Volunteers should not be out of pocket as a result of any Scouting activities. No-one should be excluded from volunteering because they cannot afford the associated costs.
Note that if volunteers wish to contribute financially, by not claiming all of their expenses or by paying for camps or equipment, they are welcome to do so; however, no volunteer should feel that they cannot claim expenses just because others choose not to.
Uniform
The Group will cover the cost of all volunteers’ uniforms (shirt and scarf – uniform trousers are not essential so will not be covered). Volunteers should generally buy the uniform upfront and submit receipts to the Group Treasurer for a full refund. However, if any adult is unable to afford the upfront cost, the Group will arrange to purchase the uniform directly – the volunteer should speak to the Group Scout Leader to arrange this.
Subs
The Group will cover the cost of any subs which any volunteer is required to pay by virtue of their role.
Programme expenses
Programme expenses include equipment, badges, printing, copying and any other costs associated with running the section. Each section should ensure that their subs are sufficient to cover these expenses. They can either be paid directly out of the section’s account (obtaining receipts to evidence this) or volunteers can pay out of their own pocket and recover the sum from the section treasurer on production of a receipt. See the section on Accounts and Finances for more information about the management of section accounts.
Camps and trips
Each section can make their own arrangements with regards to whether volunteers are required to contribute towards the cost of camps and trips, and this will probably vary depending on the cost and nature of the particular event. However, sections are welcome to include all volunteers’ costs within the charge to young people (ie a slightly higher charge per Scout to ensure that the volunteers can go for free).
Travel expenses
Most volunteers choose not to submit a claim for their travel expenses for getting to meetings and other events, so we have no formal arrangement in place to allow for this. However, we would never exclude a volunteer who would not be able to attend if these costs were not covered: please discuss with the Group Scout Leader if an arrangement is required.