to pay that back, so others can benefit in the same way I have.”

For Charlotte it’s about belonging. “I am really passionate about Scouting because it has given me a place to belong and be myself. It has given me leadership skills, which I am now using in my policing degree, and I love the idea of making a difference in my local community.”

Both feel strongly that a good welcome matters. Anyone who has walked into a new team where they knew nobody knows how much a friendly face helps.

What will a new volunteer notice?

This is what we’re aiming for. It follows what Scouts UK expects of a Volunteering Development Team, including replying quickly and positively to new volunteers, welcoming them smoothly, supporting them to share any reasonable adjustments or other needs, and holding inductions. We want to do it properly.

• A quick, friendly reply from a real person, who treats your interest as good news.
• A proper welcome conversation, arranged for you with an accredited volunteer, so you’re not left chasing it.
• An induction that introduces you to your team and to the people you can ask.
• A chance to tell us what you need before you start, whether that’s a reasonable adjustment or something linked to your faith.
• Someone checking in once you’ve begun, and noticing when you’ve settled in. Your first few weeks should be celebrated.

If it doesn’t feel like that, tell us. Alice and Charlotte will want to know.

That’s where it connects to A Place to Belong, Scouts UK’s strategy to 2035. It talks about attracting and keeping more volunteers by making the experience inclusive and rewarding, so they feel equipped and confident to contribute in flexible, fulfilling ways. The strategy also says we need to “double down on the support we give to our volunteers.” A good welcome is where that support begins.

Jon Nutten, Interim Lead Volunteer for South Ribble Scouts, said: “Alice and Charlotte are brilliant examples of what a lifelong Place to Belong can look like. They’ve grown up through Scouts in South Ribble, experienced some incredible opportunities, achieved at the highest level and, importantly, found somewhere they belong. I’m particularly excited by their passion for making sure our newest volunteers get a great welcome. We want everyone who gives their time to South Ribble Scouts to feel supported, valued and part of the team from the very beginning.”

If you’re thinking about volunteering with us, or you know someone who is, our volunteer opportunities page is the place to start. Say hello. You won’t be left to find your own way.

Welcome to the team, Alice and Charlotte.