Scout group facing closure calls for volunteers

A scout group facing closure is calling for a new team of volunteers to keep it going.

The current cohort of four leaders at Ballaugh Scouts, which is one of 12 groups across the island, are set to leave at the end of July.

Lead volunteer for Scouts Isle of Man Will Nelson said the current team felt they had "done their time and they would like to step down".

The group in the north, which provides activities to children aged between six and 14 in the local area, is now looking for new volunteers by September.

Mr Nelson said a shortage of volunteers in Ramsey, which is in need of a further two lead members, could also lead to services being stripped back in the north.

Scouts Isle of Man was currently holding a four week challenge to provide an opportunity for potential volunteers to find out more about what the role involves.

Mr Nelson said the groups "help to bring the community together and gives the children something to do for an evening a week".

The Ballaugh group runs Beavers, which is for children aged six to eight, Cubs for those aged eight to 10, and Scouts for 10 to 14-year-olds.

The group also "puts things back into the community, whether that is helping out with Remembrance Sunday or the village fair", he said.

"Volunteering with organisation on the Isle of Man is one of the most rewarding things you can do, as those in the roles help young people to "build confidence, resilience and a sense of adventure", he said.

He said the group was looking for people of all ages, backgrounds and it does not matter how much time people could commit.

"If you remove the scouts, the beavers and the cubs, it is another thing in the community that would disappear", he added.

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