5 News recently talked to a group of BB young people from Nottingham about some of the themes arising from the recent Netflix show Adolescence.

In the piece, 5 News correspondent Julian Druker and the young people explored topics including social media and the rise in harmful online content, along with the challenges of growing up as a young man in today’s world.

You can see what they had to say in the video below (with thanks to 5 News for the clip).

In 2023 we explored themes around the lives and culture of young people through our Youth Culture and Trends insights research, which prepared in partnership with the Youthscape Centre for Research. You can find out more about this research here.

Our Young Leaders Weekend took place last weekend, 4th to 6th April 2025, with leaders aged 18-26 from across the UK coming together for a weekend of development, networking and sharing.

Now in its third year, the Young Leaders Weekend is organised by the Young Leaders Group, made up of volunteers within the organisation. This year the weekend was held at the North West District’s Training Centre in Kirkham.

The focus of the weekend was about ‘empowering young leaders through programme’, an area that young leaders have recently been sharing that they want more development and support in. The workshops and activities across the weekend were therefore aimed at building programme skills, trying out new activities, considering the foundations of a good quality programme and sharing best practice and ideas.

As well as taking part in workshops, discussions and debates, the group of young leaders also had some downtime to participate in a few other activities, including archery, Nerf battles and an interactive quiz night.

“A Hope for the Future”

Jonathan Eales, Chief Executive, joined part of the weekend, taking part in a ‘Debate it Out’ workshop, tasking young leaders to share their views and discuss some of the challenges for the future. Afterwards, Jonathan shared his reflections of visiting the weekend.

“Encouraging our young leaders is very important to me and comes from my own personal experience. In the Company where I grew up the leaders believed in me and my friends and gave us the opportunity to take the lead and shape our group. It felt empowering and exciting, and is something I have never forgotten.”

“So, it was great to chat to the young leaders over the weekend, to listen to their stories and to hear their ideas and enthusiasm for the possibilities that lie ahead for the organisation. Spending time with our young leaders always inspires me and gives me hope and confidence for the future. There is so much we can learn from young leaders and we must all shout louder about the contribution they make, encourage them to connect with other young leaders through the network, and have the chance to help shape the organisation at every level.”

Young Leaders Network

To find out more about the Young Leaders Network, including future opportunities and events, head to our Young Leaders webpage.

The Young Leaders Weekend will return again in 2026, with dates and the location being announced in the coming months. If you are a young leader, or you have young leaders in your Company who might benefit from attending, then please keep an eye out and consider getting involved in the future.

Photo Highlights

Check out some of the photo highlights from across the weekend in our gallery below.

The third of our three National Finals days for 2024-25 took place on Saturday 22nd March, with young people from across the UK heading to Lisburn in Northern Ireland with the aim of becoming our 5-a-side Football National Champions.

We are grateful to The Northern Ireland Boys’ Brigade for hosting the event, which took place at Lisburn Leisureplex and saw separate finals take place for the Company and Seniors age groups.

These are two of seven National Competitions, alongside Badminton, Chess, FIFA, Masterteam (Quiz) and Table Tennis. Teams take part in a number of local rounds before reaching their regional final and then, if successful, going on to the National Final.

Congratulations to the joint team from 1st Cumbernauld & 1st Lenzie who won the Company age group final, and 1st Kilkeel who were victorious in the Seniors event.

The results were as follows:

Company Football

1st: 1st Cumbernauld & 1st Lenzie (Scotland)
2nd: 1st Overtown (Scotland)
3rd: 24th Belfast (Northern Ireland)
4th: 3rd Kilkeel (Northern Ireland)
5th: 11th Northampton (England)
6th: 3rd Reading (England)

Seniors Football

1st: 1st Kilkeel (Northern Ireland)
2nd: 2nd Gourock (Scotland)
3rd: 2nd Tonbridge (England)
4th: 6th/8th Dundee (Scotland)
5th: 35th Liverpool (England)
6th: 3rd Kilkeel (Northern Ireland)

Thank you to Mark Smyth, President of The Northern Ireland Boys’ Brigade, who helped to present awards and offer congratulations to the teams, as well as all of the BBNI staff and volunteers who helped make the event happen.

Check out some photos from the Company & Seniors Football Finals in our gallery below…

Earlier this week former England football manager Sir Gareth Southgate delivered the annual Richard Dimbleby Lecture for the BBC.

In his speech, Sir Gareth reflected on the importance of positive role models in boys’ lives, and warned of the dangers posed by ‘toxic influencers’.

“There’s a point at which boys look naturally for mentors outside their immediate family, and is often where they find the role models who inspire them the most… However boys are spending less time at youth centres, sports facilities and community events. They aren’t meeting the traditional role models I used to meet such as coaches, youth workers and teachers.”

Recognising the importance of understanding the needs of young people, in 2023 The Boys’ Brigade partnered with the Youthscape Centre for Research to launch Youth Culture and Trends, which explored the lives and culture of young people today and how we can better support them now and into the future.

Read the Youth Culture and Trends research at boys-brigade.org.uk/youth-culture-and-trends

The research highlighted there has been a significant rise in the numbers of young people who are dissatisfied with their friendships over the last decade, and particularly since the Covid-19 pandemic.

It also revealed that young people are spending less time socialising in person and are increasingly more likely to conduct social relationships online, an environment which could lead to the kinds of influences emphasised by Sir Gareth.

Each week The Boys’ Brigade works with around 20,000 children and young people in around 750 communities across the country, providing opportunities to learn, grow and discover in a safe, fun and caring environment which is rooted in the Christian faith.

Organisations such as the BB have a vital role to play in providing positive role models for young people, by showing them that there are people who are willing to come alongside them, invest themselves in relationships and genuinely care for them; helping young people to feel included, valued and that they have something to offer each other and the world.

Recently John Sharp, our Director for Development and Communications, appeared on Premier Christian Radio’s The News Hour to speak about some of these issues.

During the interview, John said: “At the heart of the BB’s work is relationships – those real, long term, authentic relationships that get built with young people, with positive role models and positive influences in young people’s lives. That has been at the centre of what we have been doing for many years.”

“As Christians, one of the responses that we can have is trying to encourage young people to be involved in a structured environment where they have opportunities to learn skills – not just important life skills, but also ‘soft skills’ like confidence, resilience, independence and working together as a team.”

We’re excited to announce that our Social Media Awards are back for 2025!

BB groups across the country are doing fantastic work in using social media to share the opportunities that are being provided for children and young people to experience “life to the full”.

There are lots of great examples out there of sharing the BB story, and these awards aim to celebrate and say thank you for the work that is going on.

We’re looking for nominations across four categories:

• Best Use of Social Media: For accounts that engage our community.
• Best Use of Video Content: For the most engaging and inspiring videos that capture the essence of the BB.
• Best Use of Photography: For visuals that tell our story.
• Best New Account: For any new social media account launched in 2024 that has made an impact in a short time.

Nominations are now open and will close on 18th May. Find out more about the awards and submit your nominations at boys-brigade.org.uk/social-media-awards

On Saturday 15th March young people from across the UK travelled to Hertfordshire to take part in the finals of our Badminton and FIFA National Competitions.

