Plenary, 06 Dec 2007

Meeting date: Thursday, December 6, 2007

Official Report 701KB pdf

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Scouting

The final item of business today is a members' business debate on motion S3M-639, in the name of Robert Brown, on 100 years of scouting. The debate will be concluded without any question being put.

Motion debated,

That the Parliament congratulates the Scottish Council of the Scout Association on the centenary of the Scout Movement being celebrated throughout 2007, on the level and commitment of volunteers to the delivery of the scouting programme in all 32 local authority areas and on the contribution made by scouting to the lives of young people in Scotland and worldwide; recognises the contribution of scouting to non-formal and outdoor education and applauds the commitment to engaging young people in decision-making through its Voice for Young People initiative and the participation of 120 young people in its recent annual conference; notes that the 1st Glasgow Scout Troop was the first officially recognised Scout group in the world; notes also the achievement of Carrie Gibson, a Scout leader from Greenock, on being the first person ever to have scaled Mount Everest through scouting as part of the Scottish Scouts 7 Summits Expedition; welcomes the work put into the £2 million centenary 7 on Appeal to help put scouting on a solid footing for the next centenary; is concerned at the difficulties that the major youth organisations have in accessing capital development funding; applauds the increase in membership across all sections of the Scouts in Scotland, and believes that scouting continues to make a major contribution to the development of citizenship and leadership and to life-enhancing opportunities for young people in Scotland and across the world.

It gives me great pleasure to open this debate, which celebrates the centenary of the scouting movement. I welcome to the gallery a number of scouts, volunteers and headquarters staff, including Carrie Gibson from Greenock, who is mentioned in the motion. Her achievement in being the first person to scale Mount Everest through scouting demonstrates that the ambitions of scouting and the achievements of scouts and scout leaders have no limits, even if it did take 100 years and the admission of girls to the scouts to do it. I also welcome Eleanor Lyall MBE, the Scottish chief commissioner of scouts, and Sally Pitches, the executive director of Girlguiding Scotland, which is the sister organisation.

We have had many debates on the contribution of the voluntary sector—in all its diversity—to Scottish civil life, but few voluntary movements have had the impact that scouting has had on the development, the motivation and the lives of so many young people. When I was convener of the Education Committee, I asked its members how many of them had been in the scouts or in kindred organisations. Every single one had been either a scout, a guide, or in the Boys Brigade or the Girls Brigade—apart from our former colleague Lord James Douglas-Hamilton, who had of course been in the cadets.

My family association with scouting goes back to 1908, when my granda was in the scouts in the movement's early days. He attended the second scout camp in Northumberland—the first was, of course, held on Brownsea island in 1907. As a member of the 1st Huntley scouts, I wore the old Baden-Powell hat until it was replaced by the beret, at which point the hat had a second life as a cowboy hat for my younger brother. For me and many others, scouting was a substantial and positive formative experience, and I pay tribute to the many scout leaders and volunteers who gave their time and their talents over the years to young people through scouting and through the other uniformed and non-uniformed organisations as well.

I also mention, as the motion does, the 1st Glasgow scout troop, which was the first officially recognised scout troop in the world. It was registered in January 1908—it still has a thriving scout group, and a scout hall in Dowanhill. Scouting has gone through a number of major changes over the years, in its uniform, programme, training programme and also its membership, with the admission of girls in recent years. It is perhaps no coincidence that this year saw the first increase in numbers for 20 years—an increase that is likely to be maintained this year—and an increase that was no less than 15 per cent in the crucial 14 to 18 age group. There are currently 450,000 scouts across the United Kingdom, and 35,000 in Scotland who operate through 594 local scout groups in all 32 local authority areas, covering an age range from five and three quarters to 25. The work is supported by 6,150—or thereabouts—adult volunteer members, and by many more thousands of parents and supporters. Members may be interested to know that there are nine professional staff at the Scottish Scout headquarters, and three national activity centres at Lochgoilhead in Argyll, at Meggernie in Glen Lyon in Perthshire, and at Fordell Firs in Fife. In addition, there are some outdoor centres that are run by area scout organisations, such as the Greater Glasgow scout centre at Auchengillan—but if you visit, you have to be sure to take plenty of midge repellent, as midges are one of its more notorious features.

