Scouting in York is thriving. There are over 2000 children and young people developing skills for life across every community in the City. Supported by over 600 adult volunteers, we operate over 120 Squirrel, Beaver, Cub, Scout, and Explorer sections in our geography.
Collectively Scouts is changing, as we move to make ourselves easier to understand, more inclusive, and open to new volunteers wishing to join our movement. Through teams-based volunteering, we are making our roles clearer, our structures more streamlined, and our teams easier to join.
To help us remain relevant, fit for purpose, and ready to grow, Scouting in the City is changing too. We will move from three charities governing Scouting in York to a single charity and Scout organisation. This will be called ‘City of York District Scouts’.
The first phase of expression of interest in joining the District Team has now closed. There will be plenty of more opportunities coming up in due course.
Groups will be split geographically in the City: York North, York East, and York West. There will be three District Team Leaders who will each be responsible for managing, supporting, and developing between eight and ten Scout Groups. Essentially these volunteers will take the Group line management responsibilities away from the District Lead Volunteer. This will help ensure that The District Lead Volunteer can remain strategically responsible for the overall District. These ‘Sub Districts’ will only comprise a District Team Leader and the Group Lead Volunteers. It is not intended for these teams to replicate any kind of District Structure, to run their own events, or have any additional responsibilities.
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If you have any additional questions that are not answered below, please reach out to the team on york@nyscouts.org.uk and we will do our best to answer.
The Scout Association prescribes two ways in which District boundaries may be changed; merger or closure. Each method has its own advantages and disadvantages however in either case the outcome is the same.
If two (or more) Districts are to be merged, one District takes over the other. The District remaining incorporates the funds and assets of the closing District and the closing District is wound up both as a Scout District and as a charity. The main drawback of this method is that since the merger is a takeover, one District may be perceived as being the “winner” and the other the “loser”. It can be difficult to deal with the sensitivities of Members involved in the merger. In summary, the merger process is easier at a practical level but more difficult to achieve without an emotional impact.
The alternative is to close the current Districts and to open a new District to cover the same geographical area. In this case the original Districts need to be closed (both as Scout entities and as charities), and new District(s) should be opened (both within Scouts and as charities). The disadvantage of this method is that it is procedurally more complex than a merger, for example in this case finances from the original Districts should be transferred to the County/Area/Region who then gives them to the new District as appropriate. The advantage of this approach is that all of the original Districts are treated equally and so it is emotionally easier to achieve. Taking this in to account, the North Yorkshire Scouts Trustee Board has agreed to manage this as a brand-new District.
A: It is not envisaged that there will be a need to write to parents at this stage. If this changes, some key messages will be shared as appropriate for Group Lead Volunteers to cascade.
A: It is acknowledged that with 24 Groups it would be unproductive for Group Lead Volunteers to meet together with the nine District Leadership Team Members. Instead, District Team Leaders will hold Sub District Team Meetings for their Group Lead Volunteers to share initiatives, collaborate on development topics, and support their fellow groups. Group Lead Volunteers will also participate in a WhatsApp Group with their District Team Leader.
A: The District, inline with other Districts across the County, will continue to run Explorer Units as devolved provision, partnered with Scout Groups.
A: Units should phase out issuing Ebor and Minster neckers, enabling new Explorers to wear the necker worn by their partnered Group. It is not recommended that Units consider having a ‘unit necker’ and the District will not be providing funding for Explorer Units to buy members a District necker. As most Young People should be able to continue wearing the necker they used to wear at Scouts (or what they already wear as a Young Leader), this is the most cost effective option for all involved. Should Scout Groups wish to bulk purchase Group neckers to give all of their Explorers at the same time, this would be a decision for the Group Leadership Team to make in partnership with the relevant Explorer Team Leader.
A: We are already really lucky as a City to have a shared identity and badge that everyone wears on their uniform. Members will continue to wear the City of York badge which will transfer to be the District Badge. Groups should stop issuing Ebor and Minster badges to their members. It would be down to the local Groups and sections as to whether they have a stitch unpicking exercise with their Young People and Leaders, or whether the old badges are just phased out.