Croxley Danes School in Croxley Green played host to the Badminton National Final, before teams headed to a presentation ceremony at BB Headquarters at Adeyfield Free Church, which also then hosted the FIFA National Final.

These are two of seven National Competitions, alongside Chess, 5-a-side Football (Company & Seniors), Masterteam (Quiz) and Table Tennis. Teams take part in a number of local rounds before reaching their regional final and then, if successful, going on to the National Final.

Congratulations to 1st Ballyclare who emerged victorious in the Badminton competition, with 6th/8th Dundee winning the FIFA event.

The results were as follows:

Badminton

1st: 1st Ballyclare (Northern Ireland)
2nd: 1st Granshaw (Northern Ireland)
3rd: 37th Nottingham (England)
4th: 1st Largs (Scotland)
5th: 14th North West Durham (England)
6th: 5th Livingston (Scotland)

FIFA

1st: 6th/8th Dundee (Scotland)
2nd: 1st Comber (Northern Ireland)
3rd: 4th Ballymoney (Northern Ireland)
4th: 11th Northampton (England)
5th: 1st Greenock (Scotland)
6th: 18th Gateshead (England)

We were delighted to be joined by Robert Voss CBE CStJ, Lord-Lieutenant of Hertfordshire, and Mayor of Dacorum Cllr Brenda Link, who helped to present awards and offer their congratulations to the teams.

Our last of three finals days will take place on Saturday 22nd March, which will see more teams from across the UK making their way to Lisburn in Northern Ireland for the Company & Seniors 5-a-side Football Finals.

Check out some photos from the Badminton & FIFA Finals in our gallery below…

Five years on from the start of Covid-19 lockdowns, BBC Radio 4’s Lockdown’s Legacy: The Children will highlight the impact of lockdowns on young people.

Some of our members amongst those who were invited to contribute to this important programme, which will see young people from across the UK sharing emotional memories of lockdown and how it has affected them.

The programme will be broadcast at 4pm today (17th March) and repeated at 9:30pm tomorrow (18th March), and shortly after the initial broadcast you can also catch up on BBC Sounds or here.

Young people from BB groups across the UK gathered at Carronvale House, Larbert on Saturday 1st March to take part in the finals of three of our annual National Competitions.

Over 150 groups have taken part in seven competitions over recent months, including Badminton, Chess, FIFA, 5-a-side Football (Company & Seniors), Masterteam (Quiz) and Table Tennis. Teams take part in a number of local rounds before reaching their regional final and then, if successful, going on to the National Final.

On Saturday teams from England, Scotland and Northern Ireland contested the Chess, Table Tennis and Masterteam finals, with 32nd Nottingham, 26th Leeds and 2nd Coleraine winning the respective competitions.

The results were as follows:

Chess

1st: 32nd Nottingham (England)
2nd: 9th Newtownabbey (Northern Ireland)
3rd: 5th Coleraine (Northern Ireland)
4th: 1st Barnet (England)
5th: 1st Lenzie (Scotland)
6th: 2nd/7th East Kilbride (Scotland)

Table Tennis

1st: 26th Leeds (England)
2nd: 1st Kempston (England)
3rd: 45th Glasgow (Scotland)
4th: 2nd Port Glasgow (Scotland)
5th: 1st Greenisland (Northern Ireland)
6th: 5th Carrick (Northern Ireland)

Masterteam (Quiz)

1st: 2nd Coleraine (Northern Ireland)
2nd: 25th Stirling (Scotland)
3rd: 1st Lisburn (Northern Ireland)
4th: 4th/5th Kilmarnock (Scotland)
5th: 1st Harlington (England)
6th: 2nd Sutton Coldfield (England)

Jonathan Eales, Chief Executive of The Boys’ Brigade commented: “It’s great to see our National Competitions taking place at our centre in Scotland. Not only do they encourage young people to get involved with a wide range of activities we offer, develop their skills and build confidence, they also allow them to meet other young people from across the country, who are all part of the wider ‘BB family’.”

Alongside Jonathan, the newly appointed Lord-Lieutenant for Stirling and Falkirk, Colonel Charles Wallace – on his first official engagement – joined the BB’s Vice-President Alison Chambers to present awards and offer their congratulations to the teams.

Next up the Badminton & FIFA Finals will take place in Hemel Hempstead, England on Saturday 15th March, followed by the Company & Seniors 5-a-side Football Finals in Lisburn, Northern Ireland on Saturday 22nd March.

Check out some photos from the Chess, Table Tennis & Masterteam Finals in our gallery below…

We’ve been listening to recent feedback from members and are planning on making some changes to how you can contact BBHQ.

The main change will be that from 1st March our phone lines will be closed on Wednesday mornings and Thursday afternoons, when staff meetings and training will be prioritised. This will help us to ensure we have adequate staffing in place to then provide a quality support service during the following hours, when we can be contacted on 0300 303 4454.

• Monday 9:30am to 4:30pm
• Tuesday 9:30am to 4:30pm
• Wednesday 1pm to 4:30pm
• Thursday 9:30am to 1pm
• Friday 9:30am to 4:30pm

Of course you can continue to email us at any time on support@boys-brigade.org.uk and we aim to respond to email enquiries within 2 days.

Remember you might also be able to find the information you are looking for on this website.

In the event of an emergency only outside of the above hours (e.g. an urgent safeguarding matter) please call 0300 303 4454 and an emergency number will be given. This number must not be used for non-urgent enquiries.

Being a part of The Boys’ Brigade has all sorts of positive impacts, and it is always great to hear stories of these from our members.

We had the opportunity to speak to some of our young leaders who took part in our KGVI Youth Leader Training courses about the skills they have gained from BB and how it has benefited their lives.

Check out some of what they had to say below . . .

Have you got a story that you’d like to share with us? Send us an email to comms@boys-brigade.org.uk

In recent weeks BB children and young people across the country have been taking part in a range of activities to get set for Christmas!

Lots of groups have been holding end of term parties and going on trips, whilst many have been joining with their local Churches for Christmas services including carols, nativities, Christingles and more.

It has also been great to see groups supporting their local communities, with initiatives including fundraising for charity and collections for local food banks.

Our 2024 Christmas decoration has been gifted or awarded to thousands of members and supporters, and at this time of year when we reflect on Jesus’ birth and its significance, reminds us of his words in John 8:12 where he said: “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”

We would like to take the opportunity to wish you a very happy Christmas and extend our best wishes for 2025.

Check out some Christmas snapshots from across the Brigade below . . .

2024 has been a year filled with activity, challenge and opportunity.

Across the country, our leaders have provided countless opportunities for children and young people to live life to the full and to encounter the love of Jesus.

We held our first Social Media Awards, launched our Elevate training to support and equip young leaders, and focussed our energies on our strategy to improve the quality of experience for children and young people. We completed the sale of Felden Lodge, and although tinged with sadness, will help provide financial stability for the years ahead.

Through funding from DCMS and the Scottish Government we have provided dedicated support to over 180 groups, invested in our programme delivery, and developed new expressions of BB to support Churches in engaging with young people. We have also begun the journey of reimagining our volunteer led support structure as we strive to provide the very best support to our groups.

