A brief history of the 5th Christchurch (Highcliffe) Scout Group

The Scout Group was formed in August 1924, this followed the closure of two former Scout troops in Highcliffe. The Group was formed of a troop of 20 Boy Scouts and one Scoutmaster and was at first registered as 1st Highcliffe Group.

A Wolf Cub pack was opened for younger boys in 1931 and the Group became known as 5th Christchurch (Highcliffe) Group. Scouting continued through the war years and into a very successful period in the 1950s which included Senior Scouts achieving King and Queen Scout awards.

In the 1970s the Group had the largest Scout troop in Dorset for a while and a Venture Scout Unit was formed for 15-20 year olds. In 1985 Beaver Colony was formed for 6-8 year old boys and 1987 saw the first girl (Venture Scout) become a member of the Group. In 2004 girls joined the younger sections of the group and in 2022 a Squirrel Drey was formed for 4-6 year olds.

During this time many Highcliffe Scouts have travelled and camped in numerous countries around the world both as a Scout troop and as representatives of the group at World Jamborees. Many top Scouting and Duke of Edinburgh awards have been attained. The Group’s sections have always taken part in the Christchurch Scout District events, and have been successful in many competitions over the years.

Scout Troop in camp on the Isle of Wight August 1927

2024 sees the Group celebrate 100 years of continuous Scouting having given the experience of The Scout Movement to many hundreds of young people over that period.