Mosaic’s first annual volunteering campaign to encourage more people to become Scout Leaders was officially launched last night at the Royal Commonwealth Club.
The campaign, in association with the Scouts Association and Muslim Scouts Fellowship, seeks to alleviate the growing list of children in the UK (currently around 32,000) wanting to join Scouts who are unable to do so due to the lack of leaders through the recruitment of adult volunteers.
Guest speaker at the event, John May, CEO Young Enterprise UK & Chairman- Education, World Scouts Bureau, spoke of the addictive nature of Scouts! He was followed by Muhammed Ahmed Khan, Director, Tellabs & Former Chairman of Muslim Scout Fellowship, who told of the value of Scouts in inspiring his daughter who is now a Scout leader herself whilst encouraging others to get involved.
Young Scouts Ambassadors were also on hand to discuss Scouting with others generating huge interest at the event.
The launch received significant interest from the mainstream media with the campaign featuring throughout the day on BBC London News, BBC Asian Network, BBC News website, as well as receiving coverage on Sunrise Radio and newspapers including The Independent.
Jonathan Freeman, National Operations Director of Mosaic, said:
“Scouting is a well loved British institution that teaches young people valuable lessons and develops skills that will help them through later life.
“Mosaic’s purpose is to provide inspiration and role models to young people – this is exactly what a Scout Leader is.
“It seems only natural therefore that we are urging more people to take up that role and inspire the thousands of children that are currently without a leader and unable to take part.”
The seeds of Mosaic were sown a few years before the official launch in 2007, when I was amongst several people invited to listen to an idea. HRH The Prince of Wales wanted to find a way of getting young British Muslims, often living in disadvantaged areas, to fulfil their...