It has been a busy year! A huge thank you to our volunteer leaders, partners, funders, trustees and staff who dedicate their time and skills so generously to support children and young people be the best they can be.

We look forward to all the possibilities that 2025 will bring.

A very happy Christmas!

Jonathan Eales
Chief Executive

Please note that support lines at BBHQ will be closed from 4:30pm on Monday 23rd December 2024 and will reopen at 9:30am on Thursday 2nd January 2025.

Any general enquiries received during this time will be handled when we reopen. In the event of an emergency only (e.g. an urgent safeguarding matter) please call 0300 303 4454 and an emergency number will be given. This number must not be used for non-urgent enquiries.

It has been great to see BB members across the country getting involved in UK Parliament Week!

UK Parliament Week is an annual event, which this year took place from 18th to 24th November. It aims to help people get informed about the UK Parliament and other administrations, to take action and to make an impact on issues they care about.

Our children and young people got involved in a variety of ways, through holding discussions, debates and votes, quizzes, creative activities and lots more. Some groups also had the opportunity to meet local politicians including MPs, local councillors, mayors, MSs and MSPs.

Check out some photos from our groups below . . .

Featured image: Zöe Franklin, who was newly elected as Member of Parliament for Guildford earlier this year, visiting members of 1st Guildford as part of their Debate Night. Zöe listened to the debate and then held a Q&A with the young people.

Congratulations to Buchan Battalion, who have recently received a King’s Award for Voluntary Service in recognition of the work that they do!

The award, which was made on HM The King’s 76th birthday, is the highest given to local volunteer groups across the UK and is the equivalent of an MBE for organisations.

To achieve this award the Battalion was first nominated from the community, and that nomination was then assessed by the Aberdeenshire Lieutenancy through visits and interviews. It required the recommendation of the Lord-Lieutenant of Aberdeenshire before the nomination was further considered nationally and approved by the King.

The last few days have seen BB children and young people across the country get involved in activities and events to remember all those who sacrificed so much for our freedom.

A contingent of young people and leaders from 12th Bromley, 1st Irvine, 3rd Kilsyth and 1st Loanhead represented the organisation at the National Service of Remembrance at the Cenotaph on Whitehall in London. Taking place on the morning of Remembrance Sunday, the event was broadcast live on the BBC and included a march past and the laying of wreaths.

Thousands of BB members also took part in Remembrance events in their local communities, including Church services, civic commemorations, collections for the Poppy Appeal, and lots more.

As part of their regular programme of activities, children and young people have had the opportunity to spend time learning about what Remembrance is and why it is important, to think about how they can get involved in supporting initiatives such as the Poppy Appeal, to get creative with a range of Remembrance-themed crafts, and to reflect on the sacrifices made and how they link to Jesus’ ultimate act of love.

BB groups have been posting about their involvement in Remembrance on social media. We encourage groups to post and tag The Boys’ Brigade, and use hashtags #WeWillRememberThem and #BoysBrigade. You can also email us at newsdesk@boys-brigade.org.uk

Check out some photos below showing how our children and young people have been getting involved in Remembrance this year . . .

As children and young people return to their local BB groups one of the first activities they will be encouraged to get involved with is the ‘End Polio Now’ campaign, ahead of World Polio Day on 24th October.

We have worked together with Rotary, who have been part of the efforts to eradicate polio for more than 35 years, to develop a range of new activities focused on the ‘End Polio Now’ campaign.

The partnership is being referred to as ‘Operation Purple Pinky’, with vaccination programmes in many countries seeing children having their finger painted purple to indicate they have received the vaccine and are protected.

The new resources, which were recently launched at an event at Carronvale House, have been created for use with all of the age groups that BB works with (5-18 year olds). They are designed to help give children and young people an opportunity to learn more about polio and the devastating impact it can have, before working together to support the campaign to eradicate polio.

Polio is a highly infectious disease that most commonly affects children under the age of 5. The virus is spread person to person, typically through contaminated water. It attacks the nervous system, potentially leading to paralysis or even death. Polio has no cure, but there is a safe and effective vaccine.

Gordon McInally, from Rotary International, commented: “Today, polio remains endemic only in Afghanistan and Pakistan. But it’s crucial to continue working to keep other countries polio-free. It’s concerning to hear how polio has been now confirmed in Gaza. Due to the efforts of Rotary and our partners on polio, nearly 19 million people who would otherwise have been paralysed are walking, and more than 1.5 million people are alive who would otherwise have died.”

“Operational Purple Pinky will support continued campaigning, health worker training and vaccination programmes that are essential to stop the disease returning and to end polio. Advocacy and fundraising are also really important and it’s great to be working together with the BB to raise awareness of this disease among young people across the UK.”

Jonathan Eales, Chief Executive of The Boys’ Brigade, added: “We are pleased to be working with Rotary on this project. As a Christian youth organisation we believe it’s important to create a space for children and young people to learn about the challenges, like polio, faced by some of our global neighbours, but also importantly how we can respond and do something to help. We hope to see as many of our groups as possible getting involved.“

Find out more about Rotary’s ‘End Polio Now’ campaign at endpolio.org

BB leaders can access the new resources on our Programme Hub.

You can also find out more about the partnership in the video below…

We are pleased to announce that we have recently received confirmation from Buckingham Palace that our Patron, HM The King has approved the design of the King’s Badge.

The King’s Badge will become the Brigade’s highest award from 1st September 2024, taking over from the Queen’s Badge. As part of the transition young people currently working towards our highest award will, if applying before 31st August 2024, be awarded the Queen’s Badge, and if applying from 1st September 2024 be awarded the King’s Badge.

There are no changes to the requirements for completing the award. We are currently updating the Record Book and supporting resources and these will all be available to support Advisors, Mentors and Participants from 1st September 2024 at boys-brigade.org.uk/kings-badge

This year we launched our first-ever Social Media Awards, designed to celebrate the creativity, dedication and hard work of our volunteer leaders and young people.

It was fantastic to receive over 90 nominations, which were whittled down to a shortlist of finalists in each of the four categories.

Judging was carried out by a panel made up of representatives from the BB and Refresh PR (our PR agency) as well as Pete Markey, Chief Marketing Officer at Boots UK, who is a former BB member.

Pete told us: “The Boys’ Brigade made a massive difference to my life personally, I wouldn’t be doing the job I’m doing today and wouldn’t be the person I am today without the Brigade. I am hugely grateful and honoured to be part of these fantastic awards on social media. I want to congratulate all the winners, and thank everyone who took part. Your effort, your work, your creativity is brilliant and these awards have been so much fun to judge. Social media is a great way to tell stories about the impact the Brigade has on peoples’ lives.”

25% of the scoring was decided by a public vote, which saw over 3,300 votes received – an amazing show of support from across the country!

