Ready to start your adventure? With six sections designed for different age groups, each offering its own unique activities and experiences, there’s something for everyone in Scouting.

While the challenges and opportunities may differ, every section shares the same purpose: helping you build friendships, develop new skills, gain confidence, and discover exciting new experiences.

Whether you’re a young person looking for adventure, a parent exploring new opportunities for your child, or an adult interested in volunteering and getting involved, we’d love to welcome you. Find out more and become part of the Scouting community today.

How to Join Scouting in Sunderland

If you're a parent or carer,you may be wondering how to give your child opportunities for fun, adventure, and personal growth.

Children can begin their Scouting journey as Squirrels from the age of 4. As they grow, they can move on to Beavers at 6, Cubs at 8, and Scouts from 10½. Explorer Scouts is available from 14 until 18, offering even more opportunities for challenge, adventure, and learning.

Ready to get your child involved? Simply click the button below to complete the joining form and take the first step towards their Scouting adventure. For additional information about our groups and their locations, visit this page, where you can also see the meeting times for each section.

Scouting in Sunderland is delivered entirely by our team of volunteers, and we're always looking to add to that team! Whatever your background and experience, whether you're a seasoned scout leader or this is your first time even hearing about scouting, we have an opportunity for you! We’re recruiting for all kinds of volunteers, whether that’s weekly leadership with one of our youth sections, supporting with governance as a trustee, or helping out behind the scenes in a support role!

Volunteering can be a brilliant way to boost your mental wellbeing. It’s a great feeling knowing you’re helping young people get skills for life, and you might even learn a lot about yourself along the way.

It's super-important to us that Scouting is something our volunteers enjoy, and that it fits in around everything else that might be going on in their lives. Volunteers don't have to commit a specific time or number of hours every week. Instead, we can find an opportunity that suits you and your schedule. That might be weekly involvement, helping out at the occasional event, or even something more ad-hoc.

Volunteering with Young People
Team player? Love supporting young people? Great at planning? Each week, our volunteers help young people gain skills for life through activities and adventures. Most of our volunteers work with one of our youth sections, joining that section's leadership team and working directly with our young people.
As part of a section team, volunteers might:

• Welcome young people and families to sessions and events
• Make sure everyone's safe, supported, included and having fun
• Help to plan and lead activities
• Get involved with days out, camps and expeditions
• Share and learn skills – from coding to cake decorating to canoeing
• Celebrate young people's achievements big and small

Volunteering behind the Scenes
Your time and skills can make a difference in so many ways. Not all volunteers work directly with young people, many help out in other ways, and they're just as important and impactful as any other volunteering role!
As part of a support team, or our trustee board, volunteers might:

• Get the best out of volunteers, using their people and leadership skills
• Spread the word about Scouts to attract new members
• Help with admin, fundraising, finances, operations or governance
• Keep everything running smoothly on the ground – from serving tea and coffee, helping to tidy up after meetings
or driving, keeping equipment in tip top condition

If you’d like to get involved, or just find out more, register your interest using the link below and one of our team will get back to you soon!