As part of the centenary celebrations, Scottish scouts have organised an appeal called 7 On. I am wearing the tie to celebrate that. The appeal aims to raise £2 million to fund local and national development priorities. I will tell members a little about the opportunities and the challenges in that area, and I will make some gentle but—I hope—important points to the minister. The key challenge, as with any organisation, is to recruit more volunteers and to reduce the waiting list—the current waiting list has no fewer than 2,000 people on it—as well as to expand opportunities for scouting into new areas. Scouting has a presence in many communities—there are, for example, scout troops in Springburn, Baillieston and Maryhill. In my area of Rutherglen and Cambuslang, there are no fewer than seven scout troops, and the M8 corridor project, which is currently being taken forward, aims to restart scouting in communities such as Easterhouse, Airdrie and Coatbridge, and to make it a viable option for young people in areas where it currently does not have a presence.

It is important to recognise the role of the HQ staff in youth organisations such as the scouts. There is a fashion—in many areas—of going for area provision through local authorities and the community planning process and so forth, and that is valid. However, in my experience, neither youth nor sport organisations fit very well into those structures. Headquarters organisations provide vital training and recruitment support that is tailored to the specific needs and programme of the scouts. What is needed is not generic training, although that has a role, but specific training that is best supported by HQ.

Earlier this year, as the then Deputy Minister for Education and Young People, I launched the national youth work strategy. I was glad to provide a little more HQ support in that area as well as to the other initiatives that are funded under the strategy's year of action—the youth work facilities improvement fund, the youth opportunities fund and the voluntary organisations support fund, in particular. I would appreciate hearing from the minister today whether and how those funding streams are being continued. In particular, I wish to be reassured about HQ support. Like many other organisations, the scouts are essentially self-funding, but the small assistance that we provide through those methods has disproportionately large benefits both to their agenda and to the Parliament's.

One of the fruits of the youth opportunities fund has been work that is designed to increase youth participation in policy development and decision making, backing up its voices for young people initiative and developing youth empowerment in the scout movement, which has been a notable presence in recent years.

I ask the minister about the future of Project Scotland, the national support for which is going to be stopped. Volunteers supported by Project Scotland have been invaluable, not least at Fordell Firs. I hope that the minister can tell us whether there will be on-going support or whether support will be provided in some other way. The lack of such volunteers would inhibit what we might otherwise be able to do in that connection.

I will conclude with a word about capital projects. Fordell Firs is not just a vital outdoor facility for scouting. The majority of its visitors come from outside scouting—from other youth groups and from primary and secondary schools—and it supports a number of organisations that work with marginalised young people. The Big Lottery Fund has ruled that Fordell Firs is ineligible for the current capital funding programme, growing community assets, because the Scout Association is a national membership organisation. The Scottish Government must ensure that, in one way or another, scouting and other organisations can access development funding for capital projects that also serve the wider community and provide a level of expertise that is often not available in a local organisation.

As the scouts start their second 100 years, it is worth saying that they are needed more than ever before. They are today a modern co-educational youth movement that provides—as it always has—excitement and adventure to young people from all backgrounds. It builds self-confidence, enhances skills and, not unimportantly, helps to anchor a moral compass in young people that encourages support for the community, emphasises obligations as well as opportunities and is based on giving something back. As I said at the beginning, scouting is boundlessly ambitious for young people. I am delighted to speak to the motion in my name on this auspicious occasion.

I welcome Robert Brown's motion and congratulate the Scottish council of the Scout Association on reaching its centenary.

