Volunteering with 3rd Alton Scout Group is a highly rewarding experience that provides you with a wide range of opportunities from helping the community to making new friends as well as learning new skills. We are always on the lookout for new people to join our team and we have a variety of roles you can consider. Please have a look at the remainder of this page where we explain most of our roles and categorise them into those that volunteer directly with our young people and other roles that do not.

When most people picture volunteering with a Scout group, they naturally imagine the leadership roles within each of the section age groups. At 3rd Alton, we have leadership opportunities right across the age ranges between 4 and 18, be that with Squirrels, Beavers, Cubs, Scouts or Explorers. These roles tend to be regular each week but can also just be a few times each school term.

There are a wide variety of other roles available at our Scout group that do not involve volunteering with our young people. Our other roles are equally sought after and just as valuable. We need people to fulfil all of these functions to ensure our Scout group is working well. Depending on the role, these can be regular or ad-hoc and we believe that many hands make light work.

If you would like to find out more or put yourself forward for any of our volunteering opportunities please get in touch using the button below.

We are always open for applications to any of our positions. However, below you will find opportunities that we are most in need of.

Our Banderlog Explorers Unit are looking for a Team Member to join the team running their Wednesday weekly meetings and other events.

Our Tiger Cub Pack are looking for a Team Member to join the team running their Tuesday weekly meetings and other events.

These roles make up our section leadership teams. Everyone works together to create the programme for each term, run the weekly meetings and organise any additional events. People in these roles must pass a scouting DBS check. There is a small amount of initial online training that is required for team leaders and team members plus a first aid course that help ensure the safeguarding, safety and wellbeing of our young people.

The team leader (formerly known as a Section Leader) is responsible for the day-to-day operations required to run a specific section. They help organise the programme each term and help deliver the meetings each week. However, they are not necessarily the "leader in charge" at any point during a meeting as this responsibility can be passed to any Team Member.

Time Commitment: attend most weekly section meeting (some meetings may be missed); prepare for weekly section meeting (when in charge); termly meetings to plan the programme; pre- and post-meeting administrative tasks such as tracking progress, awarding badges, email and other parent liaison, plus any weekend events and planning.

The team member (formerly known as an Assistant Section Leader or Section Assistant) is similar to the Team Leader but without the overall responsibility for the section and often a reduced administrative load depending on how much is shared between team leaders and their team members. They help organise the programme each term and help deliver the meetings each week. They may be the "leader in charge" at any point during a meeting.

Time Commitment: attend weekly section meeting (dependent on requirements, this could be scheduled or rotated between team members); prepare for weekly section meeting (when in charge); termly meetings to plan the programme; parent liaison, plus any weekend events and planning.

The Young Leader role bridges the gap between being a participant at Scouts and being an adult volunteer. This role is for our Explorer Scouts aged 14-18 who choose to help run a younger section. Their role is similar to a Team Member. The Young Leaders provide a link between section age groups and an older role model for the younger children to look up to. Young Leaders are mentored by the Team Leader who will sign off volunteering activities required for the top awards in Scouting and Duke of Edinburgh.

Time commitment: attend weekly section meeting (can depend on workload e.g. scaling back during school exams); plus any additional activities around planning and running the section and weekend events.

An occasional helper is someone known to the team, most often a parent of one of the children in the same section, that want to help out once in a while without committing to every week, taking on a formal leadership title or going into uniform. During weekly meetings, they will support the children with safety, activities and having fun.

Time Commitment: ad-hoc whenever the requirement arises, skills are required, or the occasional helper has time to contribute. This role is not normally involved with the team outside of supporting the weekly meetings, with no requirements around administration or planning. However, regular helpers will need to pass the scouting DBS check.

These roles encompass the essentials around ensuring our building, grounds and equipment are well maintained, fit for purpose and safe to use. The people in these roles may not realise they're in a formal role as many elements involve ad-hoc jobs in addition to the regular maintenance tasks that are required.

There is no single building maintainer. In reality, this is a team of people performing regular tasks and additionally a list of people (potentially with specific trade skills) that make themselves available for specific jobs.

Regular tasks include weekly cleaning to ensure The Den remains in a tidy and hygienic state.

