Welcome to Scouting
Scouting is a youth movement with over 28 million members in 216 countries and territories.
The experience of Scouts will stay with children for the rest of their lives. In the UK, each week the Scout Association helps over 460,000 young people aged 4-25 enjoy fun and adventure while developing the skills they need to succeed, now and in the future.
Scouting is open to all girls and boys aged 4 to 25 of every faith, ability and background.
There are sixsections
- Squirrels 4-6 years
- Beavers Scouts 6–8 years
- Cub Scouts 8–10.5 years
- Scouts 10.5–14 years
- Explorer Scouts 14–18 years
- Network 18–25 years
Whilst the activities they take part in will depend on their age, each section gives young people the opportunity to learn by doing. Scouting is all about adventure at all levels and in many forms.
Join our Waiting List
If you are interested in joining the Witney Buttercross Explorers, Scouts, Cubs, Beavers or Squirrels, or if would like to find out more about becoming a parent helper or leader, please contact us at join.wbsg@gmail.com or join our waiting list below. Please also read through our admissions policy.
Join our waiting list on Online Scout Manager (OSM)
Collection Notice
Information provided about yourself and your child(ren) (‘personal data’) on our waiting list form on Online Scout Manager (OSM) will only be used for the purpose of registering your place on the Witney Buttercross Scout Group (WBSG) waiting list. We are processing your data only because you have given us your consent to do so by submitting the form on OSM. You can withdraw your consent at any time by contacting us. In this event, we will stop the processing as soon as we can. However, this will not affect the lawfulness of any processing carried out before your withdrawal of consent. Access to your data within WBSG will be provided to those who need to view it as part of their work in carrying out the purposes described above. We will only retain your data for as long as we need it to meet our purposes, including any relating to legal, accounting, or reporting requirements. Your data will be held securely in accordance with WBSG’s policies and procedures and will not be shared with third parties. Further information on OSM’s security and privacy policies is available on the OSM website.
We (WBSG) are the ‘data controller’ for this information, which means we are responsible for looking after it in accordance with the General Data Protection Regulation and associated data protection legislation. If you wish to raise any queries or concerns about our use of your data with respect to the purposes described above, please contact us via join.wbsg@gmail.com in the first instance.
Admissions Policy
Witney Buttercross Scouts seek to promote equal access to Scouting for all young people. However, as a popular Scout Group our sections are always full, and we need to operate a waiting list for each age group.
Young people normally join our sections three times a year (January, Easter and September). We currently only have one Squirrel Drey, so spaces are very limited. We do our best to start Beavers in a Colony soon after their sixth birthday but cannot guarantee this. Joining the waiting list means we know you are looking for a space and can try and plan spaces – we urge you to sign up as soon as possible (don’t wait for your child to turn six).
When spaces arise for young people within our sections, we focus on those:
- moving on to the next section (Squirrels > Beavers, Beavers > Cubs, Cubs > Scouts)
- on our waiting list (and those who have been on the waiting list longest)
- living within Witney (or adjacent villages without a Scout Group)
- who are members of another Scout Group and have moved to the area
- with family members who volunteer with us (if you’re interested in volunteering, please contact us)
We make reasonable adjustments to enable young people with disabilities or special needs to access Scouting, as far as reasonably possible, to the same level as young people without disabilities. This means working in partnership with parents/carers, to identify needs and support strategies. Please give as much information as possible when signing up to the waiting list so we can discuss this with you in advance.
Finances should also not be a barrier to young people taking part in Scouting, we run a bursary scheme to support those who need help with subs and camp payments. Scouting is for all!
Policy last updated May 2024