We’d like to say a huge well done to all of the groups who were shortlisted, and congratulations to the winners:

• Best Use of Social Media: For accounts that engage our community.
  • Gold Award: 2nd East Kilbride
  • Silver Award: 11th Northampton
  • Bronze Award: 7th/16th Motherwell
  • Finalists: 18th Halifax, 35th Liverpool, 2nd Wednesbury
• Best Use of Photography: For visuals that tell our story.
  • Winner: 1st Rainford
  • Finalists: 3rd Enfield, 7th Northampton, 1st Rosehearty
• Best Use of Video Content: For the most engaging and inspiring videos that capture the essence of The Boys’ Brigade.
  • Winner: 11th Northampton
  • Finalists: 3rd Bearsden, 18th Halifax, 35th Liverpool
• Best New Account: For any new social media account launched in 2023 that has made an impact in a short time.
  • Winner: 4th Bournemouth
  • Finalists: 1st Barnet, 54th Sheffield, 5th West Bromwich

Thank you to all of our groups for your fantastic work in using social media to share the opportunities that children and young people have to experience “life to the full”.

Time to Shine: Communications Toolkit

Time to Shine is our Communications Toolkit which has been developed in partnership with Refresh PR.

The toolkit is designed to help equip you to talk about what the BB does, the impact it has and how people can get involved. It includes a range of Template Press Releases, Social Media Guides and an opportunity to become a BB Star.

Check out the full toolkit at boys-brigade.org.uk/comms-toolkit

Over the last week, BB members from across the country have had the opportunity to take part in events at Buckingham Palace.

On Wednesday 8th May, a group of Seniors and young leaders were invited to volunteer at a Garden Party which was hosted by HM The King and also attended by HM The Queen and TRH The Duke & Duchess of Edinburgh, The Duke & Duchess of Gloucester and The Princess Royal.

Our members undertook a range of tasks to help ensure the smooth running of the event, which was attended by around 7,500 guests including dignitaries and invited members of the public.

George Burton, a 19-year-old member of 1st Mid Suffolk who was part of the group, said: “It has been a great honour to help out at this wonderful event. I spoke to Edward and Sophie, the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh, and Edward shook my hand. It was great to be able to help people today and I spoke to some really interesting people, including the Head of The British Transport Police.”

The following Monday, 13th May, young people who have recently achieved their Gold Duke of Edinburgh’s Award through The Boys’ Brigade attended the Gold Award Celebration event in the palace gardens.

Gold Award holders undertake at least a year of activities covering five areas: Volunteering, Physical, Skills, Expedition and Residential. Many will have previously completed their Bronze and Silver Awards as part of their journey.

The event was attended by HRH The Duke of Edinburgh, who gave a speech to guests, as did BBC Saturday Kitchen presenter and Gold Award holder Matt Tebbutt. It was a wonderful way to celebrate the fantastic achievements of many hundreds of young people.

Garden Party – 8th May 2024

DofE Gold Award Celebration – 13th May 2024

We are delighted to announce that HM King Charles III has become Patron of The Boys’ Brigade UK & RoI.

The announcement comes a year on from the Coronation and follows a major review of Royal patronages by Buckingham Palace.

Jonathan Eales, Chief Executive of The Boys’ Brigade, commented: “Having already been a great supporter of our work and more widely of uniformed youth organisations, we are incredibly proud and honoured that The King is our new Patron.”

“The announcement confirms His Majesty as the fifth reigning monarch to become our Patron, following Queen Elizabeth II, King George VI, King Edward VIII and King George V.”

“Royal patronage provides publicity and recognition for what we do in communities across the country and the hard work and dedication of our volunteer leaders.”

We are incredibly thankful for The King’s continued support of our work. May we encourage you to remember our new Patron in your prayers.

A new BBC Radio 4 short series – ‘About the Boys’ – was aired last week, and some of our BB groups were invited to contribute.

The series gives a voice to teenage boys from across the UK to explain what life is like in 2024, with presenter Catherine Carr talking to teenagers about their fears, worries and ambitions.

The five-part series focuses on themes including life online, education and friendships, and there also reflections from teachers and youth workers.

It picks up on many of the issues which our Youth Culture and Trends report, conducted in partnership with the Youthscape Centre for Research, highlighted last year. You can find out more about this report and read the summary here.

If you missed ‘About the Boys’ last week, you can listen to the series on BBC Sounds or on iPlayer here.

In recent weeks it has been wonderful to see a number of new BB groups get started across the country, including our newest one on the Isle of Skye.

Meeting at Dunvegan Community Hall, the new group held its first session on Tuesday this week and their Leader-in-Charge, Gary Wilson, shared with us how it went.

Gary said: “We had 22 children and young people join us for games, crafts, singing and lots of fun, so a big thank you to all of the leaders and to BB Headquarters for their support and the wonderful resources that we have been blessed with.”

The parents/carers were equally enthused, with one commenting: “It was really nice to see so many children and young people enjoying activities together. It got a good review in our house; my child said that he didn’t just have fun – he had loads and loads and loads of fun!”

It’s fantastic to hear that the group has got to a great start, and we pray for them and all of our groups across the country as they continue to provide opportunities for children and young people to experience “life to the full” (John 10:10).

If you are interested in starting a new group or would just like to have a chat about what The Boys’ Brigade could offer your Church please get in touch by calling 0300 303 4454 or sending an email to support@boys-brigade.org.uk

Pictured are leaders at 1st Isle of Skye taking part in our Youth Leader Training course ahead of the group’s launch.

In a world that’s more connected than ever, our leaders and young people across the country are doing fantastic work in using social media to share the joy, learning and community that The Boys’ Brigade offers.

Whether it’s a captivating photo or a short video that highlights how we’re helping young people to experience life to the full, or a post about how the group gets involved in the local community, there are lots of great examples out there of sharing the BB story.

To celebrate the creativity, dedication and hard work of our volunteer leaders and young people, we’re thrilled to announce The Boys’ Brigade Social Media Awards!

These awards are our way of saying a massive ‘thank you’ for your efforts to keep our community vibrant, connected and growing.

Find out more about the award categories and how to submit a nomination at boys-brigade.org.uk/social-media-awards

We are delighted to welcome Jack Spong to the Development and Engagement Team at BB Headquarters.

Supported by the funding we were awarded from the Uniformed Youth Fund, Jack will be working with groups on support and development needs as well as helping to establish new groups, primarily in the South & West of England, West Midlands and Wales.

Jack said: “I’m delighted to have joined an organisation that is incredibly passionate about young people experiencing ‘life to the full’. I am humbled by the 140-year history of The Boys’ Brigade and I am excited to be a part of this journey.”

“I’ve worked with young people in various capacities before, specifically in coaching and mentoring, as well as working with Churches across the UK to deliver excellent programmes for young people. I’m looking forward to working as a Development and Engagement Worker in the South & West of England, West Midlands and Wales to support existing groups, as well as set up new ones in the area. I look forward to working with you!”

To contact our Development & Engagement Team please email development@boys-brigade.org.uk or phone 0300 303 4454.

As part of our new Spring resources for BB groups to use we are pleased to launch a themed programme based on Eric Liddell, one of the UK’s most famous Olympians.

This year marks 100 years since Eric’s famous gold medal at the 1924 Olympic Games in Paris. Alongside his successes on the track, his Christian values and example helped to ensure his legacy lives on today.

