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HRH Prince Charles repeats call for adult volunteers
05/03/2010
Prince Charles has spoken of his support for Scouting by revealing concerns for young people who are unable to join the Movement.
In an article written to mark the Prince’s Trust Celebrate Success awards, he described how young people seek community values such as common identity, role models and a sense of safety. The Prince said that some are ‘lucky enough to find an identity through an organisation like the Scouts’.
Writing in a national newspaper, he highlighted the ‘energy and passion’ of young people and stressed that, in his experience, many are simply looking for a place or group where they feel they belong.
Adult volunteers
Concern was expressed for the 86,000 or so young people who are currently on waiting lists for the Scouts, Girl Guides, St John Ambulance and other groups. The Prince believes that their ‘individual passions and strengths’ could thus remain ‘undiscovered by the community around them’.
Addressing this, he pointed to the Youth United coalition of numerous voluntary youth organisations, which was launched last year (with the Scouts as founder-members) as a means of getting more adults involved in young people’s lives.
‘With more adult volunteers - more adult role models in the community - we can help turn young people away from false support systems such as gangs, drugs and alcohol addictions,’ the Prince stated. He went on to remind his readers that ‘just as young people need this support, so do the charities that help them.’
Opportunity for adventure
This isn’t the first time that the Prince has publicly backed Scouting activities and initiatives. Last July he visited the Docklands Scout Project to get a sense of the range of activities available to Scouts while launching the Youth United project in London. At that time he spoke of his desire to see such projects replicated nationally to ensure that ‘every young person in the United Kingdom has the opportunity, if they wish, of joining a youth organisation.’
Speaking on behalf of the Scout Association, Derek Twine, Chief Executive, said: 'This interest is very helpful in bringing attention to what we know is our greatest challenge throughout the UK. Young people want to join us and we simply don’t have enough volunteer leaders to meet local demand. Prince Charles brings a really welcome voice to what we are all trying to do as a priority.'
More information
The Scout Association currently has around 100,000 adult volunteers enabling the provision of adventurous activities and personal development opportunities for 400,000 young people. Find out how you can volunteer for Scouting
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