I confess that I was not a scout, but a member of the 16th company of the Boys Brigade in Dundee; however, there is a history of scouting in my family. My uncle is a Queen's scout and a scout leader in Fife. My son was in the cubs and scouts—the 45th Glasgow 1st Kirkintilloch, one of the 594 troops throughout Scotland. It was when he joined the cubs that I became involved in scouting as a member of the parents fundraising committee, helping to raise cash for the troop by organising jumble sales, dances, plant sales and sponsored events. I also helped to coach a cup-winning cub football team, which was probably the highlight of my sporting career.

Back in 1988, one of those sponsored events involved erecting a scaffolding tower in the middle of Kirkintilloch and having the boys climb the equivalent of the height of Everest—so, I am sorry, but Carrie Gibson was not the first to do that. On that day, we were honoured by a visit from Sir Edmund Hillary, the first man to climb Everest, who was on his way to the Glasgow garden festival. I join Robert Brown in congratulating and paying tribute to Carrie Gibson, who is the first person through scouting to climb the world's highest mountain—a fantastic achievement. Carrie is a scout leader in Greenock, and it is the huge number of men and women—6,150 of them, we are told—who give up their free time to be leaders that makes the scout movement special and keeps it going today, 100 years on from its birth.

I mentioned my uncle. I will also mention one of my constituents, Jim McLaren, who also lives in Kirkintilloch. I am sure that many of the scouting representatives who are in the public gallery today will know him. Jim will not thank me for mentioning him as he is not one to shout about himself, but he has been involved in the scout movement for almost 50 years, as a cub, scout, scout leader, venture scout leader, group scout leader, district commissioner and then area commissioner for Glasgow, a post he only recently relinquished. I was coaxed into being a member of the Glasgow area committee for a time, thanks to Jim. He led the Scottish contingent to two world jamborees and was involved in organising major events held earlier this year to mark the centenary. He also helps to train the new generation of scout leaders. Jim has won every honour that scouting can bestow, including the silver wolf, the highest honour, for his outstanding service to the movement.

I am not singling Jim out because I know him and because of the huge amount of time he has given to scouting; his family are following in his footsteps. His son and daughter are now scout leaders, and his long-suffering wife, Morag, has also played her part by supporting him in his activities. People like the McLaren family are involved with scout troops all over Scotland, Britain and, no doubt, elsewhere in the world. That is why scouting has lasted for 100 years.

Robert Brown's motion also calls for support for the centenary 7 On appeal to help raise that £2 million. It is a bit of an Everest to climb, but just as the boys of the 1st Kirkintilloch climbed their Everest all those years ago, I am sure that the scout movement can make it—and I urge the Government, and particularly the minister, to consider giving the scout movement a helping hand.

Scouts turn up everywhere, even in this Parliament. Indeed, the man who came to instruct me on how to use my office equipment on my first day in this place is involved in scouting, but I will spare him the embarrassment of naming him. The movement has played and continues to play a major part in developing and guiding young people, as Robert Brown mentioned. I hope that that will continue for a long time. I am positive that, 100 years from now, the people in this place will be declaring the second centenary of the scout movement.

I congratulate Robert Brown on securing tonight's debate and reiterate the welcome to the representatives of Scouts Scotland who are in the public gallery.

It is testament to the success and dedication of the scouting movement in Scotland that we are celebrating its centenary. The fact that, during those 100 years, scouting has grown to become the world's largest co-educational voluntary youth movement is very special. Living in rural Perthshire, I know at first hand about the commitment of local volunteers and how much the organisation enriches the lives of young people in our communities.

The scouting movement has always played a significant role in helping to nurture a sense of responsibility within our young people. It gives them a sense of belonging and recognises that we will be able to tackle the big challenges that our society faces if we nurture a sense of pride in and responsibility for the local communities in which we live. It demonstrates that we can all play an active role in making Scotland a better place to live.

In my home area of Perth and Kinross, 1,300 young people are active members of the scout movement. If anyone needs proof of what they do, they only need pick up a copy of the local newspaper to read about all the various activities that take place throughout the community, whether it be building mountain paths—maybe not quite on the scale of Everest, but they have been doing it in Perthshire—or delivering the Christmas post at a very competitive price.