Our new themed programme has been developed in partnership with The Eric Liddell Community, an Edinburgh-based care charity and community centre, as part of The Eric Liddell 100 – a series of events and activities being planned throughout 2024 to celebrate Eric’s life and achievements.

The themed programme is primarily aimed at our Seniors age group (14-18 year olds) and enables young people to spend time finding out more about Eric’s story and how his values still inspire.

John MacMillan, CEO of The Eric Liddell Community, said: “As CEO of a charity named after Eric Liddell, I felt a duty to ensure that his life, sporting achievements and community service are remembered and valued. The Eric Liddell 100 brings together a wide range of partners to help secure, cherish and celebrate the legacy of Eric Liddell for future generations across the world. It is being planned around 2024, the centenary of his historic success at the 1924 Olympic Games in Paris.”

“I am delighted to have been able to work in partnership with The Boys’ Brigade to develop this fantastic Eric Liddell programme, which will engage young people in Eric Liddell’s story, the values he led his life by, and the inspiration that they bring.”

Download the themed programme and accompanying activity sheets here.

Find out more about The Eric Liddell 100 at ericliddell.org/the-eric-liddell-100, email EL100@ericliddell.org or search for The Eric Liddell Community on social media.

In this season of Advent we recall that the coming of Christ into the world is the greatest story of hope, and that our role as a Christian youth organisation is for us to share this message.

From a personal perspective the past 12 months have been more challenging than navigating through a global pandemic. One leader reminded me earlier this year that our focus can easily become about what has been lost, when really our focus should be on the possibilities and opportunities that these situations present.

In January we were delighted to learn we had been awarded significant funding from the DCMS (Department of Culture, Media & Sport) Uniformed Youth Fund. Our application was centred on delivering our strategy to improve the quality of experience for children and young people, but we have also set targets for starting new groups and growing existing groups and we’re delighted with the number that have already signed up to be part of the Building Stronger initiative so far.

Another important focus of our strategy is the role young leaders. We made a start by establishing a new Young Leaders Network last year, and one of the highlights of 2023 for me was the filming that took place in five Companies in England and Scotland earlier in the year, which focussed on young people talking about the benefits and barriers of being part of our organisation.

This year we also celebrated our 140th birthday, an incredible achievement. Of course the organisation hasn’t reached this milestone by chance, but through the dedication and resilience of thousands of volunteer leaders over the years, committed to supporting children and young people.

As well as giving thanks and celebrating all that has been achieved, it is vital that anniversaries are as much about looking forward as looking back.

Working in partnership with Youthscape we were delighted to publish our Youth Culture and Trends report at a reception in Parliament hosted by the Speaker, the Rt Hon Sir Lindsay Hoyle MP. We will be holding webinars in the New Year to support our leaders to explore the findings of the research how to respond to the needs of children and young people in their own group.

Our new Ministry Team, which we were able to create following the funding received from the Uniformed Youth Fund, alongside our Christian Faith Group have been reflecting on ways in which we can help support the Faith Journey of young people.

We will be doing this in a variety of ways, including through a new initiative called Spaces which will complement our existing model in equipping and supporting an increasing number of Churches to share the Christian faith with young people.

May I take this opportunity to thank all our amazing volunteer leaders for what they do in communities across the country. Thank you also to our supporters, funders and partner organisations that we work with that allow The Boys’ Brigade to do more and be more as an organisation.

Wishing you all a happy Christmas and peaceful new year.

Jonathan Eales
Chief Executive

This week thousands of members of The Boys’ Brigade have taken part in activities and events as we remember all those who sacrificed so much for our freedom.

A contingent of young people and leaders from 41st Edinburgh, 3rd Falkirk, 1st Loanhead, 31st Northampton and 1st Tewkesbury represented the Brigade at the National Service of Remembrance at the Cenotaph on Whitehall in London. Taking place on the morning of Remembrance Sunday, the event was broadcast live on the BBC and included a march past and the laying of wreaths.

In addition, Brigade members took part in Remembrance events in their local Churches, schools and communities. Events have included services, civic commemorations, taking part in collections for the Poppy Appeal, and lots more.

Children and young people have also been getting involved as part of their regular programme of activities, learning about Remembrance and why it is important as well as getting creative by making Remembrance-themed displays.

BB groups have been posting about their involvement in Remembrance on social media. We encourage groups to post and tag The Boys’ Brigade, and use hashtags #WeWillRememberThem and #BoysBrigade. You can also email us at newsdesk@boys-brigade.org.uk

Check out some photos below showing how our children and young people have been getting involved in Remembrance this year . . .

The Boys’ Brigade has been working in partnership with Youthscape to explore the trends and pressures on the lives of young people today.

An Insight Report from this research was recently launched at an event at the Houses of Parliament, hosted by the Rt Hon Sir Lindsay Hoyle MP, Speaker of the House of Commons, to celebrate our 140th anniversary.

The new report, Youth Culture and Trends, focuses on:

• Health and wellbeing
• Identity, values and beliefs
• Behaviours and lifestyles
• Relationships
• Education and the future
• Impact of the Covid-19 pandemic

This research will help to shape and inform the work of The Boys’ Brigade, including providing volunteer leaders with a resource to help ‘see’ young people and the worlds they inhabit with clarity and compassion.

Find out more and download the research at boys-brigade.org.uk/youth-culture-and-trends

Chris Curtis, Chief Executive of Youthscape, commented: “Working together with The Boys’ Brigade, our Centre for Research has conducted what I believe is the first post-pandemic analysis of how life is different for teenagers compared to a decade ago. It’s exhaustive, drawing from more than 90 pieces of published research.”

“Only organisations who are willing to listen to young people are likely to be regarded by them as having anything worth saying. That puts The Boys’ Brigade in a strong position going forward.”

Jonathan Eales, Chief Executive, added: “As well as giving thanks and celebrating our 140th anniversary, it is vital that significant moments like this, are as much about looking forward as looking back. There is so much we can learn from this report and about the challenges facing young people today, like loneliness, isolation and the impacts on mental health.”

“It’s also an important reminder that what our local groups do and what we offer young people within the BB is so important.”

We’re pleased to announce that The Boys’ Brigade and PGL are working in partnership to help even more children and young people to have adventures, try new things and develop life skills.

Our new partnership will provide groups with access to discounted rates at all PGL’s adventure centres around the UK. A typical visit to a PGL centre often includes the opportunity to take on exciting adventure activities such as high ropes, zip wires, aeroball, axe throwing, rifle shooting, paddle boarding, fencing and much more!

These residential opportunities not only encourage children and young people to step outside of their comfort zone, but also provide brilliant moments for our members to work on crucial life skills such as teamwork, problem solving, overcoming fears and building confidence.

What Benefits Can BB Groups Now Access?

• Lower Prices
• £10 +VAT discount for every member
• Free BB leader place for every 8 children/young people
• Additional discount for larger groups over 50 people
• Book 2 or more visits and save 10% on the lowest priced break.

We’re also pleased to share that an exclusive competition for BB groups to enter, with the chance of winning a PGL break worth up to £1,500 will be launching soon.

