Young Leaders

What is a Young Leader?

Young Leaders are a valuable resource for any section - able to bridge the gap between the young people of the section and the Leaders. They are also the potential Leaders of the future! We should all be nurturing and supporting them in the start of their Leadership journey (and it counts as Service towards their Top Awards and DofE!)

A Young Leader is anyone aged 14-17 who works with a younger section in Scouting. They could also attend an Explorer Scout Unit or they could be undertaking Service as part of DofE through school or another youth organisation. Some Young Leaders don't fall into any of the above categories, in this case they are classed as Explorer Scouts but only members of the District Young Leader Unit (membership fees do still need to be paid for them in this case!)


How do I get started as a Young Leader?

All Young Leaders need to be registered with their local Young Leader Unit and complete Module A (“Prepare for Take-off!”) within 3 months of becoming a Young Leader. The module covers the important basics, including the fundamentals of Scouting, Safeguarding and health and safety.
Module A can be booked through the Oxfordshire Young Leader Training BookWhen website here.

To register as a Young Leader, ask your Explorer Scout Leader (if you attend an Explorer Unit) or Section Leader at the Section where you volunteer to share you with the Oxford Spires Young Leader Unit on Online Scout Manager (OSM). Ideally, you should be shared with the Young Leader Unit, Section and Explorer Unit. The Young Leader Unit can be found by searching for “Oxfordshire Young Leaders: Oxford Spires District YLU”.


What is the Young Leader Award?

The Young Leader Award is presented in recognition of completing the Young Leader Modules and Missions.
All modules can be booked through the Oxfordshire Young Leader Training BookWhen website here.

There are eleven Modules in the scheme:

  • Module A – Prepare for Take-off!

  • Module B - Taking the lead

  • Module C - That’s the way to do it!

  • Module D - Understanding behaviour

  • Module E - Game on!

  • Module F - Making Scouting accessible and inclusive

  • Module G - What is a high quality programme?

  • Module H - Programme planning

  • Module I - What did they say?

  • Module J - Communicate it!

  • Module K - First aid masterclass

There are four missions that Young Leaders can complete. These are completed at the Section meeting that the Young Leaders attends and are best assessed by the Section Leader. The four missions are:

  • Mission 1: Game. Run at least three games. One of which should be indoors and one outdoors.

  • Mission 2: Activity. Run an activity that is not a game

  • Mission 3: Programme Planning. Take a section's ideas to a programme planning meeting

  • Mission 4: Delivery. Take responsibility for organising and running part of the section programme.

Further details of the missions can be found here


More information

If you would like further information please do contact:
The District Explorer Scout Commissioner, Stuart Weekes on oxspiresdesc@gmail.com
 The Assistant County Commissioner (Young Leaders), Richard Owen on yl@oxonscouting.org.uk