The Scout section is for 10 to 14 year olds – many move up to us from Beavers and Cubs, and a few join the group straight into Scouts and are welcomed just as warmly. Scouts work towards the Chief Scouts Gold Award by taking part in exciting activities and earning badges for them as they go along, just like Beavers and Cubs but with an additional level of detail that matches their age!

These activities include hiking, climbing, kayaking, cooking, archery, and of course camping, about twice a year, and the favourite remains toasting marshmallows over an open fire… all the way to first aid, global traditions and we are bringing professional skills into this section for the winter months to help our young people with their future careers.

We try to include a trip once a term if we can, and have been very fortunate to have had a tour of HMS Bulwark, when it was alongside at Devonport, Plymouth. We visited Powderham Castle, where the Countess of Devon met us and gave us a personal tour of her home, showing us many areas not open to the public. We have also visited the Imam of Exeter Mosque, who showed us around, and explained some of the customs of Islam, allowing us all to sit in on one of the calls to prayer. Each of these trips was a fascinating experience for our Scouts.

Being involved in Scouts really does open many doors, and it’s a great opportunity to be able to help Scouts learn how to navigate in this big wide world.