450 School Pupils Join Scouts in Unique Partnership - UK's Largest Scout Group!

More than 450 young people have signed up to Scouts at the Oasis Academy Nunsthorpe in Grimsby, making the school the largest Scout Group in the country.

Following a successful pilot of taster sessions, both pupils and teachers will now be swapping their pencils every Friday afternoon for a programme of fun, challenge and adventure.

So far, activities have ranged from kayaking, to learning first aid, and even stepping into Japanese culture, with cycling, orienteering and a food bank project planned for the future.

Adult Volunteer, Rachel Rushmer, said Scouting is open to all: "Scouting gives young people from all backgrounds the opportunity for fun and adventure.The Nunsthorpe estate is the third most deprived area in the country in terms of education, skills and training, yet this partnership is providing development opportunities for those young people who might not otherwise have had the opportunity to experience what Scouting has to offer."

Principal, Mark Gillyon, added: So why Scouting at Oasis Academy Nunsthorpe?Well it's about trying to capture a real sense of fun and adventure in our young people.It's about personal growth and development.It's about creating within them the important skills for life, preparing them for the twenty-first century."

The number of young people in Grimsby and Cleethorpes Scouts grew by 4.5% in the last year to 700 members, with the Scout Section alone (those aged 10 to 14) growing by 24.5%.However, despite having 160 adult volunteers in the area, there is still a local waiting list of 50 young people wanting to join the Movement.

Aby Rudd, aged 11, said: "Our Leaders are really good.We tell them what sort of activities we'd like to do and they help us arrange them.Scouting's like the highlight of my week, it's a break from my school work and home."

Millie Bayne, aged 11, added: "My favourite lesson at school is the Scouts.I look forward to Friday's every week, because we get to get out of the classroom and explore some awesome challenges and activities.Scouting rocks."

A recent survey showed that 79 per cent of people saw Scouting as providing healthy activities for young people; and it has been ranked as the UK's second most empowering charity and the country's most practical charity.Its purpose is to "engage, support and develop young people, empowering them to make a positive contribution to society".

A spokesperson for The Scout Association said: "Scouting is more popular today than ever before.Whether you want to get involved in sports such as archery or rock climbing, expand skills such as cooking or photography, or simply meet new friends, Scouting offers something to everyone."

Chief Scout, Bear Grylls, added: "In Scouting we believe all young people have the right to an adventure.This could be a Beaver Scout spending their first night away from home, or an Explorer going on their first international expedition, but adventure is at the heart of what we do.Scouting is the adventure of a lifetime."

Research by the think tank Demos, which is evaluating Scouting in schools, shows Scouts score significantly higher for empathy, leadership and resilience than other 14 to 18-year-olds.Asked if they enjoy finding a way to fix a problem, 48% of Scouts said yes compared with 28% for the rest, and 72% said they respected their teammates' ideas even if they didn't agree with them.

Scouting is a key part of today's modern community, continually growing to offer fun, challenge and adventure to boys and girls aged 6 to 25, as well as adults too.To find out more, visit scouts.org.uk or call 0845 300 1818.

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DropBox (Footage, Pictures & Voice Recordings):

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• Scouting in the UK has been growing for the last 10 years.There are now over 450,000 boys and girls (aged 6-25) and 100,000 adult volunteers.That's over half a million Scouts around the UK.
• Every year, 10,000 UK Scouts travel to more than 150 countries, taking part in community projects and expeditions.In fact, there are 40 million Scouts worldwide in 216 countries and territories.
• 100,000 young people take part in UK Scouting every day.88% of these say that Scouting has helped them improve their social skills, ability to work as a team, leadership qualities and confidence.
• Each year, UK Scouts spend over 2 million nights away from home taking part in over 200 adventurous activities, from abseiling to zorbing.You're quite likely no more than a mile from your nearest Group.
• For adults, Scouting allows our volunteers to gain qualifications, learn new transferable skills, explore the outdoors, help out their local community, and it looks great on the CV - "Social Life with a Purpose".