A: Yes. A new District necker (likely based on the City of York badge) will be issued to all those who take up an appointment at District level.
A: York Scout Activity Centre is owned by The Scout Association Trust Corporation (SATC), who hold title deeds on behalf of local Scout Units (Groups, District, and Counties). In this case, the SATC holds the title deeds on behalf of York Ebor and York Minster District Scout Councils. As part of the closure of any Scout District, the assets (property and finances) are transferred to the relevant County, who reallocate them to the appropriate new District. In this case, North Yorkshire Scouts will hand over the management of the asset to City of York Scouts. The York Joint Scout Trust (YJST) does not own any of these assets has been simply the vehicle for managing Snowball on behalf of Ebor and Minster.
A: The management of Snowball will rest with the District Leadership Team, with responsibility delegated to the new Snowball Team Leader who will be a key member of the District Programme Team. The Governance of Snowball will rest with the District Trustee Board. In line with the structures adopted post transformation, the Snowball Management Committee will cease to exist and responsibilities passed to the Trustees and Snowball Team as appropriate.
The District Support Team will support the Snowball Team with the management of day-to-day finances, general administration, and marketing.
A: In an ideal world, in line with other Scout Centres across the UK, York Scout Activity Centre would be entirely self funding, through fees charged to those who use it. However, for various reasons we are a long way away from this. One of the first tasks for the new District Leadership Team is to agree their annual budget in collaboration with the new Trustee Board. This will take in to account whether there is a need to continue adding a cost to the District’s capitation levy to fund improvements to the site, as well as whether Groups will be charged to camp or use the site at on an evening.
A: When the new District is set up, everyone with a District appointment in Ebor or Minster will be allocated to a Holding Team in the new District. This will allow the new District Leadership Team to work with team members on the right role for them in the new structure.
A: When the District is stood up and registered with The Scout Association, all groups will transfer to the new District. Automatically, the roles noted in POR5b.3.2.5 will become the Scout Council of City of York District Scouts. The Scout Council will hold an Annual General Meeting
A: Here at Scouts, due to our status as a federated charity, we can close sub charities without legal representation, as our governing document and bylaws permit it through a process outlined in P.O.R. 4.8.4
A: The District Lead Volunteers and representatives from the County have already met with the Treasurers from York Joint Scout Trust, Ebor and Minster to discuss a way forward. Finances will be pooled to support Scouting in York, with a budget designated for the development of activities provision and improvements at Snowball.
A: As and when they expire, contracts will be passed to City of York Scouts as appropriate.
A: Yes. St George’s Day is a great example of an event that both of our organisations will collaborate on and we would like this to continue. Planning for the event in 2026 has already started.
A: Earlier this year, the current District Leadership Teams of York Minster and York Ebor had already made the decision not to continue organising this event due to its viability. The assets and finances have already been reallocated as appropriate. Although not prescribed in the current target operating model, any new District Leadership Team may choose to set up any number of performance based programme opportunities, whether a Gang Show or similar.
A: Scout Active Support Units (SASUs) were disbanded after the recent Volunteer Experience Programme (known as transformation). In York, the responsibilities had already been reallocated to different teams in the structure, such as the Programme Team and District Support Team.
There were some initial discussions about whether a shared team could be set up in partnership with Girlguiding; however the governance structures and policies of neither organisation permit such a team.
The City of York Programme and Events Support Team will host a pool of volunteers, similar to the way York Active Support did, to help at all events organised by the District.
A: There is no provision for formal joint events with Girlguiding in our Policy, Organisation, & Rules; however each organisation can organise events and invite the other as participants. This achieves the same output, it just means that one organisation has to take on the ultimate responsibility for the approval and governance.
The Current District Lead Volunteers have already adopted some agreed principles about how Scouts and Girlguiding can work together – these have been agreed with the County Commissioner of Girlguiding. As a result, Scouts and Girlguiding will continue to have a strong relationship in York.
We will continue to work together with Girlguiding to ensure that events such as St George’s Day can continue as they always have.
An explorer, adventurer and TV presenter, Dwayne's been seen in BAFTA nominated Channel 5 series Race to the Pole, on BBC Springwatch, Countryfile, National Geographic and Disney+.
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