What is Scouting?

The Scout Section is for young people, aged between 10½ and 14 years.

As members of a Scout Troop, they usually meet once a week with other outdoor activities arranged at weekends and other times during the year. Scouts are encouraged to take part in an awards scheme through a number of challenges leading up to the Chief Scout's Gold Award, the highest award available in the age group.

If you would like to know more about the fun, challenge and adventure of becoming a Scout, just contact the County Scout representive, who will be pleased to give you details of Troops near you.
You can contact the County Scouts person by using the Contact Form on the website.

Each Scout Troop has its own leadership team who usually meet together with other Troops from their District to coordinate local activities. As a County, the Scouts representive holds regular meetings with their peer roles from each District within Derbyshire. They get together to coordinate events and share best practice.

Working together in this way helps us to deliver a quality programme, which is challenging, relevant and rewarding and creates a platform for sharing new ideas. Sample programmes can be found in the Scouts downloads Programme Plans folder

We publish our County Calendar of events following the meeting and this is then updated accordingly.

Ready Steady Cook 2026

Annual County Cooking Competition with District Heats.

  • Teams - Work in groups of three Scouts.
  • Challenge - In two hours, cook a two-course meal to serve two people. Your meal must include a main course and a pudding (dessert), at least one of which must include a sauce made from scratch.
  • Budget - You can buy ingredients for a maximum of £12 per team. This doesn't include store cupboard staples—oil, flour, salt, dried herbs, stock cubes, milk, onion, or garlic.
  • Creativity and Sustainability - There’s no set theme—you choose the menu. However, you should incorporate local and sustainable produce, limit packing, and consider how kitchen scraps or leftovers could be used elsewhere.

    • County Final 25th April Saturday 2026 15th Matlock Green Scout Hut.

    Challenges

    Chilly Challenge 2026
    Chilly Challenge 2026

    In 2025, a record 1,767 Scouts, Explorers and Leaders earned their Chilly Challenge – the biggest year yet!
    To earn your Chilly Challenge Badge, camp outdoors in January or February.
    All Scouts, Explorers, and Leaders can take part.

    The Badge

    • Year-specific
    • Cost: 40p each
    • Chilly Challenge Badge is on OSM to tag your Young People and Leaders
    • Ordering Details
      You can easily order from the Derbyshire Scouts online shop, pay, and we will post them out.
      If you need to arrange a cheque or pay via BACS, ideally for large District / Camp orders, please order via our order form. These can be collected from Drum Hill by prior arrangement.
    • Click here to order your badges.
    If you have any questions or would like guidance about the event, please feel free to reach out by email to ACC Scouts.

    Dragon Awards
    Dragon Award

    Dragon Awards are open to Scouts, Explorer Scouts, Network Members and adult members of Scouting and are designed to encourage participants to camp in as many different settings as possible. Please note, it is not open to Cubs or Beavers

    Record Cards for the Bronze, Silver and Gold Dragon Awards, may be downloaded from the downloads section below, where you will also find a complete copy of the rules but when attempting the Dragon Awards

    Please keep yourself abreast of the up to date rules by visiting https://scoutscymru.org.uk/what/badges/ and send your completed cards to admin@scoutscymru.org.uk

    Gyles Wren, Rachel RobertsScouts

    Downloads