FAQs

To date over 70 Muslim Scout groups have been set up across the UK, from Dundee to Bournemouth. These groups cater for over 5000 young people and adults with a philosophy that has helped shape thousands of Scouters into productive, active and integral members of their societies. The success of Muslim Scouting can be attributed to the values of Scouts being interconnected to the principles of Islam. Contrary to recognised misconceptions, Scouting is not a Christian focussed, white, middle class organisation, but rather a system that embraces all religions, ethnicities and background. Unquestionably, the scouting values of integrity, respect, care, belief and cooperation are all harmonious to Islamic principles and are key characteristics we wish to see in young Muslims today.As an official part of The UK Scout Association you will have over 100 years of youth activity experience available to you - why reinvent the wheel when you can learn from and build on what is already there? Provide for your youth the activities they would not normally be able to have access to in an environment that is comfortable for parents.

Though historically scouting in the UK has been centred on a Christian ethos, in recent years it has undergone considerable diversification and now has groups of every religion and denomination. What is core to scouting is a general moral and ethical code which is harmonious to all faiths. Internationally, there are over nine million Muslim scouts - that's a third of the whole global movement! The adaptability of scouting, centred around its core of morality, personal development and service to society, lends itself to any and all religious beliefs.

Yes you can. The immediate benefits for you are a formal and recognised structure with programme ideas and activities immediately availble to you. You will gain support locally as well as nationally and will be guided through the process with an MSF Development Officer. We also encourage existing groups nearby to Buddy Up to help you in the beginning phases of setting up and running sessions.

You have full control over the programme content of your Scout Group. The Scout Association offer many programme ideas to help you work towards achieving scout badges and the Muslim Scout Fellowship will shortly be offering all Muslim groups an Islamic Spiritual Guide, a resource that will offer groups ideas of how to incorporate Islamic principles and lessons into badge activities.

Uniform is a requirement for both scouts and their leaders and is specific to each section. You will get to choose the colours of your neckerchief that will represent your group. The Scout Association is very open to alterations or adaptations of the uniform to suit religious requirements. They will even shortly be releasing a new leader uniform tailored specifically for, and by, Muslim female leaders with a longer dress cut.

The scouts age range from 6 – 25 and is split into different sections. These are:
6-8 years Beaver Scouts
8-10½ years Cub Scouts
10½-14 years Scouts
14-18 years Explorers
18-25 years Network

Don’t let this be an inhibiting factor – you are not expected to know anything, there is more to scouting than camping and knots. If you have a desire to work for the sake of Allah, with your community, you will find this an easy hurdle to jump. Scouting is very simple, it has an ethos that is compatible with Islam and lots of activities that support this ethos. The UK Scout Association has a training programme that all scout leaders are expected to go through and MSF organises two camps every year to help you get to grips with scouting. The UK Scout Association and MSF run skills session on camps and also provide many factsheets on their website, so you can quickly and easily get to grips with what you don't know.

First and foremost you need a reliable team. Setting up and running a successful scout group is not a one man (or woman) show. You will eventually need to recruit leaders who deal with the scouts directly (uniformed) and adult support who will do the admin bits (Chairman, Treasurer and Secretary). Also, further down the line, having a number of Parent Helpers is a great way to spread some of the responsibilities without requiring week in week out commitment. Before that though, get in touch with the Muslim Scout Fellowship via info@ukmsf.org and we will put you into contact with your local MSF Development Officer and on the track to starting a group in your community. We will provide you with as much help as necessary to reach out to potential leaders in your community, as well as advice and support in running Open Days to attract children and parents to the group.

There is no doubt about it, you will be busy. You may only run 2 hours of activities per week, but you will need to plan these in advance, co-ordinate with your fellow Scout leaders and do some basic admin. You'll also need to carry out your training over a two year period and find time to try and recruit other leaders. Nevertheless, you will soon see the smiles on the children’s faces and hear positive things from parents inshaa' Allah, all the while knowing that you are having a direct impact on the lives of the young people in your community and developing yourself as a person.

Well, the great news is, you already are! MSF is the umbrella body that represents the interests and helps to support all Muslim adults in UK scouting. Whether you were aware of it or not, as a Muslim Scout Group you are entitled to help, support and national representation from us. You are also invited to take part in any and all of our annual events and projects. For more information on how to keep in touch with us and how we can support you please email info@ukmsf.org