The role that the scouting movement plays in the development of our young people can never be overlooked. From the learning stages of the beavers at age six through cubs to scouts to scout explorers and on up to age 25, it is an impressive framework in which to develop the well-rounded young people of tomorrow. Sadly, too many people now seem desperate to wrap our young people in cotton wool and keep them away from life's challenges. The scouting movement has played and always should play an important role in keeping that trend at bay and giving our young people the opportunities to develop, most particularly when they are given the responsibility of working in teams.

As a former girl guide and brownie teacher who is still involved with outdoor education, I am conscious of the many challenges that face the scout movement as it looks towards the next 100 years. That was discussed at the recent centenary Scottish conference, which was held at the Aviemore highland resort, where more than 100 scouts took the opportunity to have their say on the future of the movement as part of the youth summit.

The scouting movement in Scotland must look towards the challenges that the organisation will face and develop innovative ideas to ensure that scouting in Scotland continues to reflect the needs of our young people.

In this digital, high-tech age, the founding concept of giving our young people the opportunity to try activities that they would not otherwise have the chance to do perhaps takes on a new and more challenging dimension, but I have no doubt that Scouts Scotland has the determination and vision to meet those challenges.

As Robert Brown said, perhaps the greatest challenge that faces Scouts Scotland and other youth development groups is finding an adequate number of volunteers. I hope that the minister will take the issue very seriously.

Over the past 100 years, Scottish scouting has evolved and changed considerably to accommodate the changes in our society and the world in general. I congratulate all those involved in the Scottish scout movement on the achievements of the past 100 years, and all that I can say as they look to the next 100 is, "Be prepared."

There are 35,000 Scout Association members in Scotland. They operate mainly through 594 local scout groups, which are in all 32 local authority areas. The Scout Association was established in 1907 and is still going strong. As we have heard, total membership in Scotland rose this year for the first time since 1988. It is now the world's largest co-educational voluntary youth movement, with 28 million members.

The programme for young people in Scotland is delivered by 6,150 adult volunteer members and numerous parents and supporters. To become a volunteer for the scout movement involves stringent vetting, which includes an enhanced level of disclosure, compulsory training and a commitment to further training dependent on the role undertaken by the volunteer.

Scouting is a partnership between young people and adults. It enables them to learn through participation in activities, take responsibility, work in groups, make choices and, most important, enjoy what they do.

In many cases, joining the movement is a family activity. Often, children join the movement and their parents then become involved and end up as leaders. In other cases, parents or siblings are already involved as members. The movement has something to offer all age groups. As Robert Brown said, the youth programme is delivered from the age of five and three quarters to 25. It is a remarkable achievement to span that age group.

I was a member of the cubs and the scouts in Ballingry some years ago. I have memories of attending day activities in the area and of going to Fordell Firs, in Fife, with my group. More recently, I have had connections with another of the scout activity centres in Scotland—Meggernie, in Glen Lyon. The staff at Meggernie are dedicated to providing the very best for both scout and non-scout groups. The centre offers activities such as archery, walking, orienteering, pioneering, first aid courses, star gazing and even bat watching—to name but a few. Where else could someone have a go at archery for the first time, at a very reasonable cost, under the eye of qualified instructors? I certainly enjoyed the opportunity when it was offered.

The movement demonstrates a strong commitment to making scout facilities and expertise available to the wider community. The Scottish scout headquarters at Fordell Firs is just outside my constituency boundary. Fordell Firs activity centre welcomed more than 15,000 visitors last year. More than half of them were from outwith the scout movement, such as those from other voluntary youth groups, schools, at-risk groups, and the guides. In addition, the centre is used as a training resource for Fife Fire and Rescue, the police and the Mines Rescue Service and it is used by many other organisations and companies for team-building activities. Project Scotland is working in partnership with the centre to provide full-time volunteering opportunities for young adults.

Each of the three Scottish activity centres is unique—their location, accommodation, staff and volunteers make them so. The experiences that young people have at those centres stay with them for life and may influence the rest of their lives in their selection of future careers and leisure-time activities.

