boys-brigade.org.uk

You can volunteer with The Boys' Brigade (BB) by starting from the "Volunteer" section of the official website, then choosing whether to help an existing local group or start a new one. Leadership roles involve working with specific age groups (5–8, 8–11, 11–14, or 14–18) and require training in safeguarding and risk management before or alongside your role. The exact steps, time commitment, and any local requirements are set by the group and the organisation's policies, so confirm details with the group you contact.

Where to begin

The website lists two main entry points for adults who want to get involved:

• Volunteer – general information on volunteering with BB.
• Start a New Group – for situations where there is no local group to join.

If you already know you want to work directly with young people, the Info for Leaders section is the relevant area, since it covers running a company, age group essentials, and training.

Decide how you want to help

BB distinguishes between different kinds of adult involvement, and the right route depends on what you want to do.

The age groups you could work with are 5–8, 8–11, 11–14, and 14–18, each with its own programme and awards.

Find a local group first

Before applying to volunteer, it helps to know whether a group exists near you. The site provides a Find a Local Group tool. If a group is nearby, contact it and ask about volunteer or leader openings. If there is no group in your area, the Start a New Group route is the alternative.

What leader training and development involves

BB provides structured Leader Training & Development, including:

• Leader Training and a search for training courses.
• Leader Development and a Community Trainers Hub.
• Young Leaders Network and a Disability Advice Network.
• Managing Risk & Safeguarding, which includes safeguarding, safer recruitment, and a Leaders Code of Conduct.

Safeguarding and risk management are treated as core requirements rather than optional extras, so expect to complete training in these areas. The specific courses, their format, and any costs are not stated on the page, so ask the group or check the training section for current details.

Practical steps

1. Go to the website and open Volunteer (or Start a New Group if nothing is local).
2. Use Find a Local Group to identify a group near you.
3. Contact the group and ask what roles are open and what the next step is.
4. Review Info for Leaders and Age Group Essentials for the age range you would work with.
5. Complete the required safeguarding, managing risk, and leader training as directed.
6. Confirm expectations — time commitment, meeting frequency, and any local checks — directly with the group.

Common sticking points

• No local group: use the Start a New Group route instead of waiting for one to appear.
• Training requirements: safeguarding and risk management are mandatory areas, so plan for them before taking on responsibility.
• Role fit: the programme differs by age group, so check Age Group Essentials for the range you are considering.
• Costs and availability: the page does not state fees or course schedules; these must be confirmed with the group or through the training search.

You can support The Boys' Brigade (BB) in three main ways: making a donation through the "Donate" or "Support Us" links on boys-brigade.org.uk, volunteering your time as a leader or helper, or starting a new group in an area that doesn't have one. The organisation describes itself as one of the biggest Christian youth organisations in the UK and Republic of Ireland, and its site lists fundraising resources for local groups alongside these national giving routes. Which option fits you depends on whether you want to give money, give time, or help extend the BB's reach.

Donating

The website's main menu includes a Donate link and a Support Us (Donate) entry under "Other Helpful Links." These are the direct routes to give money to the organisation.

The site does not publish specific donation amounts, payment methods, or whether one-off and regular giving are both offered. If you need those details — for example, to set up a monthly gift or to check whether Gift Aid applies — follow the Donate link and read the giving page rather than assuming from the homepage.

Volunteering

Volunteering is presented as a core form of support, not just a side option. The site has a dedicated Volunteer section and a Volunteer link in the main menu, and "Get Involved" is broken into Volunteering and Supporting Us.

For leaders specifically, the site points to:

• Leader Training & Development, including a search for training courses
• Leader Support, with an outdoor opportunities section
• Young Leaders Network and Leader Development Community
• Leaders Code of Conduct and safeguarding requirements

If you are considering volunteering, expect a safeguarding and safer recruitment process — the site lists Safeguarding, Safer Recruitment, and Responding to a Safeguarding Concern/Allegation as formal policies. That means volunteering is not simply a matter of showing up; there are checks and training involved.

Starting a New Group

If there is no local group near you, Start a New Group appears under "Other Helpful Links." This is the route for extending the BB into a new area rather than joining an existing company.

The site also provides Recruitment Resources and a Time to Shine: Communications Toolkit, which suggests that starting or growing a group involves active local promotion, not just registration.

Fundraising for a Local Group

Beyond giving to the national organisation, the site lists Funding & Fundraising under the "Supporting Us" area. This is aimed at local groups raising money for their own activities.

If your interest is in supporting a specific local company rather than the national body, the Find a Local Group tool is the starting point — you can locate the group first and then ask directly about its funding needs.

Other Ways to Help

The site also lists:

• Shop — merchandise, which may generate income for the organisation
• Girls' Association — a related organisation listed under helpful links
• Amicus — listed alongside Volunteer and Support Us

The homepage does not explain what Amicus is or how it relates to giving, so treat that as something to check on its own page rather than assuming.

Choosing Your Route

One caveat: the site describes the BB as a Christian youth organisation, and the "Faith Journey" appears in both the programme and leader resources. If that framing matters to you as a donor or volunteer, it is worth reading the Our Vision, Mission & Values page before committing.

The Boys' Brigade website has a dedicated "Find a Local Group" link that lets you search for companies near you. Use it if you want to join as a young person, register a child, or volunteer — the same search serves all three. The site organises its programme into four age bands (5–8, 8–11, 11–14, 14–18), so once you have a result you can check whether the group covers the age you need.

