The United Kingdom's Scout membership has risen at the fastest rate for 22 years with young people attracted by new activities like snowboarding.The UK Scout Association said 15,000 joined up in the last 12 months - a 3.7 percent increase in youth membership and a 1.7 percent increase in adult membership.
The rise brings the total of children and young people who are scouts in the UK to more than 465,000 with 100,000 adult volunteers.
The success has come on the back of the movement's centenary last year, culminating in an international jamboree in Essex and an updating of activities to include a street sports badge involving pastimes like skateboarding, alongside the more traditional of first aid and map reading.
Chief Scout and Former Blue Peter presenter Peter Duncan said the movement offered the "social cohesion" that the Government and the media want.
"Historically, Scouting has helped to develop strong community ties, while providing an outlet for young people who need support outside their family and school environments," he said.
"New volunteers have discovered that as well as having an adventurous time themselves they can contribute, on their own terms, to the bigger picture of social cohesion that the media and government are crying out for."
The figures from the association also showed a gap of nearly 6,400 volunteers who are needed because about 32,000 young people are on waiting lists to join.
"Our adult volunteers are what make Scouting such a success and without them there would be no scout groups," Mr Duncan said "It's vital that we keep recruiting volunteers to the movement. It makes us stronger, brings in fresh new ideas, and gives the upcoming generations of young people somewhere else to go and something else to do, a little out of the ordinary."
---------------------
Scouting started in England. Maybe we can learn from their success.