The excellent work that the movement carries out needs our support now and in the future. I look forward to meeting representatives of the movement later at the reception and to finding out how we can best support them in their future developments. I hope that the minister, too, will be there to listen.

I am pleased to have the opportunity to participate in the debate in recognition of the centenary of the scout movement in Scotland and around the world. I congratulate Robert Brown on securing the debate.

As the convener of the Education, Lifelong Learning and Culture Committee, I cannot confess to having been a scout, as I was in the Girls Brigade. However, my first abseiling experience was the result of a joint venture between the Girls Brigade and the scouts in Shotts quite some time ago.

Throughout the centenary year, national, local and worldwide events have taken place. They have been aimed not just at scout members but at all who would like to become involved in and to experience scouting in the 21st century. Scout leaders in my constituency and throughout Scotland have been particularly active throughout the year to involve as many young people as possible in the centenary celebrations, which showcased the scout movement's work and proud history, and to pursue the movement's aims and purposes.

I have always been a strong supporter of the uniformed youth organisations and I have taken a keen interest in all of them in my constituency of Airdrie and Shotts, including the scouts, such as the 8th Airdrie (Chapelhall) scout group. That is the largest scout group in the Monklands district and it is also the youngest, as it was established only a few years ago through the efforts of parents who had had a great time in the scouts and who wanted their children to experience the opportunities of scouting.

The 8th Airdrie scout group provides valuable opportunities for young people to explore new activities and to make new friends. In an average year, young people have the opportunity to participate in a wide range of exciting and challenging activities, including outdoor pursuits such as climbing, abseiling, orienteering and hiking. That teaches young people new skills, equips them with greater self-confidence and helps them to develop leadership and teamwork skills and more understanding of environmental issues, their local community and the contribution that scouting makes throughout the world. Such activities help to make our young people into responsible citizens, not just in our own communities but nationally and internationally.

In a recent survey of the scout troop in Chapelhall, young people spoke about the difference that scouting had made to their lives. They said that it had made them more confident, allowed them to make new friends and to spend their free time having fun, learning and trying new things and enabled them to experience a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

The group has a strong record of achievement and has received numerous awards and badges to recognise its hard work. I am proud that, next year, 31 scouts from Chapelhall will attend the permanent jamboree at Kandersteg international scout centre in Switzerland. That will be the experience of a lifetime for those who are involved and the local scout leaders will work extremely hard between now and their departure to ensure that every participant can make the most of the opportunity and bring back memories that will last them a lifetime.

I know that the 8th Airdrie scout group's success is replicated throughout Scotland. Earlier this year, I was delighted to attend the centenary mass that was hosted in Shotts by the scouts' national chaplain, Father Brian Lamb. That mass was a celebration of scouting that highlighted how scouting makes a vital difference not just to the young people who are involved but to the whole community. Scouting develops citizenship and leadership skills that prepare our young people for success throughout their lives.

The scouting movement has made an important contribution in the past 100 years and I am confident that the next 100 years and beyond will be just as successful, as a new generation realises the huge benefits that involvement in scouting can bring personally, for the community and for our country.

I thank Robert Brown for initiating the debate and for his continuing support and enthusiasm for the scout movement's work in Scotland.

As a former member of the 21st Ayrshire troop, I share that enthusiasm, and I am delighted to be able to acknowledge in the Scottish Parliament the world centenary of scouting, which was celebrated this year, and the contribution that the scouting movement makes in Scotland locally and nationally.

I have been highly impressed by the scale and ambition of some of the activities that have taken place this year in Scotland and around the world. The centenary has offered a unique opportunity for scouts to showcase their achievements and demonstrate the positive impact that they have had on local communities and at national level. The array of achievements is so great that it is difficult to single out specific ones, but I want to mention a few individually.

The first is Carrie Gibson's phenomenal achievement as only the fifth Scottish woman to reach the summit of Everest and the first person in the world to do so through scouting as part of the Scottish scouts seven summits expeditions team. I can only imagine how proud the scouting movement in Scotland is of her achievement. I congratulate her.

