Let’s keep nights away accessible for all

Protecting Nights Away for Young People

As a District, we’re concerned about proposals to introduce new Mayoral powers to apply visitor levies on overnight stays in England. Without appropriate exemptions, these additional costs could make residential experiences less accessible for many young people particularly those from lower-income backgrounds.

Nights away and camps are at the heart of Scouts, they play a vital role in helping our 450,000 young people develop confidence, resilience and skills for life, time away from home supports independence, strengthens wellbeing and encourages personal growth, it’s where young people form lasting friendships, learn to work as a team and discover what they’re capable of.

For many, a Scout camp is their first experience of being away from home,  a safe, supportive step that builds confidence and independence that lasts a lifetime.

Why Nights Away Matter

Independent research from the Paul Hamlyn Foundation’s Learning Away programme shows the powerful impact of residential experiences:

• 71% of young people improved their relationships with peers
• 87% felt more confident to try new things

Nights away also give young people valuable time outdoors, at a time when many young people spend a significant proportion of their free time on screens, opportunities to disconnect, explore nature and experience adventure together are more important than ever.

Camping, sleepovers and residential activities help young people:

• Build teamwork and communication skills
• Develop independence and responsibility
• Improve their physical and mental wellbeing
• Feel a stronger sense of belonging and community

These experiences are often the moments young people remember most from their time in Scouts.

Our Concerns

As a District, we recognise and support the Government’s ambition to strengthen local communities through sustainable tourism and investment. However, we are concerned about the potential unintended impact that the proposed visitor levy could have on volunteer-led youth organisations such as Scouts.

The proposals could:

• Increase the cost of Scout camps, sleepovers and residential activities
• Create additional administration and compliance requirements for volunteers
• Affect charity-run accommodation operating on very small budgets
• Apply even to Scout groups staying overnight in their own headquarters or community buildings

Scout residentials are not commercial tourism, they are volunteer-led, not-for-profit experiences delivered for charitable purposes. Leaders already work hard to keep costs as low as possible so that every young person can take part.

Many Scout campsites, hostels and activity centres are run by volunteers or charities, reinvesting every pound back into maintaining facilities and supporting young people’s development.

A risk to Accessibility

Any increase in costs or administrative burden risks putting nights away out of reach for the young people who would benefit most.

We know that residential experiences can be life-changing especially for those who may have limited opportunities for travel, outdoor learning or time away from home.

We’re sure the intention behind this legislation is not to prevent Cubs from inner-city areas experiencing their first camp, or Explorer Scouts from spending a night under the stars in the hills.

What we’re asking for

To protect these important opportunities, we’re calling for:

• A national exemption for under-18s to safeguard youth development activities
• A national exemption for charity-run hostels, campsites, activity centres and meeting places, recognising that they operate differently from commercial accommodation providers
• No additional administrative burdens for small-scale, volunteer-run facilities

Keeping Nights Away for everyone

Every young person should have the chance to experience nights away, regardless of their background or financial circumstances.

These experiences help young people grow in confidence, learn to be part of a team and develop the skills they need for the future, they support health, happiness and a lifelong connection to the outdoors.

We’re asking decision-makers to work with the voluntary youth sector so that these proposals support local communities without unintentionally limiting opportunities for young people.

Let’s protect the experiences that help young people gain skills for life and ensure that Nights Away remain accessible to all.