Rainbows, Brownies, Cubs and Scouts in Alnwick: A Parents' Guide

Few activities give children quite as much as Scouting and Girlguiding: friendships, confidence, time outdoors, and the chance to try things they would never do at home, from lighting a fire to camping under canvas. Alnwick and the surrounding villages are well placed for both, with the Northumberland countryside, the coast and the hills all on the doorstep. This guide explains how it all fits together, and how to get your child a place.

A quick note before we start: Scouts and Girlguiding are two separate organisations, each with its own sections and its own way of joining. Most local groups run on the goodwill of volunteers, and in a rural area like north Northumberland the nearest section may be in a neighbouring village, so it is worth registering early rather than waiting until your child is exactly the right age.

Rainbows, Brownies and Guides (Girlguiding)

Girlguiding is the UK's leading charity for girls and young women, organised into four sections by age:

• Rainbows — ages 4 to 7. The youngest section, all about play, making friends and trying new things.
• Brownies — ages 7 to 10. Badges, crafts, games, days out and the first tastes of adventure.
• Guides — ages 10 to 14. Bigger challenges, camps, community projects and more independence.
• Rangers — ages 14 to 18. Led by the young women themselves, with travel, skills and volunteering.

Local Girlguiding units generally do not publish their meeting times openly. Instead, the quickest way to find a place is to register your interest through the official Girlguiding website, which matches you to units near your postcode and puts your daughter on the list for the right section.

Best for: Register early. In a rural district, Rainbow and Brownie places can be limited by the number of leaders rather than demand, and units take girls from the waiting list as spaces come up.

Register or find a unit at girlguiding.org.uk. Girlguiding also welcomes adult volunteers, and units in the area are often short of leaders, which is frequently the thing that decides whether a unit can take more children.

Beavers, Cubs and Scouts

Scouts is open to all young people and, like Girlguiding, runs in sections by age:

• Squirrels — ages 4 to 6. The newest and youngest section, with simple games and activities.
• Beavers — ages 6 to 8. Crafts, outdoor play, days out and the first badges.
• Cubs — ages 8 to 10½. Camps, hikes, teamwork and a wide range of skills.
• Scouts — ages 10½ to 14. More ambitious adventures, from climbing to expeditions.
• Explorers — ages 14 to 18. Young people shaping their own programme, including the Duke of Edinburgh's Award.

Alnwick sits within the Mid Northumberland Scout District, which runs groups in Alnwick town and across the surrounding villages, including Whittingham, Felton, Amble, Longhoughton and Rothbury. The exact section, night and venue will depend on where you live and where there is space, so it is worth being ready to travel a little in a rural area.

One long-established local group is 1st Whittingham Scout Group, just north-west of Alnwick, which runs Beavers, Cubs, Scouts and Seniors on Thursday evenings with an adventurous, outdoor-focused programme in the Baden-Powell tradition. Other sections operate closer to the town centre and along the coast at Amble, and the district also runs the Duke of Edinburgh's Award and a Young Leader scheme for older members.

Best for: The easiest way to find your nearest group and check availability is the Northumberland Scouts finder, which covers the whole county and matches you by postcode.

You can find local groups and register through the Northumberland Scouts website or the national scouts.org.uk join page. Because meeting places vary and some sections are village-based, it is worth using the finder to see which group covers your address rather than assuming it is the one in Alnwick itself.

What it costs and what to expect

Both organisations are run as charities and kept deliberately affordable. Groups charge modest weekly or termly subscriptions to cover hall hire, activities and insurance, and there is a one-off cost for a uniform, which can often be bought second-hand. Camps and trips are charged separately. Many groups offer help with costs so that no child misses out, so it is always worth asking if money is a barrier.

Weekly meetings usually run for an hour or so during term time, in a local hall or village institute, with a broader programme of camps, days out and community events across the year.

Volunteering

Every one of these groups depends on adult volunteers, and it is almost always the shortage of leaders, rather than space or funding, that limits how many children they can take. This is especially true in a rural district, where a single volunteer stepping forward can be the difference between a village keeping its section or losing it. You do not need any previous experience: full training and support are provided, and roles range from a regular helper on the night to occasional behind-the-scenes support. If you would like your child to have a place, becoming a volunteer is also one of the most direct ways to help the whole group take on more young people.

For more local ideas, see our guides to after-school clubs in Alnwick and summer holiday activities in Alnwick.

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