Join our volunteer team

If you’re an existing Scout leader moving overseas and want to volunteer or start a new Group – Get in touch - we’d love to hear from you.


At Scouts we celebrate difference and welcome everyone.


Whatever your background, identity or ability, there’s a volunteer spot with your name on it

Volunteering can be a brilliant way to boost your mental wellbeing. It’s a great feeling knowing you’re helping young people get skills for life, and you might even learn a lot about yourself along the way. 

Scouts can make you feel good in other ways too. We’ll guide you to an opportunity where you’ll: 


  • Make friends and meet people 
  • Try new things and challenge yourself 
  • Get outdoors and get stuck in 
  • Positively impact your community 
  • Create vital opportunities for young people 
  • Make memories that'll last a lifetime 


If you can only occasionally help, that’s OK. Whether you’d like to be an activity planner, tea-maker or craft creator, we appreciate any time you can spare.


Current Vacancies

Open Call: Could you be one of Southern Europe's Trustees

By Chris Preston • February 1, 2026
BSO Southern Europe wishes to appoint an additional trustee. Our trustee board provides collective leadership and oversight of the charity, and supports our volunteers who deliver our programme to young people around the world. The Trustee Board’s role is to support our volunteer line managers, through the District Lead Volunteer and District Chair, so that they can be as successful as possible in their role of supporting leadership teams to deliver our programme. You may be of any nationality and live in any part of the world – the only condition is that you are willing and able to carry out the duties of a trustee and to bring a constructive and independent-minded approach to the role. We are keen to include younger adults in the team. Applications from within Southern Europe are encouraged About BSO BSO is a part of the UK Scout Association with headquarters in Gilwell Park, London. BSO members have access to the same resources, support and programme as UK based Scout groups. BSO exists to support British families living overseas in the provision of a UK Scouting programme to expatriate British children and to several British Overseas Territories. We aim to ensure that all our members have the opportunity to feel and experience high quality UK Scouting whilst providing support and advice to adult members no matter where they are in the world. BSO undertakes Scouting activities in a safe and secure environment with flexibility to adapt to both local customs and guidelines set out within The Scout Association's policies and rules. BSO operates 57 Scout Groups, 22 Explorer Units and 3 Scout Networks, with an impressive 2,997 young people supported by 936 adult volunteer leaders across 30 countries around the world. Whilst most adult volunteer members are delivering programme activities with our young people, many volunteers are also based in the UK offering support, training, mentoring, governance and resources in a variety of different roles from trustee to marketing and event support to skills assessors. BSO is fully inclusive and open to all who share our fundamental values. BSO exists to actively engage and support young people in their personal development, empowering them to make a positive contribution to society.

Vacancy: BSO Heritage Team (Technical Specialist)

By Chris Wanley • January 6, 2026
About the role We’re looking for someone with technical skills to support our project to preserve British Scouting Overseas ( and its predecessors) History, so that the content we collect and curate can be online and accessible with the minimal need for updating and software upgrades. Ideally you will have skills and knowledge in creating websites for historical content, creating secure websites and able to work with none tecnical colleagues to put these concepts across.

Volunteer with BSO

Get inspired

800 volunteers like you, helping more than

2,200 young people across 28 countries each year to build #SkillsForLife.


Volunteering with young people

Team player? Love supporting young people? Great at planning? 


Each week, our volunteers help young people gain skills for life through activities and adventures.

Most of our volunteers work directly with young people aged 4 to 18 through our groups, known as Sections


Working in teams, they might:

  • Welcome young people and families to sessions and events
  • Make sure everyone's safe, supported, included and having fun 
  • Help to plan and lead activities
  • Get involved with days out, camps and expeditions 
  • Share and learn skills – from coding to cake decorating to canoeing 
  • Celebrate young people's achievements big and small 


No previous experience with young people? No problem.


Whether you'd like to help out week-after-week or whenever-you-can, we provide training, learning opportunities and cups of tea – every step of the way.


Want to make a big impact behind the scenes?

Your time and skills can make a difference in so many ways. 


Not all volunteers work directly with young people. Locally, regionally and nationally, many help out in other ways.