Bear Grylls has sent out an urgent call for more adult volunteers to come and help out the Scouts, as the organisation saw its biggest rise in membership since the Second World War.

New figures released on Thursday (April 28) show that youth membership – those aged between four and 18 – has grown from 362,668 to 421,852 between January 2021 and January 2022.

It is a nice boost, especially after the Scouts saw numbers plummet by 24.5% during the pandemic.

The organisation’s annual census in January 2020 counted 480,083 members, but this fell by more than 110,000 by January 2021.

The Northern Echo: All sections of Scouts have seen growth in the last year (PA)All sections of Scouts have seen growth in the last year (PA)

Chief scout and TV personality Bear Grylls has called for more adult volunteers this year to help “build back” membership following Covid-19.

Whilst the numbers of all sections of the Scouts has risen in the last year, the number of adult volunteers has actually declined, from 140,810 in 2021 to 139,528 in the 2022 census.

Grylls said on the issue: “The Scouts play a fundamental role in the lives of young people, and it is fantastic to see that acknowledged through an increase in membership after a tough couple of years.

“The pandemic proved the importance of coming together and it’s great to see Scouts enjoying new experiences and learning vital skills for life again.

“But, as we build back our membership, we need the help of more adult volunteers so that we can continue providing opportunities for many more prospective young Scouts.”