Looking to join Explorers? See https://1finch.org.uk/explorers/

Young Leaders (YLs) are aged between 14 and 18 years old, and volunteer alongside adult leaders in a Beaver Colony, Cub Pack or Scout Troop. At 1st Finchampstead you’ll generally start off in Beavers or Cubs, and spend at least 6 months with that section before moving on to another one.

You have to complete 11 Modules and 4 Missions, which will help you become a good leader and an example to younger Scouts. If all Modules and Missions are completed, Young Leaders are awarded a special belt buckle and badge, which they can later wear on their Adult uniform. See our PDF on the Young Leaders Belt requirements.

Wokingham District offers a monthly training meeting for Young Leaders, held on the 1st Thursday of each month, at 3rd Wokingham. This meeting covers the modules required, apart from the First Aid module. If you attended all the meetings over the year this will cover all of the modules. Module A (Safeguarding), is offered once a term and every Young Leader must attend that as a minimum. You are encouraged to do the Missions yourselves.

Duke of Edinburgh’s Award (DofE)

If you’re in Scouting

If you want to do a DofE Award through Scouting then you must be a member of an Explorer Unit.

If you’re not in Scouting

If you’re doing a DofE Award but are not a member of Scouting, you can help out as a Young Leader – this will contribute towards your volunteering requirements. You must attend Module A (Safeguarding), and attend other Modules when you can. You can attend for the time required to complete the DofE requirement (for the Bronze Award this is 3 months). If you wish to continue helping after that time, you need to be invested in an Explorer Unit as a Young Leader.

Young Leader or Explorer?

There can be confusion over this.

Young Leaders who are members of Scouting are invested as Explorer Scouts. They are Explorer Scout Young Leaders (ESYLs). They can join in any of the activities offered by the Explorer Units, but don’t have to attend a Unit.

Young Leaders who are not members of Scouting are not invested as Explorer Scouts. They are Young Leaders whose attendance as volunteers is time-bound to a maximum of 3 months, which is sufficient to fulfil DofE requirements.

Joining as a Young Leader

If you’d like to help 1st Finchampstead as a Young Leader, existing Scouts should speak to your section’s leaders. If you’re not an existing 1st Finchampstead Scout, perhaps looking to help as part of your DofE, then please contact our Young Leader Co-ordinator.

If you have any queries about being as a Young Leader, please contact our Young Leader Co-ordinator on young-leaders@1finch.org.uk