Steps to find a group

1. Go to boys-brigade.org.uk.
2. Select Find a Local Group (it appears both in the main menu and under "Other Helpful Links" on the homepage).
3. Enter your location or postcode in the search field and run the search.
4. Review the groups returned and note which age groups each one runs.
5. Contact the group directly to confirm meeting times, current capacity, and how to join.

The homepage also carries direct entry points if your goal is narrower than a general search: Join Now for enrolment, Info for Parents/Carers for general information, and Volunteer if you want to help run a group rather than join one.

What to check before you commit

If nothing comes up nearby

• Try a wider search area or a neighbouring postcode — the search radius may not surface groups just outside your immediate area.
• Use Start a New Group if there is demand locally but no existing company.
• Check the Girls' Association link if you are looking for the parallel organisation for girls.
• Contact the national office through the site's general enquiries route if the search returns nothing usable.

Common sticking points

• Age band mismatch: a group may appear in your search but only run one or two of the four age ranges. Check this before contacting them.
• Out-of-date contact details: local group information is maintained locally, so a listed contact may have changed. If you get no reply, try the national office.
• Assuming you can just turn up: the site directs you to contact the group for meeting times and joining details, so treat the search result as a starting point rather than a confirmed place.

The site does not publish pricing, membership fees, or login requirements for joining, so confirm any costs and paperwork directly with the local group.

boys-brigade.org.uk is the official website of The Boys' Brigade, described there as one of the biggest Christian youth organisations in the UK and Republic of Ireland. It is the organisation's main online hub: a place to join, volunteer, find a local group, and access information and resources for parents and carers, leaders, and churches. The site covers age groups from 5 to 18 years.

What the organisation is

The Boys' Brigade presents itself as a Christian youth organisation operating across the UK and the Republic of Ireland. Its stated purpose on the site is framed around youth work and faith, with a programme and awards structure running through each age group.

The site also links to the Girls' Association, which is listed among its helpful links alongside joining and finding a group.

Who the site is for

The homepage organises its main information by audience:

• Parents and carers — general information, joining, the programme and awards, and summer adventures
• Leaders — running your company, age group essentials, leader training and development, managing risk and safeguarding, and policies and regulations
• Churches — information for churches considering or supporting a group
• Young people — joining and finding a local group

Age groups covered

The site lists four age sections, spanning 5 to 18 years:

Each section has its own programme and awards, with the President's Badge and King's Badge appearing at the older end, alongside Duke of Edinburgh (DofE) provision.

What you can do on the site

The main actions offered from the homepage are:

• Join now — start the process of joining as a young person
• Find a local group — locate a group in your area
• Volunteer — get involved as an adult volunteer
• Start a new group — for those looking to establish a company
• Support us / Donate — fundraising and giving
• Shop — the organisation's shop
• Sign in — access for existing members and leaders

Resources and policies

Beyond joining, the site acts as a reference library for the organisation. It publishes safeguarding information, including a safeguarding hub, policies and procedures, and guidance on responding to a safeguarding concern. It also covers practical matters such as safe transport guidance, use of minibuses, insurance, and data protection.

For leaders, there are programme planning tools, recruitment resources, training and development, and the Online Brigade Manager (OBM) system. The site also references publications such as the Gazette and the Autumn 2026 programme.

How to use it

If you are a parent or carer, start with Info for Parents/Carers and Find a Local Group to see what is available near you. If you want to volunteer, the Volunteer section explains how to get involved. If you are a leader or church representative, the Info for Leaders and Info for Churches sections hold the operational and policy material you will need.

The Boys' Brigade (BB) is a Christian youth organisation in the UK and Republic of Ireland, and its programme is split into four age sections: Anchors (5–8), Juniors (8–11), Company (11–14), and Seniors (14–18). Each section has its own programme and awards, with adventure, competitions, outdoor opportunities, and a faith journey running through all ages. If you are looking for a group for a child in that 5–18 range, the sections below show what each stage involves.

Age sections at a glance

The section names and age bands come directly from the BB website, which lists "5-8 years", "8-11 years", "11-14 years", and "14-18 years" as the four entry points.

What the programme includes

Across the sections, the BB programme is built around several strands:

• Programme and awards — each age group has its own programme and awards, so children progress through recognised stages rather than a single undifferentiated activity list.
• Adventure and outdoor opportunities — the site highlights outdoor opportunities and summer adventures as part of the offer.
• Competitions — national competitions are listed, including Juniors International Team Games and Top Team Challenge.
• Faith journey — the BB describes itself as a Christian youth organisation, and the faith journey is a named part of the programme.
• Personal development — the Seniors section includes the President's Badge, King's Badge, and DofE (Duke of Edinburgh's Award), which are progression and recognition routes for older members.

Summer adventures and national events

Summer adventures are listed as a distinct part of the programme, alongside national competitions and outdoor opportunities. These sit outside the weekly section programme and give members something to aim for beyond regular meetings.

How to find out what a specific group does

The national programme sets the framework, but the weekly experience depends on the local group. The BB website provides a "Find a Local Group" tool, and there are separate information pages for parents and carers. If you want to know what a child would actually do week to week, the local group is the place to ask — the national site tells you the age bands and programme strands, not the timetable of a particular company.

Quick answers

• What ages can join? 5 to 18, across four sections.
• Is it only for boys? The organisation is The Boys' Brigade; the site also links to the Girls' Association as a separate body.
• What do older members do? Seniors (14–18) work towards the President's Badge, King's Badge, and DofE.
• Where do I start? Use "Find a Local Group" on boys-brigade.org.uk, then check the parents/carers information.