EAST Lancashire Scouts have recorded another year of growth, including a 5.3 per cent increase in volunteers, according to the latest annual membership figures.

Following a call for more adult volunteers in 2017, 50 signed up in the last 12 months. These new adults have supported the growth of new youth members, with a total of 996 adults and 2,915 young people enjoying adventure and learning skills for life.

The strong volunteer growth also coincides with new research conducted by The Scout Association highlighting the overwhelmingly positive impact volunteering has on the lives and mental wellbeing of those who volunteer.

The research showed that the majority of volunteers reported having improved life satisfaction (70 per cent) and self-esteem (66 per cent) since beginning volunteer work, as well as having reduced feelings of loneliness (42 per cent) and stress (33 per cent).

Sixty-five per cent of volunteers also stated that since beginning volunteer work they have developed useful work skills, with 59 per cent saying they feel more confident and 54 per cent feeling more motivated in their jobs.

However 62 per cent of volunteers said they found it difficult to balance volunteering and work commitments, and 32 per cent of full-time workers said they weren’t comfortable asking their employer for more flexibility.