We're Scouts and everyone is welcome here. Every week across Portsmouth, we help almost 1,500 people aged 4-25 develop skills for life. Are you ready to join the adventure?
Sign up to join any Scout Group or Explorer Unit in the City of Portsmouth Scout District, just complete a simple online registration to get started.
It's super easy to tell us you'd like a Young Person to join Scouts. Start by completing a short registration... we'll do the rest.
[including Explorers & Network]
Find out how giving back will improve your wellbeing, equip you with skills for the future, and help you to make new friends – and memories.
1st Portsmouth Sea Scouts (Old Portsmouth)
2nd Portsmouth (PAWS*)
🔔 New 🔔 3rd Portsmouth (Portsea)
5th Portsmouth (Milton)
8th Portsmouth (Southsea, Central)
21st Portsmouth (Fratton)
22nd Portsmouth (Copnor)
23rd Portsmouth (Stamshaw)
33rd Portsmouth (Southsea, East)
48th Portsmouth (Southsea, West)
54th Portsmouth (Baffins)
62nd Portsmouth (Cosham)
64th Portsmouth (Southsea, South)
70th Portsmouth (Drayton)
72nd Portsmouth (Widley)
73rd Portsmouth (Drayton)
104th Portsmouth (Hilsea)
*Paulsgrove And Wymering ScoutsDaring ESU (2nd)
Dreadnaught ESU (5th)
Endeavour ESU (54th)
Nautilus ESU (64th)
Ocean ESU (73rd)
Pegasus ESU (23rd)
Warrior ESU (1st)
Based at 23rd Portsmouth (Stamshaw)
Groups offer meetings throughout the week.
Some Groups/Units meet with all sections (Squirrels, Beavers, Cubs, Scouts, Explorers) meeting on the same night, at different times.
Other Groups/Units have their sections meet on different nights.
Some Group's meetings will vary through the year.
Please consider a favourite Group may not meet on your preferred night.
Each Scout Group and Explorer Unit manages its own membership. While the process varies slightly between groups, here are some common principles that guide how places are allocated:
Everyone’s welcome. Scouting is open to all. We welcome young people of any gender, race, background, or ability. These factors are never considered when allocating places.
Volunteers make a difference. Scouting is run entirely by volunteers who generously give their time to make it all happen. In our area, over 150 adults dedicate thousands of hours each week. The number of places we can offer depends on the number of volunteers available to run activities safely and effectively. Parents and carers willing to volunteer can directly impact a Group’s ability to accept more members. Every volunteer makes a difference.
Siblings are considered. Whenever possible, we try to place siblings in the same Group or Unit to make things easier for families. However, this cannot always be guaranteed, as availability depends on specific circumstances and capacity.
Time waiting. When all other factors are equal, the time a young person has spent on the waiting list may be considered. However, waiting time alone is rarely the deciding factor, as other elements play a role in ensuring fair and effective allocations.
It's not always possible to allocate a place. The number of spaces available is limited by each Group or Unit’s ability to safely manage activities. While we work hard to meet demand, it’s not always possible to offer places to everyone. We also can’t allocate spaces based on all factors parents or carers might consider important, such as relationships with extended family members, friendships, school ties, or other activity groups.
Scout Network for Ages 18–25 Our Scout Network, designed for young adults aged 18 to 25, works slightly differently as there is much greater flexibility to bring Network members on-board. Like the rest of Scouting it's open to everyone, whether you’ve been involved in Scouting before or not. If you’re interested, simply use the “Join as a Scout” link above to register, and someone will contact you to get started.
Your personal information and that of any young person seeking membership will be stored in Online Scout Manager (OSM) and a secure Google Workspace instance managed by Portsmouth Scouts. These platforms are used to manage membership across the District. Adult members, including Scout Network members, will also have their details recorded in the national Scout “My Memerbship” system, which manages adults in Scouting. Please note that by providing your details, you consent to the City of Portsmouth Scouts storing, processing, and sharing the information with Scout Groups, Explorer Units, and Scout Network groups within the Portsmouth District, solely to facilitate the finding of suitable meeting places for all requests. Scouts have robust procedures in place to safeguard our members and volunteers. Here's how.
