Uniformed Groups

This page gives you the tools to provide Scouts, Guides and other uniformed groups with bell ringing experiences, offering a channel for recruitment and development of young people from within these organisations. Whether you are a leader seeking ringing-related programme ideas, or a ringer looking for support in hosting your local uniformed group, the guidance presented here should cover all your needs. Whatever activity you plan, it is imperative that you secure local ringer support and involvement to ensure success on the ground, enabling you to provide the best experience for all young people participating.

Resources to support you in delivering these activities can also be found in the Ringing Library, and will be linked in this page as relevant.

Duke of Edinburgh (DofE) Award

Bell ringing is a recognised activity in the DofE award scheme! Many young people begin and develop their ringing journey whilst working towards their DofE, and we have produced a folder with specific guidance on how bell ringing can be incorporated, and progress measured, for those working towards their award.

Many Uniformed Groups will offer (or support) young people undertaking their DofE Award. For older members, the DofE accounts for a large portion of the King’s Scout Award and Queen’s Guide Award. Other Uniformed Groups, including Boys’ Brigade and Girls’ Brigade, similarly support young people undertaking the DofE.

Derbyshire Scouting County Badge Scheme

Derbyshire Scouts and Bellringers have collaborated to create a County Bellringing Badge scheme and have created a detailed “how to” Playbook (with a 10-Step Plan). They have kindly allowed the CCCBR to make the Playbook available to support any Associations and Scouting County organisations that wish to adapt it and set up their own Bellringing Badge.

Derbyshire Scouts County Playbook

Accompanying Ringing World article

In establishing your own County Bellringing Badge scheme, it will be critical to secure approval from both local towers and ringers and your Scouts’ County Leadership Team. The bell ringing input and badge requirements will be led by ringers, although working with local groups can help ensure the badge is tailored to best suit their needs. Each County will have slightly different requirements, and the badge can be adapted as required to suit these. The badge can easily be adapted for young people to work towards before or during a Jamboree taster session.

If you are part of another uniformed group, such as Guides or Boys Brigade, and would like to tailor this to your group, please contact us. We are happy to host any other playbooks.

Bluebell’s Challenge

Created by 25th Worcester Guides in 2012 in memory of Alison Regan, a renowned ringer and Rainbow Unit leader, Bluebell’s Challenge aims to introduce young people to ringing and reward their progress with a badge. Whilst hosted by Girl Guiding, the badge is open to all young people, meaning it can equally be attained by those in Scouting (or not in a Uniformed Group at all).

Bluebell’s Challenge - CCCBR

Jamborees and National Events

Jamborees are large gatherings of Scouts and/or Guides which may be hosted at County, National or even International level. They offer fantastic opportunities to expose ringing to many people in one place, and prospectively attract new recruits.

Further resources on making the best use of your Mobile Belfry can be found in the Library.

Reports from the Essex International Jamboree and Evolution Activity Camp (held in Cirencester Park) provide further insights into the planning and execution of a successful event.

A list of upcoming events (of which most are open to both Scouts and Guides) may be found on the Scout Association’s website. A list of upcoming Jamborees is given below:

2027 Jamborees

Camjam (Cambridgeshire)
31st July - 7th August
3,000 Scouts & Guides

Scoutabout (Surrey)
17th - 19th September
5,000 Scouts & Guides 10-14

2028 Jamborees

Essex International Jamboree
29th July - 5th August
~10,000 Scouts & Guides

Larkin International Jamboree (North Yorkshire)
3,500+ Scouts & Guides

2029 and beyond

• Norjam (Norfolk)
• West Sussex International Jamboree
• Kent International Jamboree
• Revolution (Isle of Wight)
• Kernow Jamboree (Cornwall)
• Peak Jamboree (Derbyshire)
• Unity 2030 (Girlguiding Staffordshire)

Hosting a Uniformed Group

Hosting a local Uniformed Group is a fantastic way to introduce ringing to a local community group, and potentially gain some recruits! Many Scout and Guide groups already have close ties to the church, and a trip to the tower offers another way for them to get involved (whilst seeing a part of the building usually kept hidden!).

Ensure a Risk Assessment is carried out ahead of the visit, and shared with and agreed by the leaders and other ringers supporting the visit. A template can be found here, or you might use a template provided by the Scout Association.

