Adult leadership is obviously vital to the smooth running of Explorer Scouts, in fact Scouting in general cannot survive without adult help! The time commitment and training requirements vary depending on how you wish to help, the one thing we can guarantee is that you will work hard and have FUN! Under the Children's Act, everyone who has any contact with young people has to undergo a CRB search, this is normally a formality.

There are several ways in which you can help as an adult, briefly these are:


Explorer Scout Leader / Assistant Explorer Scout Leader.

These are uniformed positions within Explorer Scouts. Each Explorer Scout unit has an Explorer Scout Leader (ESL) and a number of Assistant Explorer Scout Leaders (AESL). ESL's and AESL's hold an Adult Appointment, renewable every 5 years, they are the hub of the Explorer Scout organisation. ESL's and AESL's plan and run the regular meetings, with help from the Explorers themselves. They also get involved with expeditions and camps.

The time commitment for ESL's and AESL's is to attend Explorer Scout meetings, probably about 2 hours per week and any weekend expeditions/camps etc. There is a training requirement for Leaders and Assistant leaders need to do Getting Started (could be a day or 3 evenings) and 3 weekends over 3 years. (one weekend a year) As an alternative day/evening courses.

This is the 'Sharp End' of Explorer Scouts and like most things the more you put in, the more you get out!


Explorer Scout Skills Instructor

Explorer Scouts is all about doing unusual, exciting and occasionally dangerous activities. Obviously A/ESL's cannot be skilled in all the activities involved so specialist instructors are needed. Skills Instructors will come to Explorer Scouts with a particular skill, this could be climbing, caving, sailing or motor mechanics.

Certain activities require Skills Instructors to pass a competence test to allow them to lead activities, but this should cause no problems to those who have the expertise needed. Time commitment for Skills Instructors will depend entirely on them, this could be once a week throughout the summer to just one weekend per year.

This is a great opportunity to pass your skills and your passion on to the next generation of Climbers, Canoeists or F1 Mechanics!

Skills Instructor needs to do Module 1 of Getting Started


Unit Assistants (Helpers).

Unit Assistants (Helpers) are people who do not wish to commit the time as an AESL or ESL, have no specialist skill but wish to get involved in helping young people. The training requirement for Unit Assistant (Helper) is to complete Getting Started - you can do more if you want to.
The activities you get involved in can be many and varied.

From attending weekly Explorer Scout meetings and helping to run them to helping with the catering on a weekend camp. If you are not sure you wish to commit to being an ESL or AESL why not try being a Unit Assistant (Helper) first and see how much you enjoy it ?



For information about helping an Explorer Unit in the Maidenhead area,
please complete our Contact Form making sure that you include your email address, post code and phone number.

Further Information on Maidenhead Explorers

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