Rainbows, Brownies, Cubs and Scouts in Blyth: 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. Blyth has a long tradition in both, helped by a coastline and beach on the doorstep that lend themselves to adventure, and the town is part of an active Scout district covering the south-east corner of Northumberland. 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 popular sections often have waiting lists, 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Local Girlguiding units generally do not publish their meeting times openly.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. Rainbows and Brownies places in Blyth are in high 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.

Blyth sits within the Blyth Valley Scout District, which covers the town and the wider south-east of Northumberland. In Blyth itself, the 10th Blyth Scout Group meets at Blyth Central Methodist Church on Beaconsfield Street, close to the town centre, and runs Beaver, Cub and Scout sections with a programme that has included kayaking, abseiling and archery. Down by the coast, the 8th Blyth (Ridley) Sea Scouts are based at their Neptune headquarters on the South Beach Estate, offering Sea Scouting from the youngest Squirrels upwards, with the seafront setting adding a nautical flavour. Between them they cover much of the town, though the exact section and night will depend on where you live and where there is space.

Best for: The easiest way to find your nearest group and check availability is the Scouts group finder, which lists every group by area and postcode.

You can find local groups and register through the national scouts.org.uk join page, or through the Blyth Valley Scout District, which lists the groups across the town and the wider area. The district covers around a dozen groups in all, so if the Blyth sections are full it is worth checking nearby groups in Bebside, Cramlington and Seaton Delaval too.

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 headquarters, 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. 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 the best after-school clubs in Blyth and summer holiday activities in Blyth.

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