New Normal: 4 ways websites can help Scout Groups after Covid-19

Although youth-led activities have been given the green light to return in England, many Scout Groups across the country may continue to socially distance. This might mean the continuation of virtual Scouting, or a blend of virtual communication and in-person activities.

Either way, your own website can be the perfect tool to make the transition back to active Scouting, be it the ‘new normal’, come September.

Take a look at how you can use your website to its full potential as you return, no matter how much contact you choose to have.

1. Keeping your members updated

There are many ways in which your website can help you keep your members up to date with the most recent information.

• Latest news – The latest news area is perfect for any Leader blogs, Group-wide or Section-specific notices, or general updates. You can also appoint a featured post so that your users see exactly what you want them to first.
• Upcoming events – Your upcoming events area can be used for exciting events happening throughout the year, but can also come in handy just for listing dates such as the start or end of term. Many Scout Groups have also taken to using this space to detailing their Zoom meetings, including any information their members might need to prepare.
• Site notice – This new feature allows you to display an important notice which you need to communicate quickly, by highlighting a sentence which is visible across the whole website.

2. Making shopping for Scout uniforms easier

With Coronavirus still very much looming over us, many people are still trying to distance themselves as much as possible.

With our Scout Groups pro plan, you can add an eCommerce shop to your Group website to allow your users to easily purchase uniform for next term, badges, merchandise and many other items.

You can choose to post your items out, allow your members to collect orders in person, or you could even hand-deliver them yourself.

3. Storing useful documents

With an individual members login area or a password protected leaders area, you can upload various documents for their access only. This enables your users to access documents you want to share with them for things such as activity packs, reference documents or badge guides.

4. Going cashless

Another couple of features of our Scout Groups pro plan mean you can take a step towards going cashless. With increasing numbers of people not using cash during the pandemic, you can easily make that change too.

• Collect subs online – With our online subs platform, you can select how much you’d like your members to pay and easily collect payment through your website via direct debit or one-off payments. This helps you to keep track of who’s paid what, and it’s all digital, meaning no lost change or overdue payments!
• Enable online donations – Using your Group’s PayPal, you can have a dedicated donations space for your users to donate directly to your Scouts Group rather than a third party tool. You can accept set amounts including; £5, £10, £20, £50 and £100. You can also allow users to pay a custom amount if they wish, helping you to raise more essential funds. The best thing is, the contributor will know exactly where their money is going!

Find out more about Scout Group websites here