Objectives

At the heart of the Programme lie the six areas of personal development. These are Body, Mind, Faith and Beliefs, Relationships, Community and Surroundings. Leaders help young people to grow and develop in each of these areas through their involvement in the Balanced Programme. The Balanced Programme therefore provides the framework for the weekly meetings and all the other activities that Scouts of any age can take part in.

It's all about participation

The new Balanced Programme is all about joining in, or participating. There is much less emphasis on passing tests, and a much greater emphasis on encouraging young people to learn from taking part. This simplifies the number of records that a Leader needs to keep for each individual. The Balanced Programme has three essential components, which are listed below.

The Programme Zones

These are essentially areas of activity. Each Section has its own set of Programme Zones, and they range from five in the Beaver Scouts to eight in the Explorer Scout and Scout Network Programmes.

Each Section includes Zones that cover activities such as Outdoors, Community, Fitness, International, and Beliefs and Attitude. Leaders planning their Section's Programme need to visit each Zone regularly, to ensure that they deliver a Programme that is balanced. Sometimes the meeting night or event will cover activities from just one Zone, while some meetings will draw activities from a variety of Zones. There is no specific list of activities that need to be included in each Zone. Leaders are free to select activities that they feel are appropriate and will appeal to the young people in their Sections.