Scouts Australia

Community Aid and Development Projects

For many years Scouts Australia has participated in community aid and development projects around the world. Some projects are ongoing, with teams returning every year, and others are one-off projects. In each case, the main goal is the same - “to help other people”.

With a focus on environmental, health or social issues, these projects usually appeal to older Scouts, Venturer Scouts, Rovers and Leaders. In many cases there is a need to work closely with overseas governments and aid organisations. The planning and organisation of these projects can often be a joint effort between Scouting and the partner organisations.

Examples include Australian Rovers planting trees in Nepal and Australian Leaders helping to train new Scout Leaders in the Asia Pacific Region.

In 1999 a Rover was deployed with the Australian Youth Ambassadors for Development in order to develop the Scouting program in Vanuatu. This proved to be the catalyst for a sustained period of growth of Scouting in Vanuatu, and the NSW Branch has continued to support Scouting there through a series of initiatives.

Read about Scouts Australia in the Vanuatu Daily Post!

In September 2008 a group of Victorian Venturers spent 12 days with Scouts in Kiribati, a small nation in the north Pacific Islands - read Samuel McEwan's account of this life-changing experience.

Scouting has a lot to offer in the support of community aid and development projects, so if you’d like to get involved contact your Branch International Commissioner.