North Hambleton District Scouts support new ‘Place to belong’ strategy

Scouts across North Hambleton are supporting a new national strategy that looks ahead to the decade and sets out how Scouting will continue to support young people in a changing world.

The strategy is called Place to belong: Our Strategy to 2035 which puts belonging at the heart of everything Scouts does. It focuses on helping every young person feel welcome, safe and supported while having fun, making friends and gaining skills for life.

This matters more than ever, National research shows that almost half of young people aged 11–18 regularly feel lonely, and nearly 40% don’t have many chances to make new friends, many also spend most of their free time on screens, Scouts offers something different a real place, with real people, where young people can connect, be themselves and feel they belong.

For volunteers in the District, this is something they see every week, when young people feel they belong, they grow in confidence, they’re more willing to try new things, speak up, lead activities and help others in their local communities.

Across the UK, nearly half a million young people and volunteers take part in Scouts every week, supported by thousands of volunteers. Scouts works in around 7,000 communities, including some of the most deprived areas, helping young people build friendships, resilience and confidence.

Locally in North Hambleton District, this happens through weekly meetings, camps, outdoor adventures and community projects. Young people learn teamwork, problem‑solving and leadership skills they use at school, at home and later in life. The new strategy builds on this strong foundation, while helping Scouts reach more young people and welcome those who are currently under‑represented.

Young people helped shape the strategy from the start, more than 28,000 people were involved in creating it, including volunteers, supporters and members, importantly, over 3,000 young people from across the UK shared their views on what they want from Scouts in the future.

They told us they want safe, judgement‑free spaces, more time outdoors, useful life skills and real chances to lead and make decisions, their voices will guide how Scouts is delivered nationally and how it continues to grow locally in places like North Hambleton.

By 2035, Scouts aims to be a growing, inclusive and sustainable movement, the goal is to support confident volunteers, build stronger communities and help even more young people gain skills and lead positive change.

By playing our part locally, North Hambleton District Scouts are helping more young people find a place where they belong and develop the skills they need for life.

To read Place to belong: Our Strategy to 2035, click here.