The second achievement is the scouts' involvement, for the first time, in the Edinburgh military tattoo's nightly finale. I understand that 50 scouts took part each night. They highlighted the contribution that scouts make and their role, and they showed to our many foreign visitors that they are highly valued and respected in Scotland.

The third achievement was the series of sunrise ceremonies on the morning of 1 August in which scouts celebrated the dawn of a new century of scouting. In particular, I want to mention the ceremony in Glasgow, which was hosted jointly with the 2014 Commonwealth games bid team.

It is fitting that the new century of scouting in Scotland will begin with the seven-year lead-up to one of the most exciting events that we will ever have seen for our young people in Scotland. We are keen to get across the message that the Commonwealth games are not just for elite young athletes, important as those athletes are, but that they also present an amazing chance for young people throughout the country to get involved in shaping them and reaping the benefits that they offer. I am not surprised that the scouts have been involved from the beginning. I hope that they will continue to participate in promoting the games and the potential of the games for young people and communities alike.

The Government places great importance on the role and value of children and young people. We are committed to offering all our young people more choices and more chances to develop their potential and make a success of their lives. School and formal education are important for most young people to achieve their ambitions, but we also recognise the opportunities that informal learning and youth work offer. The best youth work opportunities let young people expand their horizons, develop their confidence and practise leadership and team-working skills. They involve young people in designing programmes and are clear about the outcomes that they want to achieve. The scouts have promoted and demonstrated in their work the qualities that I have mentioned for many years, and it is encouraging to see how the scouts organisation has modernised and adapted to reflect social change. The Scottish council of the Scout Association has increasingly been active and constructive in shaping and delivering national policy, most recently on youth work and the protection of vulnerable groups.

In particular, I have been impressed by how the scout movement has embraced the possibilities of the youth work strategy year of action and has contributed to its overall success. It has worked with YouthLink Scotland and other partners from the voluntary and local authority sectors to develop a peer assessment and grant distribution model for the youth opportunity fund and the youth facilities fund. I thank Jim Duffy in particular for his contribution to the development of the youth work volunteering action plan, which I launched at Youth Scotland's conference on 24 November. The Government progressed that work with active input from the voluntary sector. Jim and his colleagues from a range of national voluntary organisations have impressed me greatly with their ideas, expertise and desire to share their experiences and resources. The action plan supports the voluntary sector in developing the practical resources and support that it knows will work to enhance the experience of volunteers who work with young people. With the continuing input and support of the scouts and others, it can have a positive impact for many years to come.

Robert Brown asked about Project Scotland, which has been successful in raising the profile of volunteering among young people. We are keen to broaden it out to a wider range of people—to slightly older people who have more life experience and who can make a significant contribution to youth organisations. All the commitments that have been made to Project Scotland up to 2008-09 will be fulfilled.

Another avenue of support this year has been the voluntary organisations support fund. The fund, which is delivered through YouthLink Scotland, was intended to help national voluntary organisations to provide better training and to build their capacity, as Robert Brown mentioned. I know that they have found it valuable and that it has enabled them to progress work that enhances the quality and extends the scope of what they can provide to our young people. I am therefore pleased to announce today that the Scottish Government intends to continue the fund at the level of £0.5 million a year for the next three years, to 2011. As a national fund, it will continue to be delivered through YouthLink, which is the national youth work agency. The fund will continue to support training and capacity building, but we will also explore with YouthLink and voluntary youth organisations the possibility of expanding its criteria. There may be scope to include initiatives by national voluntary organisations that are designed to support local groups' and volunteers' work with local authorities to deliver their agreed outcomes for young people.

I realise that I am out of time, so I conclude by re-emphasising that the Government is committed to offering more choices and more chances to young people across Scotland. This year we celebrate 100 years of the scouts achieving just that. I welcome this opportunity to join parliamentary colleagues in congratulating them on 100 successful years. I trust that they will achieve continuing success and impact for many years to come.

Meeting closed at 17:37.