Fife scout group faces closure on 100th anniversary unless more adult volunteer come forward

35th Fife (Dysart) Scout Group is desperately seeking new helpers to ensure that it stays a viable part of the community.

Gemma Thompson, who volunteers with the Kirkcaldy district Scouts, said that Covid is one of the reasons behind a reduction in voluntary work with the organisation.

She explained: “COVID has been a huge one for us. A lot of people stopped going out and about, especially for group gatherings. That put a lot of people off and our numbers took a hit then - and I guess just nowadays, people have not got as much free time as they used to have. Everybody has got a lot more commitments elsewhere and voluntary work isn't as prevalent as it used to be.”

In order to encourage more people to get involved with the organisation, the Scouts have moved towards a more flexible approach.

Gemma explained: “It used to be you had to be there every Wednesday night regardless, but that is not the way we run things now. It's a lot more flexible from that point of view, it’s more of a team approach.”

There are a variety of roles to be filled across the Beavers, Cubs, Scout, and the governance of the group, known as the Trustee Board. According to Gemma these roles can help to provide a variety of skills, including those sought by employers.

She said: “We provide training on practical opportunities, things like archery permits or bushcraft skills or watersports.

There's that sort of two prong skills approach there. Obviously for the big things like treasurer, if you're volunteering as a treasurer, you can take that one into any job and say ‘I’ve managed small scale accounts for the scouts or say that you've worked with a charity trust. That always looks good on your CV”.

In Scotland more than 11,000 volunteers support over 35,000 young people to take part in Scouting each week. If you want to get involved with Kirkcaldy district scouts you can get in touch via the Scouts website.