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Would-be scouts left on waiting list due to shortage of adults

YOUR scouting group needs you. Leaders are urgently appealing for volunteers to help run groups.

Crompton and Royton District Scouts has waiting lists of children eager to join but not enough adults to tend to the daily duties and pave the way for more members.

While new leaders are always welcome, they are particularly in need of volunteers to spare a few hours a week helping out with all manner of tasks.

They are looking for treasurers, secretaries, committee chairmen as well as help with administration, campsites and outings.

Not only are leaders checked for criminal records but a panel also vets them, so members of the community are needed to sit on such panels.

The call is also going out to grandparents who may have a few hours spare to help with their knowledge and experience.

In the scouts centenary year of 2007 the district took on 50 new members to take them up to 550. But last year they could only take on one extra child due to not having enough adults.

District commissioner Rob Partington said: “We are in need of many more adult volunteers to keep the district and scout groups in Crompton and Royton running.

“These are roles that need a certain amount of commitment, but not the sort of week in, week out commitment you need as a leader. One thing we are really struggling with is the admin side of things, people to help with fund-raising and do the management of the group.

“It’s one of those things that you manage but we are tending to find more things are falling on the same core group of people.

“We are looking to get more young people involved and we have waiting lists but we need help managing that. We want to make things bigger and better but we can’t take more children if there’s not enough adults to help.

“It’s very rewarding and enjoyable. Some people turn up for an hour because their child has started and six years later they are still there turning up every week and going camping, climbing and hiking.”

Anyone interested in volunteering can call Mr Partington on 0161-290 0455.