STOURBRIDGE Scouts will be celebrating St George’s Day tomorrow (Saturday, April 23) with an afternoon of activities in Mary Stevens Park.

Between noon and 4.30pm, more than 300 members of the Stourbridge and District Scouts will descend on the town’s park to promote the group to the public.

The afternoon will kick off with a parade along Queen’s Drive and to the park’s bandstand before they take part in activities including woggle making, bush craft skills, circus skills, face painting, zip line, caving bus, laser tag and a climbing wall.

Academy Martial Arts from Lye will also be present demonstrating their sports, while the resuscitation training team from Russells Hall Hospital will have equipment on offer for people to practice with.

Steve Garratt, The Scout Association’s West Mercia media development manager, said: “This event will be an opportunity for young people and adults to enquire about joining Scouting.

“Especially adults, as with six per cent more young people joining in the last year and more wanting to join, without them volunteering such events, camps, plus weekly meetings would not be possible.”

Scouting is continuing to grow in popularity in Stourbridge with The Scout Association’s membership figures reveal that 30 young people joined the town’s Scouts in the town in 2015, meaning there is now 608 local young people involved in the organisation.

But, despite 29 adults joining in the past year, the group still requires many more volunteers to cope with increased demand from young people.

Ed Cook, 18, an Explorer Scout from Stourbridge, said: “I love Scouting and I always enjoy the adventures that Scout volunteers have helped us plan.

“I’ve picked up some really helpful life skills along the way like team building, planning and how to communicate with people.

“Scouting has also helped me grow in confidence and I have enjoyed learning new skills alongside my male friends.

“I have been to camps and last year attended the World Scout Jamboree in Japan. I have had great fun and learned loads of skills.

“I’d definitely encourage young people of all ages and both genders to join.”

For more information about the Scouts in Stourbridge visit www.westmerciascouts.org.uk, or to join the group as a young person or an adult helper, visit www.scouts.org.uk/join