"Western Lakes Scout District is special to us because it is tucked away from the tourist trail and is a hidden gem that is only a few miles away from the Lake District National Park with the Ennerdale Scout Camp Site nearby."
Eddie Ward, Cumbria Scouts County Commissioner
Where Are We?
Located on the Cumbrian West Coast, and consisting of six groups at; Hensingham, Cleator Moor, Beckermet & St Bees, Egremont, Gosforth, and Seascale. As well as two Explorer units, Phoenix in Whitehaven, and Mavericks in Gosforth. The Western Lakes District stretches from Distington in the North, to Ravenglass in the South. While extending as far as Buttermere in the East. You can see the extent of the district by clicking the download button below.
What Do We Do?
To the right here (or below if you're on a mobile device), you can see our Facebook page, with all the latest on what we've been getting up to. Why not give it a like?​
​
Or take a look at our special video message from the Duke of Kent! Go on, don't be shy!
Support Our Groups!
There are many ways to support our groups. One of these is to use Amazon Smile, as opposed to Amazon when shopping online. Amazon Smile is an Amazon official site and allows you to donate a small portion of the price of your purchase to a charity of your choice. The best part is that it costs you absolutely NOTHING! Please have a look at your group's page to see how you can support them.
A Special Message From The Duke Of Kent
What Exactly Is "Western Lakes"?
Scouting functions in a tiered system, at one end there are Sections. The Sections within Scouting are as follows; Squirrels (4-6), Beavers (6-8 Years), Cubs (8 - 10.5 Years), Scouts (10.5 - 14 Years), Explorers (14 - 18 Years), Network (18 - 25 Years), Young leaders (14- 18 Years), Leaders (18+). A Volunteer can be in Explorers and also be a Young Leader, or they can be a Leader and also be in Network provided they are under 25.
​
Moving up the ladder, there are Scout Groups, which are usually comprised of a Squirrel Section, a Beaver Section, a Cub Section, and a Scout Section. However, they can have more than one of each section, or may be lacking some sections.
Next, you have the Scout District, comprised of a District Commissioner and a District Team. The volunteers within the Scout District usually volunteer at a Scout Group too. The District is responsible for ensuring that its groups have the support they need to run efficiently and smoothly. It is also responsible for running the Explorer Unit(s) and the Network Unit within the district. This is the role of Western Lakes.
The next step up is the county level, comprising several districts. The Scout County is again responsible for ensuring that each of its districts is running effectively and that they have the support they need. Our Scout County is Cumbria Scouts.
​
Penultimately, we have the National HQ. HQ sets the national guidelines, & regulations for scouting in the UK, although these can vary depending on which UK nation you are in. The National HQ provides a "backbone" for all UK scouting to function, by providing the resources and materials necessary for safe and engaging scouting.
​
Finally, there is The World Scout Association. The World Scout Association helps to encourage unity and friendship for Scouts all around the world. It does this by helping to organise events such as World Scout Jamborees. The movement currently has 31 million youth members from 216 countries!