MORE than 100 years ago, one of the UK's largest youth movements was born – starting with an experimental camp in Dorset and transforming into a global phenomenon.

Over the years, many boys and girls have enjoyed the unique combination of adventure, education and fun on offer through Scouting.

And the movement has stood the test of time with more people than ever now waiting to join their local clubs.

Herefordshire is no different – there are more that 1,100 people involved in Scouting in the county, including 260 adult volunteers which is higher than at any point in its history.

Despite such high numbers of volunteers, the waiting list for young people who want to join the Scouts in Herefordshire has sky-rocketed to more than 100 with huge numbers wanting to join in Hereford, Leominster, Bromyard and Ross-on-Wye.

It has prompted a call for more adults to sign up so that more young people can get involved.

Matthew Bayley, local scouting manager, said: "Our adult volunteers today seek much more flexible volunteering arrangements than in the past, so that they can fit it around their busy lives. "Many adults who are signing up with the Scouts have a limited amount of time to donate to us, and so we need more volunteers as a whole in order to accommodate the continued demand for Scouting among young people."

He is calling on adults who want to make a difference to the lives of young people in their communities to give Scouting a go. Flexible roles ranging from Scout group leaders to administrative and trustee positions are available.

Katie, a 16-year-old Explorer Scout from Hereford, said: "My Scout leaders are heroes. Every week they provide me with new skills that help me develop as an individual and help me to create a better society.

"I’ve recently been working on a project to help people with dementia through our A Million Hands campaign. None of this would be possible without the amazing support of volunteers in Scouting."

Anyone interested in volunteering can visit scouts.org.uk/join or email join@hfdscouts.org.uk