Wasps RFC aiming to help Kenilworth children join the scouts

Wasps RFC are throwing their support behind efforts to shorten Kenilworth's waiting list for young people wanting to join the scouts.
Warwickshire Scouts being presented with their 2,000 cheque by Wasps players Guy Armitage and Alex RiederWarwickshire Scouts being presented with their 2,000 cheque by Wasps players Guy Armitage and Alex Rieder
Warwickshire Scouts being presented with their 2,000 cheque by Wasps players Guy Armitage and Alex Rieder

Warwickshire Scouts currently have a waiting list of around 500 people aged six to 18-years-old, including 20 from Kenilworth, and need at least 50 additional volunteers to clear this list.

It comes after figures released by the Scout Association in 2017 showed a 7.8 per cent year-on-year increase in membership numbers across the UK, which currently stand at around 618,000.

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To help spread awareness, more than 1,100 Warwickshire Scouts members and their families will be taking over the Wasps Nest Fan Village in the Ericsson Indoor Arena in Coventry ahead of Wasps’ match against London Irish at the Ricoh Arena on Sunday March 4.

From 12.30pm until 2.30pm, families will be able to try their hand at four different activities which include soft archery, indoor caving, a 70 ft obstacle course and a challenge to build the tallest spaghetti and marshmallow tower.

Warwickshire Scouts' appearance at the Ricoh comes off the back of Wasps donating £2,000 to the group via the club’s cashback scheme, which enables groups such as the Warwickshire Scouts to claim back a percentage of every ticket that they sell.

Wendy Williams, deputy commissioner at Warwickshire Scouts, said: “The Scouts are experiencing a surge in popularity – fuelled by celebrity endorsement – and as such we are desperately seeking adult volunteers who can give up some of their spare time to help make a difference to young people in the region.

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“We are grateful to Wasps for giving us an opportunity to showcase what we are all about to thousands of new people.

“The activities we have on display at the Ricoh Arena will show that Scouting is all about a physical challenge, team work, trying new things and having lots of fun and adventure as a fully inclusive organisation for young people and adults alike.”