You might also consider running the tower visit as part of a wider evening at the church. This has the advantage of distributing numbers (having two groups of ten young people is usually much easier than one group of twenty!) whilst giving those not ringing the chance to complete other activities or badgework (for example; Scouts finding out about their church could go towards attaining their World Faith badge).

A selection of wider, non-group specific activities, including an exemplar church treasure hunt, have been made available on the Outings and Events page in our Ringing Library.

Incorporating Bell Ringing in Badgework: Group-Specific Guidance

Bell ringing can be used towards a number of other badges or awards, and the below sections offer specific advice on these. If you are aware of any others, please contact us and we can add them here.

Scouting

Hobby Badge

Scouts can earn multiple Hobbies badges, so even if the young person has earned this badge already, they can earn a second (or even third!) for any bell ringing activities.

• Cubs (ages 8-10 1/2): The requirements are relatively straightforward, and can be met irrespective of the young person’s level of ringing. See the Cubs Hobbies badge.
• Scouts (ages 10 1/2-14): Young people should complete Option 1, keeping a record of their activities (e.g. when they have rung; regular attendance at service and practice nights; any new methods or skills they have learned). See the Scouts Hobbies badge.
• Explorers (ages 14-18): This badge requires three activities to be completed; an idea for each section is presented here. See the Explorers Hobbies badge.
  • Discover: talk to members of their tower, Branch or District about their ringing experiences, favourite memories, and how ringing has shaped their lives.
  • Experience: find where ringing has been featured in media (films, TV, books, advertising) and talk to the Leader or group about the accuracy of these portrayals.
  • Mobilise: introduce a group to bell ringing.
  • Solve: set a target (such as learning a new method or ringing a quarter peal), and record how you work towards it.
  • Create: take part in a Striking Competition (such as RWNYC or a Branch contest), including regular practice sessions beforehand.

For all stages, once the young person has earned their badge, they might take it to the next level and aim for the Activity Plus Badge. Targets could be agreed between them, their Leader and their Tower Captain, and should demonstrate a suitable degree of development and challenge.

For Scouts, ringing can be put towards the Creative Challenge, Personal Challenge and Teamwork Challenge badges, which in turn contribute towards the Chief Scout’s Gold Award.

For Explorers interested in introducing (or even teaching) ringing to their group, this could go towards the Coach Badge or Try New Things Activity Badge.

Guiding

Interest Badges

• Brownies (7-10): Passions.
• Guides (10-14): Personal Best.
• Rangers (14-18): Interests.

Please check with your group leader, or refer to your respective Badge Book, as Girl Guiding does not make these badge requirements available online.

These badges in turn contribute towards the Theme Awards, which in turn work towards the Guides Top Awards for each section.

Boys’ Brigade

Founded in 1883, Boys’ Brigade was the first voluntary uniformed youth movement in the world! Whilst open to those of all faiths, the organisation remains inextricably linked with the Church, and many groups are attached to churches with rings of bells. Bell ringing can be put towards attaining either or both of the two highest awards:

President’s Badge

The second-highest award in Boys’ Brigade, ringing could be put towards this award either via the Bronze DofE Award (see above), or by completing 10 hours of volunteering. See the President’s Badge.

King’s Badge

Requirements which bell ringing could contribute towards fulfilling include:

• Take responsibility within the Boys’ Brigade or Church.
• Provide voluntary service or support to others outside the Boys’ Brigade or Church (for instance; as a Tower or Branch Officer).
• Develop Interests (bell ringing would count as a Skill).

Whilst not linked to any specific award, a tower visit would contribute towards Get Active, one of the six activity areas which form a balanced programme. See the King’s Badge and activity areas.

Girls’ Brigade

Bell ringing could contribute towards the Queen’s Award under Personal Challenge or prospectively Voluntary Service (if they are new to ringing).

Further Resources

Additional resources may be found in our Ringing Library catalogue. Of particular relevance may be the Mobile Belfries, Outings and Events and school lesson plans resources.

Contact us

If you would like to offer additional information, resources or updates, please get in touch. We are particularly keen to hear from any members of a Uniformed Group not represented on this page, and welcome ideas and activities that other groups have used.