To find out more about what PGL has to offer and to explore which of their 15 UK centres is closest to you, click HERE

To claim your exclusive price, quote ‘The Boys’ Brigade’ when booking.

Recognising Nights Away

Don’t forget that you can also celebrate children and young people taking part in residential opportunities, with our Nights Away Award. These badges, now in partnership with PGL, can be awarded to members on reaching key milestones including 1, 3, 5, 10, 20, 30, 40, 50, 75 & 100 nights away.

All residential nights away count towards these awards, including summer camps, sleepovers, activity centre weekends, DofE expeditions & international trips.

Badges can be ordered via BB Supplies.

Over the last few weeks, thousands of children, young people and leaders have got involved with celebrations for our 140th anniversary!

It has been fantastic to see groups across the country get involved with a range of special activities, challenges and events, providing members with an opportunity to take part in these celebrations and create unique memories.

140 Monopoly Challenge (Company & Seniors)

On Saturday 30th September, over 700 young people and leaders came together across four cities to kick start our 140th celebrations.

140 teams took part in our 140 Monopoly Challenge in London, Manchester, Glasgow & Aberdeen, with teams racing around these cities trying to visit as many properties as possible on that city’s Monopoly board in five hours.

This saw teams across the UK visit major landmarks and locations such as The Ritz, Old Trafford, Glasgow Cathedral, Marischal College, The Midland Hotel, Hamden Park, Nelson’s Column and many more!

Congratulations go to our winning teams in each location, 1st Lindfield (London), 1st Rainford (Manchester), 4th/5th Kilmarnock (Glasgow) & 1st Rosehearty (Aberdeen).

It was also great to see many other groups take on the 140 Monopoly Challenge in their local area, covering other towns and cities such as Birmingham, Bath, Leeds, Durham & Cheltenham.

Juniors 140 Sleepover

2,000 Juniors continued the 140th celebrations on Saturday 7th & Sunday 8th October with our Juniors 140 Sleepover.

This involved sleepovers in over 100 locations across the UK, including in church halls, trampoline parks, adventure centres, castles and even in South Africa.

Throughout the evening, children took on our specially created sleepover programme, including party themed minute to win it challenges, our Juniors 140 quiz, toasting marshmallows, the sleeping bag prayer, litter picking, a pizza party and more!

We also were able to bring 1,500 Juniors together on Saturday evening for our online gathering, almost certainly our biggest BB online gathering ever! This saw us checking in with some of the locations, setting some fun on the spot challenges and hearing a special message from Christian magician, Paul Brown.

Anchors 140 Challenge

Throughout October Anchors have also been getting involved with the 140 celebrations, with their own challenge.

Anchor age groups have been tasked with creating the number ‘140’ in the most creative way possible.

This challenge is still ongoing, however so far we have already seen lots of brilliant submissions, including using glow sticks, BB uniform, games equipment, cakes, food bank donations, seashells, candles and more!

Celebrating through termly programmes

Groups have also been making use of our 140 activity cards to celebrate over the last few weeks.

This has included seeing Anchors create time capsules that they can open when they are Seniors, Juniors exploring The Boys’ Brigade in numbers, Company taking on our ‘Big BB Quiz’ and Seniors travelling back to 1883 in our ‘140 Years’ activity.

Groups have been sharing photos of these activities in action on social media using the hashtag #BB140.

140 Prayer & Thanksgiving

On Wednesday 4th October, the day of our 140th anniversary, our Ministry Team hosted an online thanksgiving and prayer gathering as part of the celebrations.

We were joined by Jonathan Eales, CEO; Rev Stuart Cutler, Brigade Chaplain; and dozens of leaders from across the country. We thanked God for all that he has done through the ministry of The Boys’ Brigade over the last 140 years and prayed for the ongoing and future ministry of the Brigade.

Gallery

Check out some photos from the various celebrations below…

The Boys’ Brigade, a Christian youth organisation which provides opportunities for children and young people to learn, grow and discover, celebrates its 140th anniversary today.

Founded in 1883 by Sir William Alexander Smith, BB was the first voluntary uniformed youth movement in the world. In fact, many of today’s organisations for young people can trace their roots back to the BB. To mark the milestone, The Boys’ Brigade will be planting an oak tree to commemorate the life and legacy of its founder in a special Heroes of the Faith Woodland which is being created on the outskirts of Birmingham.

The Heroes of the Faith Woodland is part of the same site where the Eternal Wall of Answered Prayer will be built.

Richard Gamble, Founder of the Eternal Wall of Answered Prayer, commented: “We’re delighted that The Boys’ Brigade is sponsoring a tree to be part of the Heroes of the Faith Woodland. The tree celebrates the legacy of its founder, Sir William Smith, and over 140 years of this wonderful organisation rooted in the Christian faith.”

At a local level, BB groups across the country are celebrating the anniversary in different ways. Activities included a live Monopoly Challenge last weekend for young people in the Company and Seniors age groups which took place in London, Glasgow, Manchester and Aberdeen, as well as a national sleepover for the Juniors age group this coming weekend and an Anchors 140 Challenge.

Jonathan Eales, Chief Executive of The Boys’ Brigade added: “An oak tree seems a particularly fitting way to celebrate our founder’s vision for a Christian youth organisation which started in Glasgow but grew across the UK and around the world.”

“As well as a celebration of our history, we are also celebrating the opportunities and experiences we continue to provide children and young people today. We’re going to be launching new groups, while also working with our amazing volunteers to welcome new members to existing groups.”

With more than 750 local groups in communities across the UK and RoI, the organisation supports more than 20,000 children and young people today with the help of thousands of dedicated volunteer leaders. The BB is also active in over 50 countries around the world.

To find your nearest BB group please visit boys-brigade.org.uk/find-a-group

The Boys’ Brigade is pleased to announce that Very Rev Dr Martin Fair has been co-opted as Co-Chair of our Trustee Board, the Brigade Executive.

Raised in Glasgow, Martin studied at both Strathclyde and Glasgow Universities and later at Princeton Theological Seminary in New Jersey. His 31 years of parish ministry were spent in Arbroath during which time his primary focus was on transforming the congregation into an outward-looking family, committed to serving and addressing needs in the wider community and world.

Martin served as Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland (2020-2021) and now works in a national Church role focusing on recruiting and training the leaders of tomorrow.

Martin commented: “I’m delighted and sensing the privilege that is mine to be joining the Brigade Executive as Co-Chair and hope that I’ll be able to contribute positively to the work of the Executive and, ultimately, to the life of the Brigade itself in the time ahead.”

“But first and foremost I’m looking forward to getting to know people and to listening and learning and to joining what is already a great team. Here’s to exciting days ahead!”

Jonathan Eales, Chief Executive of The Boys’ Brigade, added: “I am delighted that we are welcoming Martin to the Brigade Executive as Co-Chair. He brings so much experience and understanding of both the challenges and opportunities for the Church today, which is so important for us as a Christian youth organisation.”

We are delighted to welcome two new members of staff to the team at BB Headquarters.

Jonathan Muir joins us as Finance Manager, while Anne-Marie Methven takes up the role of Finance Support Officer. Both will be based at our Carronvale House office and will take responsibility for the Brigade’s financial function, including providing support to our Chief Executive, Treasurer and Finance Committee.