Ad-hoc tasks include plumbing, electrics, decorating and other build works.

If you're available regularly or occasionally and able to help with our building tasks or if you're willing to be contacted ad-hoc (particularly trade skills) then please register your interest with us.

There is no single grounds maintainer. In reality, this is a team of people performing regular tasks and additionally a list of people that make themselves available for specific jobs.

Regular tasks include cutting the grass to ensure it remains in good condition for our young people to use regularly.

Ad-hoc tasks include topping up firewood, tree cutting, pruning and clearing.

If you're available regularly or occasionally and able to help with our grounds tasks or if you're willing to be contacted ad-hoc then please register your interest with us.

The quartermaster is responsible for our equipment. Including everything used for: camping (e.g. tents); adventurous activities (e.g. canoeing); and other activities (e.g. pioneering).

It's essential everything maintained in good, safe working order and according to the manufacturer's instructions.

The quartermaster catalogues, cleans, maintains, repairs and replaces our equipment to ensure when it's need, it's available and safely working for our young people to use.

If you can help or share this role, register your interest with us.

These roles encompass the senior leadership at group level. Together, the people in these roles have overall responsibility for the running of the group and the charitable trust. They also liaise with those higher up the scouting hierarchy at district/county level plus headquarters.

The group secretary will attend trustee meetings to perform their secretarial role. They may, optionally, additionally be a member of the board of trustees but, we call them out separately here to highlight the important work they do on behalf of the group. In addition to trustee meetings, they will also attend other meetings as required by the Group Lead Volunteer such as the Annual General Meeting.

Our Scout group awards well in excess of 1000 badges each year to our young people. The role of the badge secretary is to help the Team Leaders with badge management and provide a central point through which badges can be ordered. This increases efficiency by allowing for bulk ordering and reduces the need for duplicate postage and other costs.

The treasurer is also a member of the board of trustees but, we call them out separately here to highlight the important work they do on behalf of the group. They hold overall responsibility for the tracking and reporting of group level finances on behalf of the charity, performing any banking that is required. They will also plan budgets, manage the subscriptions to the group and payment to county and headquarters.

An online presence is key to a modern, well-organised Scout group. We maintain this web site to provide information to our members and to the wider community. It represents the digital front door of our group and is often the first touch point people have when interacting with our group. This role holds overall responsibility for running and maintaining this site.

The membership secretary holds responsibility for managing our waiting list and the allocation of children to each section, whether coming from the waiting list or progressing between sections. They will liaise with parents when it is time for a child to be allocated to a section and start the onboarding process. Their role is governed by a membership policy that the membership secretary will strictly adhere to.

We publish content to social media in addition to this web site. This allows anybody to stay in touch with the group through other online platforms. Our social media controller helps the Team Leaders and Team Members post to our social channels while ensuring we comply with the requests and privacy requirements of parents.

These roles encompass the senior leadership at group level. Together, the people in these roles have overall responsibility for the running of the group and the charitable trust. They also liaise with those higher up the scouting hierarchy at district/county level, plus headquarters.

The Group Lead Volunteer (formerly known as the Group Scout Leader) heads up the group. They may get involved in section meetings, but their responsibility lies in supporting the other adults to run the section rather than directly supporting the children.

Core responsibilities include providing leadership and support to the adults, including recruitment, onboarding and any conflict resolution; ensuring the group delivers a quality method following the scout method; safety and safeguarding; and governance and administration.

The Group Leadership Members work alongside the Group Lead Volunteer to share the load of supporting adults rather than directly supporting the children. If the Group Lead Volunteer is analogous to a CEO, then the Group Leadership Members would be the executive board.

Core responsibilities include collaborative decision-making to set strategy and allocate resources; supporting section teams through mentorship, safety and standards; and working on the growth and development of the group including links with the community such as schools or councils.

The Board of Trustees focuses on the governance of the group and are legally responsible for the charity.

Core responsibilities include financial oversight by managing the budget, reporting finances and managing the fundraising strategy; assessing risks and managing the group's assets by ensuring The Den is a safe and well maintained place to run scouting with full insurance and adhering to legal standards on health and safety; and charity compliance and the requirements for a constitution, data protection and the governance processes around safeguarding.