Scouting in Yorkshire and the Humber

Central Yorkshire, provides Scouting opportunities for young people and adults in the metropolitan boroughs of Leeds and Wakefield and the surrounding area.[4]

The County is currently divided into eight Scout Districts:

• Leeds Templars. This district covers the eastern area of Leeds.
• North Leeds
• Pontefract and Castleford
• Shire Oak (Leeds)[5]
• South Leeds and Morley[6]
• Wakefield
• West Leeds
• Wetherby

The County organises international expeditions, enabling a number of Explorer Scouts and Scout Network members to undertake adventurous activities in other countries.

The next County Expedition is in 2008, where they will be visiting Kenya. The Expedition will consist of mountaineering on Mount Kenya, trekking by camel back, and a community project. There will also be a safari through a game reserve.

Scouting in Humberside covers the former non-metropolitan county of Humberside. The headquarters of Humberside Scouts is at Raywell Park Activity Centre.[7]

There are 8 Districts within the Humberside County:

• Beverley and Hornsea
• Blacktoft Beacon
• City of Hull
• Grimsby and Cleethorpes
• North Lincolnshire
• Pocklington
• South Holderness
• Wolds and Coast

The Districts within Humberside were changed as part of the restructuring in 2011/2012. During this time Boothferry and Haltemprice were merged into Blacktoft Beacon. On 30 May 2012, the three Hull Districts: East Hull, North Hull and West Hull merged to make one District named City of Hull.

North Yorkshire Scout County covers the county of North Yorkshire and is geographically the largest of the 4 Yorkshire scouting counties.[8]

North Yorkshire Scouts celebrated the Centenary of scouting in 2007 by joining the Bilton Conservation Group to plant 2000 trees donated by the Woodland Trust.[9]

In 2024, the county will be hosting the Larkin International Jamboree at Duncombe Park in Helmsley.[10]

The County is currently divided into 12 Scout Districts:[11]

• Harrogate and Nidderdale
• Ingleborough
• Richmondshire
• Ripon and District
• Easingwold
• Selby
• York Ebor
• York Minster
• North Hambleton
• Ryedale
• Scarborough and District
• South Craven

There is an active Scout Network in the county.[12]

As of 2022, there are 6 Squirrel Dreys being run in the county.[13]

The current County Commissioner, Max Butler, was appointed in March 2022.

Scouting in South Yorkshire includes Sheffield, Barnsley, Rotherham and Doncaster.[14]

The County is divided into 7 Scout Districts:[15]-

• Sheffield Hallam[16]
• Sheffield Sheaf[17]
• Sheffield Norfolk[18]
• Sheffield Don[19]
• Barnsley (Barnsley, Pennine, Central and Fitzwilliam merged into Barnsley District)[20]
• Rotherham[21]
• Doncaster Danum[22]

Sheffield Hallam is the largest District in the County with over 30 Scout Groups. Sheffield Hallam was formed when Sheffield Porter and Sheffield Rivelin merged in 2007.

The Doncaster Danum District has a Scout Band.

The Scout and Guide Shop (previously SGS Outdoors) is a combined Scout and Guide Shop in Sheffield with a full e-commerce website.[23] There is also a Scout Shop in Doncaster with online access.[24]

West Yorkshire covers the metropolitan districts of Bradford, Kirklees, and Calderdale. The Scout county of West Yorkshire does not cover the whole of the West Yorkshire metropolitan county. Because the West Yorkshire area is densely populated the boroughs of Leeds and Wakefield have their own Scout County called Central Yorkshire.[25]

The Scout county's office is located within the Jubilee Centre at the Bradley Wood Campsite on the outskirts of Brighouse.[26]

The county also operates a Water Activities Centre - Green Withens Watersports Centre at Green Withens reservoir near Ripponden.

West Yorkshire Scouts celebrated a successful centenary year of 2007.[27]

West Yorkshire is subdivided into 14 Scout Districts:

• Aire Valley[28]
• Bradford North[29]
• Bradford South[30]
• Brighouse[31]
• Halifax[32]
• Heavy Woollen
• Holme Valley
• Huddersfield North[33]
• Huddersfield South East[34]
• Huddersfield South West[35]
• Keighley[36]
• Pennine Calder[37]
• Spen Valley[38]
• Wharfedale[39]

West Yorkshire has two Scout Bands - Revolution Show Corps (based in Queensbury) and Spen Valley Scout and Guide Band (based in Cleckheaton).

The County has a number of campsites and activity centres.[40]

The current County Commissioner, Ian Womersley, was appointed in May 2020.

The Aldwark Water Activity Centre is owned and maintained by Central Yorkshire Scout Association County. The centre is located on the River Ure, 8 miles upstream from the city of York.[41]

The centre has one large camping field, as well as a converted mill which consists of a number of dormitories. The centre has kayaks and boats for sailing, and runs training courses to gain qualifications in these activities.

The Bramhope Scout Campsite is situated just outside of the village of Bramhope, approximately 8 miles north-north-west of Leeds. The site covers thirteen and a half acres of woodland and fields, offering various camping pitches for any sized camp up to a District camp.[42]

As well as the camping pitches, there are a number of buildings on the site offering accommodation and indoor training facilities. The site offers archery, air rifles, pedal karting, climbing, abseiling, and pioneering, amongst other activities. There are also facilities located near to the site which enable sailing, kayaking and swimming.

Hunters Greave Scout Activity Centre in Newlay, near Bramley, is operated by Shire Oak District. There is space for 100 campers.[43]

The Wike 'back-to-basics' campsite is operated by North Leeds District Scout Council.[44]

There are four camp sites:-

• Hesley Wood Scout Activity Centre, Chapeltown, Sheffield.[45]
• Silverwood Campsite, Great Falls, Silkstone, Barnsley.[46]
• Squirrel Wood Campsite, Burghwallis, Doncaster.
• Hundall Campsite, Sheffield Ridgeway.

Hesley Wood is used for Wood Badge and other Adult Leader Training.

Bradley Wood is the West Yorkshire Scout Association County Campsite, near Brighouse on the border of Kirklees and Calderdale.[26] There are several others run by Scout Districts or Groups.[47]

Blackhills Scout Campsite is run by the Districts of Bradford North and Bradford South.[48]

Fanwood Activity Centre is run and managed by the Scouts and Guides of Spen Valley District, and is based in Gomersal near Bradford.

North Yorkshire Scouts, and its districts, have five campsites and activity centres:[49]

• Watson Scout Centre is a self catering accommodation centre for 32 people plus 1 acre of camping, located in the North York Moors National Park at Carlton-in-Cleveland
• Snowball Plantation, a 20 acre campsite on the east side of York which includes indoor accommodation
• Thornthwaite Activity Centre & Campsite near Harrogate is in the Nidderdale Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and close to the Yorkshire Dales National Park with 11 camping sites available spread over approx. 15 acres and room for up to 120 campers.
• Tamarak Scout Camp, set in the middle of Barlow Common nature reserve near Selby.
• Birch Hall Scout Campsite, a 15 acre forest site near Scarborough

The county also has a water sports centre located at Ellerton-on-Swale near Catterick

Madge Hill Campsite, east of Pateley Bridge, is located within North Yorkshire but maintained by a team from West Leeds District. The site was presented to Farsley District Scouts in 1930 by the Hainsworth family. The site has a bunkhouse and space for camping.[50]