Being a Beaver

6 to 8 years

When you join Beavers, you’ll be introduced to lots of new activities, people and things. Here’s everything you need to know.

We run three Beaver colonies Bere Wood, Creech Wood & Hundred Acre Wood

  • Bere Wood meets Thursday 5:15-6:15pm
  • Creech Wood meets Thursdays 6:30-7:30pm
  • Hundred Acre Wood meets Saturday 9-10am

Meetings are held every week during term time only and mainly at our Scout Hut.

Beavers are young people aged 6 to 8 who:

  • Master new skills and try new things
  • Have fun and go on adventures
  • Make friends
  • Are curious about the world around them
  • Help others and make a difference, on their own doorsteps and beyond

Every week, they gather in groups called Beaver Colonies to hop, skip and jump their way through lots of different games and activities – achieving anything they set their minds to, and having lots of fun along the way.

Being a Beaver is all about growing and learning in small but mighty ways. Here are some of the things you’ll get up to with your new friends.

  • Exploring the great outdoors

  • Trying new activities and learning new things

  • Helping others

Each Colony is made up of young people aged 6 to 8, led by an adult Beaver leader. Other adult volunteers are on hand to supervise activities, share their skills and keep everyone safe. In some groups, Beaver leaders are nicknamed after characters from nature, books or films. In others, Beavers call their leader by their real first name.

Within their Colony, some Beavers are also part of a Lodge. A Lodge is a smaller group of Beavers, usually headed up by a young person who takes on a peer leadership role (sometimes known as a Lodge Leader or Junior Leader).

Being a peer leader is about being a superhero for a little while – doing things like welcoming new people to the Colony, being extra helpful during a camp, or taking charge of a game or activity. Everyone takes it in turns to take on the challenge. 

Beavers usually stand together in their Lodges at the beginning and end of meetings. They tend to stick together on trips away, or during certain activities.

As well as enjoying plenty of adventures, being a Beaver is about exploring who you are and what you stand for. These are big ideas, and when you join the Colony, you’ll start thinking about them by making a promise. A promise is a set of words that mean something to you, which you try to follow everyday.

Making the promise is a big celebration within the Colony. Every time a new Beaver decides to join, they chat through their promise with their leader before saying it out loud in front of their fellow Beavers. Family and friends might come along to see this, too. Doing this is called being ‘invested’ into Beavers, and it usually takes place once you’ve had a few weeks to settle in.

Everyone is unique but there are some things all Beavers agree on – such as treating everyone with kindness and promising to do their best. Depending on their own beliefs, they might also promise to live by their faith.

Beavers choose the promise that best suits them. 

The first step to becoming a Beaver is to reach out via our Contact Us page to see if spaces are available.

Beavers is open to all, and we can usually tweak things to make sure everyone can join in the fun. If you have any questions about accessibility, chat with our Group Scout Leader (GSL) as soon as possible. Read our guidance on supporting those with additional needs.

Beavers uniform and badge placement

What Beavers wear

Beaver uniform consists of a blue sweatshirt with your badges sewn on and a coloured scarf or ‘necker’ to represent your local group. There are lots of other optional accessories you can wear such as hats, hoodies, navy blue trousers or shorts, if you’d like to. 

Why uniform is important

Wearing a uniform is comfy and practical. It means you can run around and get messy without ruining your other clothes. It makes you feel part of a team. It means no one feels uncomfortable or left out. And it gives you a place to show off all the brilliant badges you earn.

Where you can buy the uniform

Uniform can be bought from our District Scout Shop. If you’re stuck, ask adult volunteers to tell you more about what to buy and where to buy it.

Click on image to enlarge..
I’m a Beaver moving on to Cubs. What will happen?

Although most Beavers move up to Cubs between the ages of 7½ and 8½, leaders can be flexible in cases where a Beaver may need a bit more time due to additional needs or exceptional circumstances. Generally, they’ll also have a think about when your friends are moving, and time things so that you can start your new adventure together where possible.

To get you extra prepared, your leader might tell you about the Moving on Award. Completing it involves spending at least three weeks with a Cub Section, while keeping up your normal routine at Beavers. During that time, you’ll see what Cubs is really like – getting to know your new leaders, making new friends and participating in lots of new and exciting activities. Keep an eye out, as you might even spot some familiar faces from when you first started at Beavers!