All adults involved in scouting in Oatlands and in the wider Walton and Weybridge District are volunteers and receive no payment for their efforts.

Many of our leaders first came to us as parents and volunteered in the section their children were in, but others switched to volunteering upon reaching the age of 18 having come up through beavers, cub and scouts. Still others volunteered with no previous connection to the group but a desire to help the community and young people in particular.

No previous scouting experience is required to volunteer, and many roles don't require any familiarity with the inside of a tent.

If you are interested in volunteering with the group, please contact the Group Scout Leader, Andrew Fisher (email gsl@oatlandsscouts.org.uk)

Leadership Roles

All volunteers for leadership roles will be part of a section Leadership Team (the sections are beavers, cubs and scouts) consisting of a section Lead Volunteer and up to five Team Members. Together, each team organises and runs games and activities to develop the skills, self-reliance and character of the young people of their section, all while making things fun.

Depending upon your circumstances, you might be able to help every week, every other week or on a different schedule by arrangement with the section Lead Volunteer. You might choose to help only with weekend activities.

All leadership roles involve regular contact with young people and are considered to be a "regulated activity". Volunteers for these roles are required to undertake a DBS check with the Disclosure and Barring Service to ensure they are not barred from working with young people.

Volunteers undertaking a leadership role are expected to complete a short programme of online training covering scouting methods and values, safety, child protection and data protection. This takes a total of about five hours and should be completed within five months of starting to volunteer.

Once your "Getting Started" training is complete, you are encouraged to undertake further training. This can range from the basics of camping to how to run a safe and exciting mountaineering activity.

We are currently looking to strengthen our leadership teams with the following:

• Cub Scout Lead Volunteer - for Selwyn cubs (aged 8 to 10½), meeting on Monday evenings.
• Cub Scout Leadership Team Member - for Selwyn cubs (aged 8 to 10½), meeting on Monday evenings.
• Cub Scout Leadership Team Member - for Sir Richard's cubs (aged 8 to 10½), meeting on Tuesday evenings.

Trustee Board and Group Leadership Team

The effective running of the group requires a lot of behind-the-scenes support from people who are less interested in inspiring and leading a group of young people. The Trustee Board are our trustees under charity law and are responsible for ensuring the effective governance of the group. The Group Leadership Team are responsible for ensuring that the sections and the group as a whole have the resources (money, equipment, buildings and volunteers) required to operate effectively.

The Trustee Board consists of the Group Chair, Group Lead Volunteer, Treasurer and Secretary, plus section Lead Volunteers if they wish, several independant Trustees appointed at the AGM and others appointed by the Group Lead Volunteer. All Trustees must be eligible to be a trustee under charity law.

The Group Leadership Team consists of the Group Lead Volunteer, the Lead Volunteer of each section, and other key volunteers representing sub-teams as required from time to time, for example, fund raising or maintenance.

We are currently looking to strengthen our Trustee Board with the following:

• Chair - to chair meetings of the Trustee Board