Scouting in the UK will be open to athesists from next year. Photo: Scout Association

Scouting in the UK will be open to athesists from next year. Photo: Scout Association

Britain’s Scouting movement will open its doors to atheist young people and adult leaders for the first time next year.

The Scout Association, which has more than 400,000 young members and is the gateway to outdoor activities for many youngsters, will offer an alternative promise for humanists and those who do not have religious beliefs.

Membership has traditionally been barred to children and adults who are not prepared to promise to ‘do my duty to God and to the Queen’.

Anyone joining the Scouts from January next year will still be expected to pledge allegiance to the Queen but an alternative promise ‘to uphold our Scout values’ will be available to non-believers.

Announcing the change, which follows GirlGuiding’s abandonment of the pledge to God earlier this year, UK Chief Commissioner Wayne Bulpitt said: “Alternative versions of the Scout promise have been available for nearly 50 years and have been taken by Muslims, Hindus, Buddhists and those who live in the UK but are not UK citizens.

“This new additional alternative to the Scout promise will now ensure we are inclusive to young people and adults who are humanist or have no affirmed faith and wish to join Scouting.

“Faith and non-faith leaders as well as the World Scout Committee have warmly welcomed this move, and the introduction of an additional alternative to the Scout Promise signifies our determination to become truly inclusive and relevant to all sections of society whilst maintaining our core values.

“The core Scout promise which has referred to duty to God’ for 106 years remains unchanged and we remain fully committed as a movement that explores faith and religion as a core element of its programme.”

Simplified versions of the alternative Scout promise will be available to younger people joining the Beaver and Cub sections of the movement.

Andrew Copson, chief executive of the British Humanist Association, said: “In taking the progressive decision of welcoming non-religious young people and adults of good conscience, Scouting has shown it genuinely wishes to be a movement open to all.”