For over 100 years, scouting has been making a real contribution to creating a better world by helping young people to develop their full potential as individuals and to play a constructive role in society. However, scouting can only continue to have a real impact on the lives of young people if it is able to continue to attract and retain them and the adults who support them.

As a voluntary movement, adults and young people must make a conscious decision to join and to stay. It is therefore unrealistic to assume that scouting will appeal to all. The growth of scouting is about giving more adults and young people the opportunity to enjoy the experience of scouting. Sustainable growth includes retaining our current members – that is, keeping them involved in scouting – as well as recruiting new adults and young people.

Growth is important because:

  • it is a visible sign of success
  • it means that we are doing more and achieving our mission
  • it generates a feel-good factor.

Growth is important because adults and young people join scouting primarily for the adventure, fun and friendship, and they leave if they don’t get it. If scouting is growing, it means that more young people and adults are joining than are leaving.

Growth enables scouting to do more – to provide a better scouting experience to more young people. More people enable more ambitious camps and more adventurous programmes, and additional revenue enables more investment in equipment and resources.

Also, being part of a growing organisation creates a buzz – the feel-good factor. Everyone wants to be part of something successful and this attracts new members as well as making existing members feel good.

Growth is often a good indication of the improvement of the quality of scouting on offer to young people and adults. Growth can be fostered by:

  • creating opportunities for more young people to be involved in scouting
  • improving or maintaining a good quality programme that gives young people opportunities for adventure and residential experiences
  • improving the retention of young people moving between sections
  • recruiting more young people and adults
  • appreciating adults and working with them in a flexible way
  • understanding parents better and forging active partnerships with them
  • making scouting flexible and open to all
  • having a positive impact on the local community
  • being more representative of the local community.