Scout Association County Of Birmingham
Charity 524566
Overview
Summary
Scout Association County Of Birmingham appears to operate less as a single youth service than as a citywide Scouting infrastructure: connecting local groups, volunteers, training, events and activity support across multiple age ranges. Its role combines youth development with the practical systems needed to sustain a distributed volunteer-led network. The available evidence also suggests an inclusion ambition, though it does not yet show how consistently this is translated into accessible local provision.
Operational geography
Evidence and reasoning
Supporting evidence
Acocks Green
Confidence: high
The organisation's current districts page states that Cole Valley South District covers the south-eastern quarter of Birmingham and includes Acocks Green; it reports 19 Scout Groups delivering programmes across the district.
- Birmingham Scouts, Districts page
Cole Valley South District is stated to include Acocks Green and to contain 19 Scout Groups providing Scouting programmes for young people aged 4 to 18.
Moseley
Confidence: high
The current Cole Valley South District description explicitly includes Moseley within an operating district with active Scout Groups and section provision.
- Birmingham Scouts, Districts page
Cole Valley South District is stated to include Moseley; the district has 19 Scout Groups, including Squirrel, Beaver, Cub, Scout and Explorer provision.
Handsworth
Confidence: high
The current Tame Valley District description explicitly identifies Handsworth as part of its area and describes active Group, Explorer, Network and Scout Active Support provision.
- Birmingham Scouts, Districts page
Tame Valley Scout District covers much of north Birmingham, includes Handsworth, and has 13 Scout Groups, six Explorer Scout Units, Network and Scout Active Support sections.
Perry Barr
Confidence: high
The Tame Valley District's current published area list explicitly includes Perry Barr and is accompanied by evidence of multiple active local Scout sections.
- Birmingham Scouts, Districts page
Tame Valley Scout District is stated to include Perry Barr and to provide outdoor and indoor Scouting activities through its Groups and sections.
Aston
Confidence: high
Aston is explicitly named as within Tame Valley District, which reports an active delivery structure of Groups and youth sections.
- Birmingham Scouts, Districts page
Tame Valley Scout District's stated area includes Aston; the district reports 13 Scout Groups and six Explorer Scout Units.
Erdington
Confidence: high
Erdington is expressly included in the current Tame Valley District area description, which provides direct evidence of local programme delivery.
- Birmingham Scouts, Districts page
Tame Valley Scout District is stated to include Erdington and to offer year-round indoor and outdoor Scouting activities.
Remaining uncertainties
- The evidence strongly supports a citywide operational identity: Birmingham Scouts states that it works with more than 4,900 young people throughout Birmingham and Sutton Coldfield, through 87 Scout Groups organised into six districts. However, the published district page does not provide current, comprehensive boundaries or a current group-by-group map, so not every Birmingham ward can be assigned confidently.
- The listed wards are well-evidenced examples rather than an exhaustive inventory of the organisation's footprint. The published descriptions also identify wider areas in south-east, north-east, south-west and Sutton Coldfield Birmingham, but some named localities cannot be matched unambiguously to the supplied current ward identifiers.
- The registered office in Great Barr is evidenced as an administrative address only. The available current evidence does not establish that it is a public-facing service-delivery or activity site.
- A historical county report identifies county-owned activity centres at Blackwell Court and Pikes Pool, managed by the separate charity Blackwell Adventure. Those sites are outside Birmingham and the report is not current enough to treat them as evidence of the county's present operational sites or Birmingham footprint.
- The organisation says it works closely with other Scout Counties in the West Midlands, but the available evidence does not show that these relationships materially extend its routine Birmingham service-delivery geography.
Additional evidence needed
- A current official directory or map of all Birmingham Scout Groups, Explorer Units and regular meeting venues to identify the full ward-level footprint.
- Current information on county-managed premises, training venues and activity sites, distinguishing owned, leased, administrative and public-facing facilities.
- Current agreements or programme information showing whether partnerships with Blackwell Adventure, The Scout Association or other West Midlands Scout Counties deliver regular services to Birmingham members.
Areas of work
- Amateur Sport
- Arts/culture/heritage/science
- Disability
- Economic/community Development/employment
- Education/training
- Environment/conservation/heritage
- General Charitable Purposes
- Religious Activities
Who they help
- Children/young People
- People Of A Particular Ethnic Or Racial Origin
- People With Disabilities
How they help
- Provides Buildings/facilities/open Space
- Provides Human Resources
Discoveries involving this organisation
The Atlas has not published any Discoveries involving this organisation yet.
Observations
A network enabler rather than a single delivery site
The organisation appears to support a network of local Scout Groups and districts, while providing shared training, events, leader information and specialist activity support. This may indicate that its distinctive role is to strengthen the capacity of many local units rather than primarily deliver activities from one central site.
Why it matters
This changes how the organisation should be understood: its influence may be measured through the resilience, quality and reach of affiliated groups and volunteers, not only through its own direct activities.
Show evidence
“Find your local Scout Group based on your post code to get involved today.”
Source:Organisation“Training dates and information on First Aid courses, Wood Badge training and Manager and Supporter Courses.”
Source:Organisation“Districts”
Source:Organisation
Volunteer capability is a core operating dependency
The prominence of volunteering roles, leader resources and formal training suggests that volunteer recruitment, development and retention are central to the organisation's ability to reach young people.
Why it matters
Opportunities to collaborate may be strongest where other organisations can contribute volunteer pathways, training expertise, safeguarding capacity or recognition for community leadership.
Show evidence
“Want to help young people gain skills for life?”
Source:Organisation“We have many roles available.”
Source:Organisation“Leaders area”
Source:Organisation
Broad inclusion commitments need operational evidence
The charity identifies children and young people, people with disabilities, and people of particular ethnic or racial origin as beneficiaries, while its website includes a Special Needs link. This suggests an intention to be inclusive, but the available evidence does not show participation patterns, adaptations, outreach or whether provision reaches Birmingham's diverse communities equitably.
Why it matters
This is a potentially important strength and a key question: inclusion may depend on the capacity of individual local groups, making uneven access possible.
Show evidence
“Children/young People, People With Disabilities, People Of A Particular Ethnic Or Racial Origin”
Source:Charity Commission“Special Needs”
Source:Organisation
- How many local groups and districts are supported, and which parts of Birmingham they serve.
- Whether disabled young people and ethnically diverse communities participate proportionately and experience accessible provision.
- How resources, buildings and open spaces are distributed across the network.
Remaining uncertainties
- Participation, waiting-list and volunteer data by district, age group and beneficiary characteristics.
- Information on local partnerships, accessibility adaptations, outreach activity and use of facilities.
Additional evidence needed
Charity Commission profile
Activities
Scouting in Birmingham provides fun and adventurous activities for young people from the city, so helping them to grow in confidence and challenging them to reach their potential as individuals, as responsible citizens and as members of their communities.
Charity objects
TO PROMOTE THE DEVELOPMENT OF YOUNG PEOPLE IN ACHIEVING THEIR FULL PHYSICAL, INTELLECTUAL, SOCIAL AND SPIRITUAL POTENTIALS AS INDIVIDUALS, AS RESPONSIBLE CITIZENS AND AS MEMBERS OF THEIR LOCAL, NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITIES