Demand for Scouts at highest level since WW2

Nearly 90,000 young people across the UK are currently on the waiting list for Scouts

Demand to join the Scouts has reached the highest level since World War Two, according to the organisation behind the movement.

The Scout Association said nearly 90,000 young people across the UK are on current waiting lists.

They said an "increased zeal" for the outdoors post-pandemic is behind the surge.

Meanwhile Girlguiding say they are also seeing a spike in demand, with nearly 55,000 people waiting for a place.

Simon Carter, national spokesman for the Scout Association, said in the last year membership has grown by 16%.

"We have not seen this level of growth since the Second World War," he said.

"Lockdown was a grim period for young people. They couldn't go anywhere. There is now more zeal for the outdoors."

The Scout Association say "increased zeal" for the outdoors is behind the surge

Across Yorkshire and Lincolnshire there are currently 4,949 children waiting to join the organisation.

Mike Croft, who runs the Elloughton cum Brough Scout Group, in East Yorkshire, said some parents put their child's name on waiting lists years in advance.

He said: "Sometimes, a six-year-old may miss getting into both Beavers and Cubs, only getting into Scouts when they're 10.

"If we're unable to get a young person into Beavers, we'll move their name onto the waiting list for Cubs. If we then can't get them into Cubs, their names will be put onto the list for Scouts, where we have a bit more capacity.

"Unfortunately, such is the demand we are seeing that we can't respond to emails received from parents."

In North Yorkshire, Phil Bennett said demand had "gone through the roof" while South Yorkshire Scouts spokesman Simon Daley said young people have been returning to Scout groups "in their hundreds" since the pandemic.

Ellie wants son Ralph to enjoy 'British culture' offered by the Beavers

Ellie, from York, added her six-year-old son Ralph to their local Beavers' waiting list when he was four. Earlier this year she received an email saying he would not be given a place until 2023 at the earliest.

"It's really hard explaining to your six-year-old why he can't join his friends," she said.

"The Beavers and Scouting in general are part of British culture. It's quite sad that so many children are missing out."

Across Yorkshire and Lincolnshire there are currently 4,949 children waiting to join the organisation.

Mr Carter said one way to cut waiting lists was to recruit more volunteers.

He said: "People have traditionally thought, 'What will I have to give up?' We need to change that mindset. We'd like people to be thinking, 'What will I gain from this experience?' in terms of learning new skills and networking."

Angela Salt OBE, chief executive of Girlguiding, which has 290,000 members across the UK, said membership had grown by 20% in the past year and echoed Mr Carter's plea for volunteers

"It is really great to see the opportunities Girlguiding offers acknowledged through the significant increase in those wanting to join us in the past year," she said.

"With more girls wanting to join, we urgently need the help of more adult volunteers so we can continue to provide girls the space to learn new skills, build confidence and have fun and adventure with a ready made group of friends."

Follow BBC Yorkshire on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Send your story ideas to [e-mail] or send video here.