Parent Information
We have tried to provide some general information here for parents but if you have any general questions please e-mail toni.jacobs@2ndnailseascoutgroup.org.uk
What do Scouts Do?
Scouts are do-ers and give-it-a-go-ers. Yes, we go camping, hiking, swimming, abseiling, cycling and canoeing.
But, we also get to hang out with our friends every week – having fun, playing games, working in a team and taking on new challenges.
Everyone’s welcome here. All genders, races and backgrounds. Regardless of your young person’s physical ability – there’s a Scout adventure out there waiting for them. And we’ll help them find it.
We pride ourselves on our inclusivity and we do our best to make sure all our members can take part. There’s a lot of flexibility within the Scouts programme to meet individual needs, whether that be a disability, neurodiversity, or an educational, mental health or medical need.
All about Badges
You name it, we’ve got a badge for it – over 200 of them, actually. Scouts work together on badges at their weekly meetings, away at camps and events, or at home. Badges are easy to earn, and for many, you don’t need anyone special to sign them off.
There’s never any pressure to do badges. Scouts can do as many or as few as they like.
For those up for a challenge, there are loads of exciting Chief scouts award badges to aim for. The King’s Scout Award is the top achievement for young people in Scouts.
Where do badges go?
How to Show off your badges
The traditional way to attach badges to uniform is to sew them on. It’s the cheapest way to do it and will never leave a mark on your uniform when you take the badge off to put on a camp blanket.
If you’re not able to or can’t use a sewing needle and thread or if you’re looking for alternative ways to attach badges without sewing, there are a few options available, including:
Fabric Glue – used by putting the glue on the back of the badge and then pressing the badge onto your uniform.
Heming Tape – normally used to make sleeves and trouser legs shorter but it can be used for putting badges onto uniform as well. It comes in a roll that can be cut or ripped into strips. Cover it with a damp tea towel and use a hot iron on a steam setting to attach the badge to the fabric. Hemming tape can come loose after a few washes, therefore a few stitches around the edge of a badge will keep it even more protected.
Uniform
Wearing a uniform is comfy and practical. It means no one feels uncomfortable or left out and helps everyone feel part of the group.
A uniform can either be bought from our online shop – Scout Store – or from a local supplier. And there’s always the option to get pre-loved uniforms, too!
Online Scout Manager (OSM)
When your Young Person joins the Group, whether as a Beaver, Cub, Scout or Explorer, you will be given access to our online portal, the Online Scout Manager (OSM) which stores various health-related and other details about group members so that the Leaders can make provision for them in all their activity and event planning, and it also provides you with information about the forthcoming programme of activities and events, progress with badges etc.
This portal is very intuitive to use and can easily be accessed via your mobile phone or laptop.
Costs
Section subscription rates are collected via a payment system on OSM with associated details provided to enable this to be set up.
Subscription costs (£34) are paid at the beginning of each term equivalent to around £17 per month (as of September 2025).
You can view your payment schedule by logging into your account on OSM at any time to check for payments already made and those soon falling due.
Subs are used to cover the day-to-day costs of running the group, including:
There can be extra costs for day trips, specific activities and camps. These are planned well in advance, to a fixed budget that families can plan for, and there are often ways to pay in instalments.
No one should be excluded from Scouts because of cost. Please speak to your child’s leader if you have concerns about this and see how we can help you.
Fundraising
Help us with our fundraising by using these easy ways to raise additional funds
Gift Aid
We also encourage all parents to complete a Gift Aid declaration if they are taxpayers. This enables the Group to reclaim the tax you will have paid on your subscriptions: this is worth an extra 25p to the Group for every £1 you pay – at no cost to you.
All we need is for you to complete a Gift Aid declaration on OSM.
Please note that to participate in the Gift Aid scheme you need to declare that you will pay UK income tax or capital gains tax at least equal to the total amount to be reclaimed as Gift Aid by us, and by any other charities you support in each tax year.
Please contact us by email (treasurer@2ndnailseascoutgroup.org.uk) if you have any doubt about your eligibility to make a Gift Aid declaration, or if your tax circumstances change after you have made one.
Easyfundraising – raise funds when you shop online
We have teamed up with easyfundraising, an online shopping directory listing over 400 popular stores, including Amazon, NEXT, Debenhams, John Lewis, Tesco and many more.
Every time you shop online with any of them, we’ll receive up to 15% of every purchase – at no cost to you. In fact, you could save money due to many retailers giving exclusive discounts , special offers when shopping through the easyfundraising website.
Register, shop and help us raise funds today. To find out more, register / login in click here
Recycling
We collect printer toner cartridges and old mobile phones of all shapes and sizes, for recycling. Collection boxes for these are provided in the entrance hallway to enable parent and children to easily drop these off.
Keeping children and young people safe
Keeping children and young people safe is our number one priority. Here are some of the ways we do this:
