Manchester’s oldest Jewish scout troop, which later this year will be celebrating its 70th anniversary, is at risk of closing down at the end of August if a new leader isn’t found.

The 401st Manchester and 5th Cheetham Scout and Guide Group is seeking a volunteer scout leader to replace the current one, who is stepping down imminently after 12 years in the role.

Group scout leader Avril Frankl said she was seeking someone with an enthusiasm for outdoor activities and learning new skills, but that suitable candidates had been hard to come by in recent years because younger people are “not volunteering as much as they once did”.

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Manchester Scouts (Photo: handout)

Offering a wide range of activities, from tent-pitching and rock-climbing to ice-skating and woodwork, Scouts is “still unlike anything else” in the way it helps young people to develop confidence and practical life skills, said Frankl.

Members aged ten to 14 can obtain badges for demonstrating skills in areas including orienteering, photography and writing. “We do everything you’d expect Bear Grylls to do and more,” Frankl added.

“What is on offer is constantly shifting, so everyone finds things they love.
“If you don’t take to something one week, you’re likely to be doing something very different the next.”

Scout leaders are asked to dedicate approximately an hour and a half of volunteering on Tuesday nights, with occasional meeting-planning, phone calls and paperwork, said Frankl.

The 65-year-old will also be retiring at the end of the year after more than 35 years as scout group manager.

She started running the group when her own son, now 40, was six years old.
Urging others to try their hand at leading, Frankl said that helping young people develop new skills was “incredibly rewarding work.

“No matter what skills the scout thinks they lack, we will give them the confidence to excel in something.”

Aimee Banay, a scout parent and herself a former Brownie, said it would be “a tragic loss and a great shame” for the community if the group was forced to close its doors.

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Manchester Scouts (Photo: handout)

She said her 12-year-old son had benefited “enormously” since joining just over a year ago.

Speaking to the JC, Banay said: “The leaders have been amazing and so engaging with him. When he goes, [Scouts] becomes his world and it’s all that’s on his mind.

“It’s so important and grounding at their age to be in a hands-on, inspiring and non-patronising environment amongst peers.”

The Scout group, which currently has between 40 and 50 families involved in different capacities, has been a part of the city’s Jewish and wider community for nearly three-quarters of a century.

It regularly collaborates with non-Jewish organisations and assists with local charity initiatives.

Frankl said Scouts had recently had more uptake from observant families, whom were “accepted with open arms”.

Anyone interested in applying, should email: avril.frankl@nmdscouts.org.uk

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