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Ed Miliband pledges £1.5m for Scouts' Centenary

Ed Miliband, Minister for the Third Sector, today put almost £1.5million behind plans to host 40,000 scouts from 216 countries at this summer's Centenary World Scout Jamboree.

The Office of the Third Sector, in the Cabinet Office, will give the UK Scouts Association £1.459m to support the event in Hylands Park, Chelmsford, between July 27 and August 8.

The World Jamboree takes place every four years and is hosted in a different country each time. It was last held in England fifty years ago, when scouting celebrated 50 years of the Scouting movement in the World Scout Jubilee Jamboree.

Local and national activities and events around the Centenary will go on throughout 2007, involving 500,000 young British people and creating an estimated 100,000 local community-based volunteering opportunities.

The Jamboree will see 40,000 young people taking part in community projects, and celebrations will have a special focus on social cohesion and increasing levels of volunteering.

The Government is keen to support the incredibly valuable benefits this will bring, and recognise the work of one of the country's most well-loved movements.

Ed Miliband, Minister for the Third Sector, said:

'I am proud that thousands of young people from across the world with all sorts of backgrounds and cultures are gathering together in Britain to celebrate a century of community participation. Today, it is every bit as important as it was 100 years ago to give young people the chance to get out and do practical things to improve their lives and the lives of others. This is a fantastic opportunity to build for the future with all those attending working alongside volunteers from other countries, sharing experiences and showing young people at their best.'

Derek Twine Chief Executive of the Scout Association said:

'The 21st World Scout Jamboree being held in the UK this summer will be a real adventure for 40,000 young people from over 200 countries around the world. It is an ideal opportunity for them to explore and develop their intercultural understanding which is so important in today's world where we are all global citizens with global responsibilities.'

'We are very pleased with the practical and financial support that The Government is offering our Leaders and young people in Scouting's Centenary year. For 100 years Scouting has been actively helping to change the world for the better; we passionately believe that this can be achieved by helping young people to fulfil their physical, intellectual, social and spiritual potentials. This funding will enable us to help 40,000 Scouts from over 200 countries around the world to live together in peace and friendship at the Jamboree.'

Events will run throughout the year at local, regional, national and international level. Across the world, 2007 is likely to be the largest ever example of youth cooperation and one of the biggest global celebrations since the turn of the Millennium.

Notes to editors:

1. In recognition of the increasingly important role the third sector plays in both society and the economy, the Prime Minister created the Office of the Third Sector (OTS) in May 2006 to drive forward the Government's role in supporting a thriving third sector, and join up sector-related work across government http://www.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/third_sector/.
2. The Scout Association is one of the largest volunteer-involving organisations in the UK with half a million members between the ages of 6 and 25. The 21st World Jamboree 2007's theme is 'One World, One Promise.' 40,000 14-18 year olds from 216 different countries will attend the event.
3. The Government is spending £100 million on youth volunteering over three years through the independent charity v; demonstrating that youth volunteering is of high importance to the Government. For more information on what the Government is doing to support volunteering please go to http://www.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/third_sector/community_participation/.

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