Reflections from our World Scout Foundation Chair, Rob Woolford
In 2024, we advanced our 2022–2030 Strategy to increase support for World Scouting. Highlights for me included our strong engagement with Scout leadership and key partners at the World Scout Conference in August; the holding of our first-ever annual Baden-Powell Fellowship Event in South America for BP Fellows and guests in stunning Rio de Janeiro, Brazil; and the undertaking of a thorough Strategy progress review, which resulted in some adjustments to our indicators and enablers to ensure continued momentum.
We reassessed and balanced our expectations of individual donors — our BP Fellows, Honours Programme Members, and “new network” donors who gift smaller, vital online donations to emergency appeals and local projects. We intensified our efforts to strengthen institutional fundraising and boosted our engagement with new and potential BP Fellows, who donate significant funding via the Regal and Baden-Powell Circles of our Honours Programme.
About the World Scout Foundation
We believe that lasting positive change in the world happens when we empower young people to lead positive action in their communities — through Scouting.
In over 224 countries and territories, 57 million Scouts of all ages learn by doing, through a fun and challenging programme of quality educational activities, with a strong focus on active citizenship and community service. They develop key skills and behaviours that guide, encourage and enable them to lead positive action in society throughout their lives.
And with your continued support, we can reach even more young people from across the globe, to multiply this impact and create a more peaceful and sustainable world
For Scouting. For Good. Together.
Renewed Messengers of Peace funding!
On 13 April 2025, as our 2024 Annual Report was being finalised, we signed the renewal of Messengers of Peace funding with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, securing USD 50 million for the next 10 years for World Scouting.
This renewed funding will create more opportunities to engage young people and volunteers in Scouting’s transformative educational programmes and strengthen the capacity of National Scout Organizations to take action in promoting peace, dialogue, and community action worldwide, inspiring a global culture of peace.
Since 2010, Messengers of Peace has inspired and empowered millions of Scouts worldwide to take action in their communities to build a global culture of peace and positive change. With over 16 million community projects and USD 27 million invested to date, Scouts have become a powerful force for good, promoting understanding, community action, and peace across borders.
We extend our sincerest appreciation to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia for this ground-breaking renewal of funding, as well as for their trust and support of Scouting’s extensive peace-building work.