Welcome to the team, Jonathan and Anne-Marie – we wish them both all the best in their new roles!

The Boys’ Brigade is delighted to announce that we will be working in partnership with Refresh PR over the next two years to help raise awareness of our work with children and young people.

Refresh was appointed following a successful project earlier this year, which saw the agency develop a campaign focusing on the benefits and barriers of being part of the BB.

This three-month campaign centred around engaging video content, featuring young people from five different BB groups. The campaign was recently shortlisted for two awards from the Chartered Institute for Public Relations (CIPR) – Best Not-for-Profit Campaign and Best Channel Delivery.

Thanks to the agency’s creative ideas during the pitching process, and approach to the initial project, The Boys’ Brigade decided to extend our partnership for a further two years.

Refresh will work to deliver an integrated communications strategy which will help drive recruitment of young people and leaders, whilst shining a light on the opportunities that the organisation provides in communities nationwide.

Laura Mashiter, Managing Director at Refresh, commented: “We love working with organisations which are doing great things. The campaign will be a combination of internal and external communications, from influencer activity and social media management to media relations and generating owned content. It will showcase what BB is all about: learning new skills through experiences and opportunities while enabling its young people to grow into caring and confident individuals.”

Refresh are currently developing some new resources for leaders which will help raise awareness about what groups are doing locally. They have also been developing some programme activities with a themed programme for the Seniors age group set to be available in the new Autumn term resources.

As you may have seen over the last few months, we have been working with our Young Leaders Group to highlight some of our amazing young people and leaders across the country. We wanted to hear what they had to say about the benefits and barriers of being part of The Boys’ Brigade.

We asked Refresh, the PR and communications agency who helped to deliver the project, to share what they learned during their time working with us…

As a PR agency, we work with a whole host of different businesses and organisations, so it was great to get to work alongside children and young people who are so passionate about The Boys’ Brigade and the work their groups do in the local community.

From getting to know the members and leaders, we got to hear what some of their barriers were when they first joined The Boys’ Brigade, or what they think is stopping their friends at school from joining.

A welcoming place for everyone

A common barrier that we picked up on is that people assume they must be Christian to attend. However, we know that whilst The Boys’ Brigade’s work is rooted in the Christian faith, it is welcoming to people of all faiths and none, so this was one of the key messages we wanted to share.

When speaking to one of the brilliant young leaders, Sam, he said that The Boys’ Brigade is “a safe place [for young people] to come, share their values, explore their faith and learn at the same time with friends, who don’t necessarily need to be part of a group because when they come, we’re all just one family”.

Hearing this come from one of the respected leaders and being able to feature it in our video campaign will no doubt encourage others to join The Boys’ Brigade and assure them that everyone is welcome.

Supportive and inspiring leaders

We also got to listen to the young people who faced barriers when first joining and are now fully fledged members of the organisation.

Jordan, a member from 2nd East Kilbride, said: “I was really scared to come at first but everyone was really nice, I made friends really quickly and the leaders are all really great and supportive.”

We could see first-hand, from visiting five different BB groups, just how supportive the leaders are. The connection that the leaders have with the members is a very special bond. Anyone could see just how much respect the members have for their leaders and vice versa. When speaking to another of the leaders, Rachael at 53rd Manchester, she talked about how she wants young people to take away the fact that they “can be who they want to be”.

Rachael continued, “and hopefully we can steer them in the right direction and equip them for the real world!”

Thank you for inviting us into your groups East Kilbride, Manchester, Glasgow, Rainford and Sheffield! We hope you’ve all enjoyed watching the videos and we can’t wait to continue our work with The Boys’ Brigade’s leadership team to help break down these barriers and spread the message of what a welcoming organisation The Boys’ Brigade is.

Claire Newmarch
Account Manager, Refresh PR

We would like to say a massive thank you to BB young people across the country who spent over 11,270 hours volunteering as part of the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award in the year from 1st April 2022 to 31st March 2023!

The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award is a voluntary, non-competitive and flexible programme of activities for all young people aged between 14 and 24, whatever their background or ability.

We are incredibly proud of the dedication and efforts of our young people, which has made a huge impact in their own groups, Churches and local communities, and has had an estimated social value of over £54,000!

If you’re a BB leader and would like to find out more about running the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award in The Boys’ Brigade, get in touch at support@boys-brigade.org.uk (or nihq@boys-brigade.org.uk if you’re in Northern Ireland) for more information.

We are delighted to welcome Dave Martin to the Staff Team at BB Headquarters as our Development and Engagement Worker for the North of England.

Our recent additions to the team follow the award of funding from the Uniformed Youth Fund, which is allowing us to invest in providing more resources and support to Companies, volunteer leader recruitment, developing our Church partnerships and raising our profile.

As part of our Development and Engagement Team, Dave will work to support and develop existing groups and establish new groups primarily in the North of England, along with the development of resources and strategies to enable this.

Dave said: “I am really excited to take on my new role as the Development and Engagement Worker for the North of England.”

“I have spent the last 10 years in Church ministry pioneering and growing ministries involving children, young people and families. I have served at multiple HTB Churches, been a part of the national Messy Church leadership team and spent a lot of time speaking into intergenerational discipleship at various conferences and events.”

“I am married to the lovely Rebecca, produce electronic music in my spare time and love to adventure around the world when I get the chance! I am looking forward to meeting you all and supporting your Company if you’re in the North of England!”

We are delighted to welcome Alistair Bassett to the Staff Team at BB Headquarters as Ministry Support Worker.

The Boys’ Brigade is passionate about its partnership with the local Church and building bridges into communities to engage a generation of children and young people with a message of hope rooted in Jesus.

As part of our newly-formed Ministry Team, Alistair will support our work to develop strategies and tools to help equip local Churches to reach out to children and young people in their communities, including looking at new ways of working in partnership with local Churches and increasing the awareness of what The Boys’ Brigade can provide to support children’s & youthwork ministry in Churches across the country.

Alistair said: “I joined 22nd Northampton at the age of five and it’s an honour to have been part of the BB family ever since. For the past four years I have been working for local Churches doing children’s & youth ministry, and I recently got married.”

“I’m excited to be joining the Ministry Team and to be looking at how we can strengthen and develop our faith along with our Object, Vision, Mission and Values throughout all aspects of BB, including our relationships with local Churches and wider Christian organisations.”

Applications to stand in the Scottish Youth Parliament’s 2023 elections are now open.

Members of the Scottish Youth Parliament (MSYPs) are 14-25 year olds from every part of Scotland who have been elected to represent Scotland’s young people and campaign for positive change.

MSYPs are elected every two years, and the next elections will take place in November 2023, when two young people will be elected to represent BB members in Scotland.

Prospective candidates have until Monday 31st July 2023 to register their interest in standing to become an MSYP. Young people will then receive training to help them develop their skills before they launch their election campaigns in the autumn.

Across Scotland, young people will then cast their ballots to choose who they want to represent them for the next two years between Monday 6th November and Sunday 19th November.

