A SCOUT group which was rescued from closure is now thriving and in need of more volunteers to take on various roles.

Husband and wife Ben and Abi Watson have seen Walkham Valley Scout Group, at Yelverton, go from strength to strength after it nearly folded due to a lack of both volunteers and youngsters.

However, the veteran pair of volunteers restored links with parents and reawakened interest in the outdoor life for young people.

Ben, who has been in Scouting most of his life, said: “We’re doing really well as a group. We’ve come a long way in the past year or so. The group was in danger of folding because of a lack of interest in volunteering from parents and others and a lack of awareness of what Scouting offered.

“So, we re-engaged with parents and have more volunteers and more youngsters. We are also lucky to have our own field and spacious hut which we have improvement plan for – the future is really bright.”

Abi said: “Over the years it’s been showed that former Scouts have been good leaders later in life, they are productive team players and above average at problem solving.

“We encourage youngsters to be independent and creative thinkers and to input their own ideas into our activities. We want them to be keen on shaping their own activities and surroundings here and as Cubs, Beavers and Scouts.”

The Scouting movement has moved with the times and although the outdoor life is an overarching backdrop to all they do, there are also new digital badges which include learning how to programme and use material.

The group takes part in community events such as Remembrance collections, Yelverton Fun Day and Meavy Fair.

Adults with specific skills and who enjoy working with youngsters can contact: [email protected]