Squirrels - A great leap forward for Scouts

Squirrels is Scouts for 4-6 year-olds. Launched in September 2021, it’s already helping over 8,000 young people gain skills for life across 619 Dreys.

Using the transformative power of play, storytelling and outdoor learning, Squirrels helps young people in the UK’s most deprived areas get a great start at a critical time in their lives. It’s reaching young people from non-traditional Scout backgrounds – with 31% in IMD 1-3 areas, giving opportunities to those hardest hit by the pandemic and 33% of the membership from BAME communities. Inspired by nature and the outdoors, with skills for life at its heart. The tone of voice is curious, playful with a sense of child-like wonder, capturing the joy and spontaneity of the age range. The brand is also rooted in Scouts' heritage, taking its inspiration from Scouts’ beginnings on Brownsea Island in 1907, a haven for the red squirrel. Led by a logotype featuring a squirrel peeping from the letter S, the visual identity is supported by patterns and tree rubbings inspired by the flora and fauna of the island. Tested with young people and parents, it’s fun, highly accessible and at home in a digital context.