Mollie McGoran MSYP, Chair of the Scottish Youth Parliament said: “We’re excited to launch our elections for people aged 14-25 across the country to stand to become MSYPs. This is a chance to join a uniquely youth-led organisation to campaign for change on the important issues that young people care about.”

Jonathan Eales, Chief Executive of The Boys’ Brigade, added: “This is a great opportunity for two young people in Scotland. It’s so important for our members to have a voice on important issues being discussed at the Scottish Youth Parliament.”

Young people interested in standing for election to the SYP can find out more and register online at syp.org.uk/elections

As part of the Uniformed Youth Fund which The Boys’ Brigade was recently awarded funding from, a Youth Advisory Board is being created that will support the evaluation of the projects being funded and the impact that uniformed youth groups have on young people.

This opportunity is open to young people (aged 16-18) who are currently part of the BB in England.

Advisory Board members will:

• Work alongside the research team to provide advice and ideas from a youth perspective
• Influence decision about how the research and evaluation is done
• Have opportunities to learn about social research, data collection and interpretation

Natalie Whipday, the BB’s Director for Operations, said: “This is an amazing opportunity for two young people within the BB in England to develop their knowledge, skills and experiences. As well as getting to meet young people from other organisations, they will also be working alongside research professionals and government officials.”

To find out more and apply please check out the Application Pack – available in PDF or Word formats. The closing date for applications is Friday 9th June 2023.

BB groups across the country have been taking part in a range of events and activities to celebrate the Coronation of King Charles III.

On Saturday 6th May, a group of young people and leaders had the opportunity to see the Coronation Procession in person from a special viewing area for uniformed youth organisations on The Mall. Following this, the organisations were able to lead the walk to Buckingham Palace to view the Royal Family’s balcony appearance and the flypast from right outside the palace gates.

Max, a Company age group member who was part of the group, said: “I loved being able to go and watch the procession, it was a memorable occasion and really exciting to see the King and Queen in person along with everything else that went on. I had the best day!”

The following day, a group from our Young Leaders Network came together at Windsor Castle with around 20,000 other people to enjoy the Coronation Concert.

BB members have been getting involved in local events linked to the Coronation, including thanksgiving services, community lunches as part of The Big Lunch and events to showcase volunteering through The Big Help Out.

Groups have also brought the Coronation into their regular meetings, using our specially-designed range of programme resources to help celebrate this landmark occasion, to explore more about the King and the Coronation, and to pray.

Check out some photos from Coronation events around the Brigade below. You can also check out what groups have been sharing on social media by searching #BBCoronation

We are delighted to welcome Gillian Hay to the Staff Team at BB Headquarters as Leader Development Co-ordinator.

Based at our Carronvale House office in Larbert, Gillian’s role will see her co-ordinating delivery of leader training across the organisation, and she will also work with our Leader Development Community – our newly-established, volunteer-led community of trainers – to create a collaborative and enthused network.

Gillian said: “I am really looking forward to my new role working to support our Leader Development Community across the country. I’ve been involved in The Boys’ Brigade for over 40 years in different roles and am also a leader in Girlguiding. Outside of work and volunteering I enjoy camping, crafts, music and travelling.”

We are excited to welcome Steph Goodwin to the Staff Team at BB Headquarters as Programme & Events Team Member.

Our recent additions to the team follow the award of funding from the Uniformed Youth Fund, which is allowing us to invest in providing more resources and support to Companies, volunteer leader recruitment, developing our Church partnerships and raising our profile.

As part of our Programme Team, Steph will work to support the development of resources as part of our termly programme of activities across all age groups, provide support and guidance to volunteers and staff on running high-quality, accessible and adaptable programmes, and support and manage the delivery of events and training for children and young people.

Steph said: “Having worked with children throughout my career, I am very excited about my new role with the BB. I have been a volunteer leader with 1st Mid Suffolk for the past 10 years and am Leader-in-Charge of their Juniors age group. During lockdown I delivered the #BBatHOME activities at our group, and thoroughly enjoyed seeing the photos of the activities. I am looking forward to sharing my programme ideas with you all and being a part of the wider Brigade family.”

We are delighted to welcome two new additions to the Development and Support Team at BB Headquarters.

Fiona Spooner joins us as the Development and Engagement Worker for Central Scotland, with Caroline McBain joining to undertake the same role in Central England.

Both Fiona and Caroline will work to support and develop existing groups and establish new groups primarily in their respective areas, along with the development of resources and strategies to enable this.

Fiona (pictured left) said: “I’m delighted to be joining the Staff Team as the Development and Engagement Worker in Central Scotland. As a Captain within Paisley Battalion, I enjoy working alongside other volunteers to support children and young people to learn, grow and discover.”

“I’m looking forward to finding out about all the fantastic things our groups across Scotland are offering to our young people and supporting them to grow, as well as looking at opportunities to start new work.”

Caroline, right, said: “I’m delighted to be joining The Boys’ Brigade as the Development and Engagement Worker for Central England. I have worked in the voluntary youth sector for a number of years and look forward to learning about and working with different groups within the BB.“

“I am passionate about youth work and excited for the opportunities available to young people within the BB and my role in encouraging our young people to experience life to the full.”

We are incredibly excited to welcome Peter Andrews to the Staff Team at BB Headquarters as Ministry Lead.

As an organisation we are passionate about our partnership with the local Church and building bridges into communities to engage a generation of children and young people with a message of hope rooted in Jesus.

In this newly-created role, Peter will be working to develop strategies and tools to help equip local Churches to reach out to children and young people in their communities. This will include looking at new ways of working in partnership with local Churches and increasing the awareness of what The Boys’ Brigade can provide to support children’s & youthwork ministry in Churches across the country.

Peter said: “Having come to faith in the BB at the age of 16, I’m delighted to be re-joining the organisation as Ministry Lead. I’m excited to journey with you as we explore faith development pathways and resources, fresh ways of outworking our Vision and, above all, seeing what God has in store for our children and young people over the next few years.”

The Boys’ Brigade has been awarded significant funding from the Government’s Uniformed Youth Fund which will allow us to support more young people to learn, grow and discover over the next two years.

Funding has been allocated to 43 organisations from the Uniformed Youth Fund and is aimed at helping 45,000 more young people access regular, positive activities every year. This will support their wellbeing, give them opportunities to develop vital skills for life and empower them to be active members of their local community.

Culture Secretary Lucy Frazer said: “I want every young person to have the opportunity to access the kinds of life-changing activities which expand their horizons and allow them to develop vital life skills.”

Jonathan Eales, Chief Executive of The Boys’ Brigade, commented: “We are delighted by this investment from the Department for Culture, Media and Sport and recognition in the value of our work with young people. The funding means we can increase the capacity and reach of our impact on young people in a range of local communities and is aligned to our five-year strategy to improve the quality and consistency of experience for young people.”

Natalie Whipday, the Brigade’s Operations Director, added: “Although this funding is specific to our work with young people in England, the impact will reach across the Brigade, allowing us to invest in developing resources for leaders, strengthening Church partnerships and developing our profile. The funding has allowed us to recruit a number of new roles and we look forward to welcoming new staff to the team over the coming months.”

Read more about this new investment on the DCMS press release.