Common questions
Everything parents usually ask before their child joins. If yours isn't here, just ask us.
Joining us
How does my child join?
Fill in our waiting list form. It takes about five minutes, and it puts your child straight onto the right waiting list. When a place comes up, a leader gets in touch.
What ages do you take?
From four to fourteen, across four sections: Squirrels (4 to 6), Beavers (6 to 8), Cubs (8 to 10½) and Scouts (10½ to 14). The form works out the right section from your child's date of birth. At fourteen, young people move on to Explorers, which is run across the district.
Can I add my child before they're old enough?
Yes, and it's a good idea. You can join the list from age four, and plenty of families add their child well before a place is likely.
How long is the wait?
[TBC: a rough idea of the current wait for each section.] Waiting lists exist because we need more adults, not more children, so if you can help at all it moves things along for everyone. See volunteering.
Do siblings get priority?
[TBC: whether siblings get priority.] The join form asks whether your child has a brother or sister with us, so tell us there.
Can my child come and try it first?
[TBC: whether taster sessions are offered, and how to ask.]
Where and when
Where do you meet?
We meet at Cotham Parish Church, Cotham Rd, Cotham, Bristol BS6 6DR. Get directions, or find the door with what3words: freed.valve.wizard.
What night is each section?
Squirrels: [day and time TBC]. Beavers: every Friday between 17:30 and 18:30. Cubs: every Friday between 18:30 and 20:00. Scouts: every Thursday between 19:00 and 20:45.
Do you meet in the school holidays?
[TBC: whether meetings run in school holidays, and the term dates.] Camps and trips often happen in the holidays, which you can read about on our camps page.
Do I stay, or drop off and go?
[TBC: the group's drop-off and collection arrangements.]
What if my child can't make a week?
Just let the section leader know through the Parent Portal or by replying to their email. Nobody minds a missed week, and it helps leaders plan.
What it costs
How much are subs?
[TBC: the amount, how often it's paid, and what it covers.] Subs cover the running of the group, including the hall, insurance, equipment and badges.
Is there a joining fee?
[TBC: whether there is a joining fee.]
What about camps and trips?
Camps and trips are charged separately, because not everyone goes to everything. You'll always know the cost before you say yes.
What if money is tight?
Please talk to a leader in confidence. No child should miss out on Scouting because of money, and there are ways to help quietly. The Scouts also run grants for families, and second-hand uniform is usually available.
How do I pay?
Through the Parent Portal, which is where subs, events and camps are all handled. [TBC: confirm all payments go through the portal.]
What happens at a meeting
What do they actually do?
Games, activities, crafts, cooking, outdoor skills and getting outside, planned around the badges and awards for that section. Have a look at the Squirrels, Beavers, Cubs and Scouts pages to see what each one gets up to.
What should my child wear on their first night?
Just comfortable clothes that can get messy. You don't need to buy a uniform before they start, and a leader will tell you what to get once your child has settled in.
Where do we get uniform?
Uniform comes from the Scout Store or local suppliers, and each section page shows what to buy and where the badges go. [TBC: whether the group has second-hand uniform or a necker to hand out.]
What are all the badges?
Badges recognise things your child has tried, learned or stuck at. Each section page lists a few examples, and you can follow what they're working on in the Parent Portal. Nights away at camp earn badges too: see camps and sleepovers.
Do they go camping?
Yes, from their very first year. Squirrels start with a sleepover close to home and Scouts camp properly, cooking on fires. There's a whole page about camps and sleepovers.
Safety and your child's details
Are the leaders checked?
Yes. Volunteers who work with young people are background checked (DBS) and trained in safety and safeguarding, and there are set numbers of adults for every meeting and activity. You can read the Scouts' safeguarding policy in full.
Who sees my child's medical information?
Only the leaders who need it. You enter it yourself in the Parent Portal and keep it up to date, and leaders use it at meetings, trips and camps. We don't keep copies elsewhere.
Are they insured?
[TBC: confirm the national Scouts insurance cover and how to describe it.]
What about photos of my child?
Photo permissions are part of the details you set in the Parent Portal, and you can change your mind at any time.
How do you contact parents?
Mostly by email from the Parent Portal, and leaders also use text or WhatsApp for quick things like a change of plan. You can opt out of messages on the join form.
Helping out
Do I have to help?
We ask every family to help on two evenings a term, which is about three hours in total. You don't need experience or to plan anything, and you choose your dates. Families who help also get priority on the waiting list.
What does helping involve?
Being an extra pair of hands on a meeting night, so the leaders can run the evening they've already planned. If you'd like to do more, there are regular roles and behind-the-scenes jobs too: see volunteering.
Do I need a DBS check to help?
[TBC: at what point a helper needs a DBS check, and that the group arranges it.]
Ready to join?
Add your child to our waiting list. It takes about five minutes.
Join the waiting listWhere we meet
Cotham Parish Church, Cotham Rd, Cotham, Bristol BS6 6DR
Get directions · what3words: freed.valve.wizard
Join us
We're always happy to welcome new members. Add your child to our waiting list and we'll be in touch when a place comes up.