Volunteer

Why volunteer?

Scouts says volunteering can boost your wellbeing, give you skills for the future and let you make a real difference to young people. It welcomes everyone, whatever their background, identity or ability. Volunteers can:

• make friends and meet new people
• try new things and challenge themselves
• get outdoors and get involved
• make a positive difference in their community
• open up opportunities for young people
• make memories that last

You don’t need to have been a Scout, just energy and enthusiasm. Source: Volunteer with Scouts (scouts.org.uk) and Become a volunteer (Scouts Scotland).

Ways to help

There is a wide range of roles, from casual helpers to section leaders, trainers and trustees. Not every role involves working directly with young people: groups and the District also need help behind the scenes, for example as a trustee, a treasurer or with communications.

• Helping now and then: if you can only help occasionally, that is fine. You could plan an activity, run a craft or make the tea.
• Working with a section: join the team running weekly meetings for Squirrels, Beavers, Cubs, Scouts or Explorers.
• Behind the scenes: support a group or the District with trustee, finance, communications or other skills you already have.

Roles are flexible and can fit around the time you want to give. Find out more: Team members and helpers and volunteer roles in Scotland.

Training and support

Every adult volunteer gets an induction and ongoing training and support, and Scouts will help match your existing skills to a suitable role. Learning is organised in what Scouts calls the Learning Tree:

• Growing Roots is the core learning for new volunteers. It includes Safety and Safeguarding, to be done in your first 30 days, plus other key modules (such as the basics of Scouts, data protection and inclusion) within your first six months.
• Branching Out is optional learning on a wide range of topics, if you want to develop further.
• Some activities need specific learning, for example for accreditations. Much of what you learn will come from doing, alongside other volunteers.

Scouts Scotland notes that its training has received a National Training Award. Sources: Welcome to the team – new joiners pack (PDF) and Scouts Scotland FAQs.

Keeping young people safe

Safety comes first. Everyone helping at Scouts must read and follow the Yellow Card, the code of practice for adults. New volunteers are also asked for references, and UK Headquarters carries out an internal check.

In Scotland, anyone volunteering in a regulated role must be a member of the Protecting Vulnerable Groups (PVG) scheme run by Disclosure Scotland. Since 1 April 2025 you cannot start a regulated role, even under supervision, until your Scouts PVG disclosure has been viewed and risk assessed by the UK HQ Safeguarding Team. This applies even if you already hold a PVG for another organisation. You will meet an ID checker as part of the process.

Some occasional helpers who are not doing regulated activity may not need a check, but how often they can help is limited. Your group leader will tell you what applies to you.

Read more: Criminal record checks in Scotland, Criminal record checks FAQs and Team members and helpers.

How to get started in Midlothian

Midlothian District Scouts supports 8 Scout groups in Bonnyrigg, Dalkeith, Glencorse (Milton Bridge), Gorebridge, Newtongrange, Penicuik and Rosewell.

• Fill in our volunteer enquiry form and tell us a little about yourself and the time you have.
• We will put you in touch with a group or team near you, or with the District if you would like to help behind the scenes.
• Meet the team, try a session and agree the role that suits you. They will guide you through the checks and learning.

See where our groups meet on the Groups and Units page, read about the sections on our Join page, or email info@midlothianscouts.org.uk with any questions.